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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014 -
- ARCHIVE as at 1 September 2013 for reference only
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Psychology

Undergraduate Course: Developmental Psychology (PSYL10012)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaPsychology Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThis course explores the nature of developmental change by addressing the twin issues of ¿what develops¿ as children grow into adults and ¿what drives¿ these developments. In particular, it considers inter-relationships between:
- different aspects of development (cognitive, linguistic, social) and between component skills within these areas
- biological and environmental influences on development
- cognitive and social/cultural approaches to explaining developmental change
- informal and formal learning environments (e.g. home and school)
- different periods of development
- typical and atypical development.
The course is in three sections, each addressing specific topics that are used to illustrate one or more of the above themes. The first section focuses on cognitive development and, in particular, on how developmental changes in the nature of mental representations are related to the development of reasoning abilities. The second section focuses on oral language development and, in particular, on evaluating the adequacy of social and cognitive explanations of how children learn word meanings and assessing the interplay between biological and environmental influences on language development, as well as the influence of language development on other aspects of development and on educational outcomes. The third section focuses first on the development of social and emotional understanding, and in particular on the role of conversational interactions as an interface between cognitive and social aspects of development. It then focuses on the development of literacy and on how educational practices can both inform and be informed by developmental psychology.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Psychology 2 (PSYL08002)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Psychology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 13/01/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 74 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 100 %, Coursework 0 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Developmental Psychology2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
- to critically assess empirical evidence regarding some of the ways in which cognitive, linguistic and social aspects of development are inter-related
- to understand developmental relationships between different components of cognitive ability (e.g. representation and reasoning)
- to understand some of the ways in which biological factors underpin developmental change and how these interact with environmental influences (e.g. in relation to language development)
- to give examples of how comparisons between typical and atypical development contributes to our understanding of the nature of developmental change
- to describe and evaluate contrasting theoretical accounts of the nature of developmental change
- to be able to reflect critically on implications of developmental psychology for educational policy and practice
Assessment Information
Degree examination (100%)
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Alex Doumas
Tel: (0131 6)51 1328
Email: Alex.Doumas@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Simon Cann
Tel: 0131 650 9870
Email: Simon.Cann@ed.ac.uk
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