Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Human Development through the Lifespan (Online)

FLHD 1500-SW1

Course: FLHD 1500-SW1
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: FLHD
CRN: 31110

Course Description


This course is designed to emphasize and examine aspects of human development across the lifespan. It includes a holistic approach to developmental changes that integrate theories, research and application. It will provide an overview of the development of the individual and the family in society. Students are encouraged to formulate a personal philosophy of what constitutes optimum growth and development of children of all ages. Students will also be encouraged to examine the events of their own lives in developmental perspective to increase their self-awareness. 

This course seeks to develop students’ understanding of themselves and the world through the study of methods and theories used by social and behavioral scientists. This course seeks to describe, explain, and analyze individual and collective human behavior and relationships to prepare students to grasp the diversities and complexities of human life, past and present, and come to an informed sense of self and others. 


Required Texts


Invitation to the Lifespan
(5th ed.) by Kathleen Stassen Berger.  Publisher: Macmillan           
     Learning  ISBN: 9781319331986

  • Inclusive Access Content: FLHD 1500 - Achieve Read and Practice for Invitation to the Life Span (1-Term Online)

Learning Outcomes


Based on SUU/USHE Essential Learning Outcomes, and NCFR Content Areas; students will be able to:

  1. Examine: Examine institutions and human behavior through social and behavioral concepts, methods, or theories; (Aligns with NCFR #3)
  2. Analyze: Identify diverse perspectives to explore and examine social and behavioral phenomena; and (Aligns with NCFR #3)
  3. Apply: Apply discipline-relevant and scientific theories and methods to make inferences about or applications to social and behavioral phenomena at personal, institutional, or cultural levels. (Aligns with NCFR #3)

Course Requirements

Grading Scale
A 94% - 100% B- 80% - 82% D+ 67% - 69%
A- 90% - 93% C+ 77% - 79% D 63% - 66%
B+ 87% - 89% C 73% - 76% D- 60% - 62%
B 83% - 86% C- 70% - 72% F 59% and below


DISCLAIMER: Please know I want to be a support to you and because I am operating 
within a system, I am limited in what I can and can’t do to support you.  If you are in need of accommodations, please reach out to the Disability Resource Center on campus who can help you access short-term and long-term accommodations.  If you have a complaint about any professor or course on campus, please take the following steps:
  1. Talk to the professor
  2. If you feel like you can’t talk to the professor, please go to the chair of the department, contact information for this person can be found on the department’s website.
  3. Other resources include:
    1. Dean of the college where the course is housed
    2. Provost’s office 
    3. Dean of Students
  4. Regardless of the steps you take, leaving feedback in your end of semester course evaluations is important.  These are anonymous; instructors do not have access to them until after grades are posted.

2. Emotional Safety - Emotional Safety - Emotional Safety - Emotional Safety - Due to the 
emotionally and psychologically vulnerable content that will be discussed throughout this course, it is essential that all participants contribute to an environment of emotional safety.  In the event of a student participating in emotionally unsafe comments/behavior, the instructor will provide feedback which will serve as a warning. At that time, the student will be invited to converse with the instructor about what made their comments/behavior emotionally unsafe. If the behavior is repeated, students will be referred to campus services.  If you find you are emotionally overwhelmed by content in this or any other course, the University Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) is a resource available to you.  The phone number for CAPS is: 435.865.8621.

3. As a student in this course, you are responsible for the content presented in this 
course and for your own learning.  If you need help, please ask. If you have questions about the material that you are interested in or curious about that is not addressed in the course, please ask.  If you have questions about expectations for an assignment, please ask.  If you do not understand a concept being taught/discussed, please ask. The instructor is a resource to you; however, if you do not communicate that you need help, the instructor cannot help you.

4. All assignments are due at midnight on the due date unless otherwise noted and should be 
turned in via Canvas.  The instructor will not accept assignments turned in any other way.

5. Assignments may be turned in early. You may turn in up to 3assignments up to 3 days 
late without questions or penalty.  Any late work beyond this will only be accepted if you have formal accommodations in place through the Disability Resource Center or support through the Office of Student Outreach and Support.  This applies to all assignments that will receive a grade.  Please do not rely on Canvas to remind you of when assignments are due; please be proactive and know when assignments are due.  All assignments for the semester are already entered into Canvas.

6. All documentation must be done in APA 7th Edition format.  For this course, abstracts, 
cover pages and headings are not necessary.  You will not be docked for using these.  When required to use outside sources, students are expected to use credible sources; wikipedia is not allowed for use as a reference in this course.  OWL at Purdue is a great resource! Please do not rely on any automatic reference/citation formatting tools/engines as these often produce incorrect citations/references.  If you are going to pursue your education in the social sciences field, you may find it useful to purchase an APA manual.  If it is discovered that you used a false source, generated by AI or any other source, this will be considered academic dishonesty and SUU Policy 6.33 will be followed.

7. It is expected that all work you turn in is created and developed by you.  If you use AI, 
the expectation for this course is that you use it as a resource and not a robot.  You must properly cite it if you use it.  If it is discovered that you are using AI without properly citing it or you use AI to generate work that you turn in as your own, SUU Policy 6.33 for Academic Integrity will be followed.

8. All papers must be typed in either Arial or Times New Roman with a 12 point font,  1 
inch margins and double spaced.

9. Grammar and following instructions matters!  Your grade will be affected by these 
things.  Please pay attention to page requirements - both minimums and limitations. Once the page limit is reached, I will stop reading and any information included after that point will not be considered in your grade.  While your grade will be impacted according to assignment rubrics for incorrect grammar and poor writing mechanics, because of the amount of time it takes to do so, I will not be editing your papers as I grade them.

10. Syllabus Quiz (25 points) - This will count as your commenced attendance assignment. If 
you want full points for this assignment, it needs to be done by the due datet.  You will have the option to complete it until the deadline for commencing attendance.  If you do not complete it by this deadline, you will be at risk of being dropped from the course.  Please review the syllabus prior to taking the quiz.  It is open note.   Please see Canvas for the due date.

11. Exams (200 points total): You will have 4 exams in this course. Each exam will consist of 
50 multiple-choice questions. You will have 60 minutes and two attempts to complete each exam. You may NOT use your textbook or notes to complete the exams. You will use Proctorio, an exam proctoring application to monitor your exams. You will need to ensure you have access to a working computer with a camera and sufficient access to wifi. 

12. Learning Curves ( 470 points total): Each chapter will include 2-3 "Learning Curves" for 
a combined 30 points per chapter. 
  • These "learning curves" allow students to utilize the textbook's e-book platform to take interactive and adaptive "quizzes" pertaining to various topics from each chapter. 
  • Each learning curve is set to be completed at a specific total point value. Students will answer questions worth varying point values. Students will be given questions until they reach the designated total point value. Meaning, if students complete each learning curve, by the due date, they are all but guaranteed 100% on each learning curve "quiz"
  • More information can be found HERE.
  • Please see Canvas for the due dates


13. Introductions (30 points): In order to make this online class as personal as 
possible, please record an introduction of yourself that you will upload to a discussion board.  Then, respond to at least 3 of your peers’ videos.   Instructions on how to do this are included in the assignment shell.  Please see Canvas for the due date.


14. Letter to Future Child (30 points): This assignment requires you to integrate the role of 
nature and nurture in child-rearing with your personal philosophy of a productive life. Please see Canvas for the due date.


15. Video Observation-Infancy  (30 points): This assignment provides an opportunity for you 
to observe and identify developmental milestones of infants. Please see Canvas for the due date.

16. Video Observation-Toddlerhood  (30 points): This assignment provides an opportunity 
for you to observe and identify developmental milestones of toddlers. Please see Canvas for the due date.

17-. Research Topic Selection  (10 points): This assignment engages the learner in choosing a 
debate topic about human development to research for future assignments. Please see 
Canvas for the due date.
18. Friendship Reflection  (30 points): This assignment requires you to read, analyze and 
reflect on  your own friendships growing up. Please see Canvas for the due date.


19. Research Article Summaries  (50 points): This assignment requires you to locate and 
summarize articles that address both sides of your selected debate topic (Research Topic Selection assignment). Please see Canvas for the due date.

20. Research Poster Presentation  (90 points): This assignment requires you to create a 
video poster presentation based on your research debate and post it for classmates to view.  Please see Canvas for the due date.

21. Adolescent Suicide Prevention  (30 points): This assignment requires you to research 
and evaluate online resources focused on adolescent suicide prevention and compose a personal insight paper that reflects on your findings and personal experience.  Please see Canvas for the due date.

22. Research Poster Video Viewing and Feedback  (40 points): This assignment engages 
peers in viewing and evaluating and providing feedback to the video poster presentations of classmates. Please see Canvas for the due date.

23. Adulthood Interview  (30 points): This assignment requires you to select and interview 
two adults regarding the aging process and reporting on your experience.  Please see Canvas for the due date.

24. Life Sketch  (30 points): This assignment invites you to create your own life sketch as if 
you are coming up on your 100th birthday.  Please see Canvas for the due date.


Course Outline

Week | Tasks | Assignments Due
18/27 - 8/29 | Module 1Read: Chapters 1 - 2 | 8/27: Syllabus Quiz due 8/30: Introductions due8/30: Learning Curves 1 & 2 due8/30: Letter to Future Child due
29/1 - 9/5 | Module 2Read: Chapters 3 & 4
 | 9/5: Learning Curves 3 - 49/5: Infancy Video Observation        due9/5: Toddlerhood Video         Observation due9/5: Exam 1 due
39/8 - 9/12 | Module 3Read: Chapters 5 & 6  | 9/12: Learning Curves 5 - 69/12: Friendship Reflection due9/12: Project Topic due   
49/15 - 9/19 | Module 4Read: Chapters 7 & 8 | 9/19: Learning Curves 7 - 89/19: Article Summaries due9/19: Exam 2 due
59/22 - 9/26 | Module 5Read: Chapters 9 - 11 | 9/26: Learning Curves 9 - 119/26: Suicide Prevention due9/26: Exam 3 due
69/29 - 10/3  | Module 6Read: Chapters 12 & 13 | 10/3: Learning Curves 12 - 1310/3: Research Poster due10/3: Adulthood Interview due
710/6 - 10/10 | Module 7Read: Chapters 14 - 16 & Epilogue  | 10/10: Learning Curves 14 - 1610/10: Life Sketch due 10/10: Poster feedback due 10/10: Exam 4 due

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments may be turned in early. You may turn in up to 3assignments up to 3 days 
late without questions or penalty.  Any late work beyond this will only be accepted if you have formal accommodations in place through the Disability Resource Center or support through the Office of Student Outreach and Support.  This applies to all assignments that will receive a grade.  Please do not rely on Canvas to remind you of when assignments are due; please be proactive and know when assignments are due.  All assignments for the semester are already entered into Canvas.


Attendance Policy

This is an asynchronous online course.  Your engagement with modules and assignments, found in Canvas, is your attendance and essential for a passing grade.


Course Fees

No additional course fees

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.