The Child and Adolescent Development course examines how children grow, learn, and adapt from early childhood through adolescence. Grounded in current research, the course encourages students to critically evaluate developmental theories and practices while exploring how nutritional, physical, familial, educational, societal, and environmental factors influence healthy development across the lifespan.
Module 1: Foundations of Child Development
Introduces the domains and stages of development, historical perspectives, and major theoretical frameworks, including psychoanalytic, cognitive, learning, biological, contextual, and dynamic systems approaches.
Module 2: Research in Child Development
Explores key developmental issues and research methods, including nature versus nurture, experimental and correlational research, longitudinal and cross‑sectional designs, and evaluating research conclusions.
Module 3: Genetics, Conception & Prenatal Development
Examines genetic foundations, heredity, prenatal development, genetic abnormalities, prenatal testing, infertility, reproductive choices, and adoption.
Module 4: Birth & the Newborn
Covers childbirth practices, delivery options, stages of labor, newborn assessment, early infant care, nutrition, health, perception, and states of arousal.
Module 5: Physical Development
Focuses on growth patterns, brain development, maturation, puberty, motor development, physical disabilities, vision, speech, and bodily control.
Module 6: Health, Nutrition & Safety
Addresses childhood and adolescent health concerns, including illness, diabetes, asthma, nutrition, malnutrition, obesity, eating disorders, injury prevention, and safety practices.
Module 7: Cognitive Development
Explores cognitive growth through theories such as Piaget’s stages, sociocultural and constructivist perspectives, learning in context, scaffolding, and classroom applications.
Module 8: Information Processing & Learning
Examines memory, attention, executive function, metacognition, information‑processing theories, and cognitive development in educational settings.
Module 9: Language & Literacy Development
Covers theories of language development, speech and communication, language and the brain, literacy skills, and language growth through adolescence.
Module 10: Intelligence & Developmental Disabilities
Introduces intelligence theories, assessment methods, giftedness, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and educational supports.
Module 11: Emotional Development & Temperament
Explores emotional growth, regulation, temperament, empathy, social referencing, depression, and mental health considerations.
Module 12: Self‑Concept & Moral Development
Examines identity development, self‑esteem, cultural identity, Erikson’s psychosocial stages, and moral development theories.
Module 13: Attachment, Parenting & Family Systems
Focuses on attachment theory, parenting styles, discipline, cultural influences, family structures, child maltreatment, and changing family dynamics.
Module 14: Gender & Sexual Development
Explores gender development, puberty, romantic relationships, sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, and global perspectives.
Module 15: Play, Peers, School & Media
Examines the role of play, peer relationships, bullying, substance use, schooling, media, and technology in child and adolescent development.
Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:
Analyze major theories and perspectives of child and adolescent development
Evaluate research and evidence‑based practices related to growth and development
Explain how physical, cognitive, emotional, and social factors interact across developmental stages
Recognize the influence of family, education, culture, and society on child and adolescent development
Apply developmental concepts to real‑world settings involving children and adolescents
Demonstrate informed, critical thinking when addressing developmental challenges and outcomes
Certificate of completion
This class is an independent-study course. Students will have all the resources needed to successfully complete the course within the online material. A student helpdesk is available for technical support during the course enrollment.