Course Description
This course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of human development throughout the lifespan. Students will learn about a range of theoretical perspectives on human development. They will examine threats to healthy development as well as protective factors that promote resilience. Students will learn about physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development from the prenatal period through old age and will develop their research and inquiry skills by investigating issues related to human development.
Prerequisite
Any university, college, or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies
Sample Activity
Teachers
Ms Varela (St. Clement’s School), Ms Boyle (Trafalgar Castle School) and Ms Richards (De La Salle College)
Course Delivery
This course is run through Blackboard. Content includes embedded readings or videos, links to external resources, discussion boards, blog posts and VoiceThread prompts. Weekly announcements highlight the instructions and content to complete.
Students use the Pronto application to have direct communication with the teacher and other students.
Synchronous sessions usually take place every two to three weeks and offer time for whole class discussions, partnered collaboration, and one-on-one teacher support. Recordings of these sessions are also accessible should a student be unable to attend a session. One-on-one check-ins also occur every three to four weeks or on an as needed basis.
Assessment and Evaluation
There is a mix of various assessment tools used in this course, including quizzes and tests, research assignments, formal and informal discussion boards, individual and group presentations, Wikis, VoiceThreads, peer feedback, tests, projects, and essays.
The final evaluation task asks students to focus on how we grow and develop into the people we are today and apply research to a case study.
AP Option
This course also covers the content required for the AP Psychology exam. Students have the option to take this exam in addition to receiving the OSSD credit for the course. The exam is taken in the student’s home school.