Main topics, theories and methodological aspects of developmental and educational psychology; social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development from birth to preadolescence. Special in depth-focus on cognitive and socio-emotional aspects that influence school adjustment, and particularly children’s academic outcomes; individual and group well-being at school; basic knowledge about atypical development, including BES and specific learning disorders.
Course Content - 2 semester - last names M-Z
Theoretical and methodological aspects of developmental and educational psychology; social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic milestones from childhood to adolescence. Environmental effects on the neurofunctional, cognitive and emotional organization. Emerging literacy and formal learning. Comparative studies between typical and atypical development.
Leman P., Bremner A., Parke R.D., Gauvain M. (2019, versione italiana Sulla F., Traverso L., Versari, A.). Psicologia dello sviluppo (without chapter 15). McGraw Hill Education, Milano. ISBN 9788838694967
Slides of the course on Moodle.
1. Patrick Leman, Andy Bremner, Ross D. Parke. A cura di: F. Sulla, L. Traverso, A. Versari. Psicologia dello sviluppo. Con Connect. McGraw-Hill Education, 2019
2. Giuliana Pinto. Il suono, il segno e il significato. Psicologia dei processi di alfabetizzazione. Carrocci Editore, 2014
materiali forniti dal docente durante le lezioni
Learning Objectives - 1 semester - last names A-L
Knowledge and understanding:
The course provides basic knowledge on developmental and educational psychology. Special in depth-focus on cognitive, social and emotional aspects that influence school adjustment, and particularly children’s academic outcomes; individual and group well-being at school; basic knowledge about atypical development, including BES and specific learning disorders.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
The course provides the fundamental skills to:
choose approaches to interpret and problematizing educational phenomena; promote choosing and the use of research methods and instruments for evaluating educational processes in school context; working in group to cope with specific situation and plan educational experiences according to children special needs and their individual characteristics;
manage relationships with children and adults.
Making judgements:
The course encourages an autonomous and critical reflection about educational phenomena, and specifically about teacher’s role.
Communication skills:
The course promotes the knowledge and the using of a correct vocabulary pertaining developmental and educational psychology issues and fundamental skills for communicating with children and adults.
Learning skills:
The course provides skills required for ongoing learning.
Learning Objectives - 2 semester - last names M-Z
Knowledge and understanding:
The course provides basic knowledge on developmental and educational psychology. The main topics are: theoretical and methodological aspects of developmental psychology; processes and mechanisms that regulate social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development from childhood to adolescence; protective and risk factors affecting school adjustment and child's academic outcomes; comparisons between typical and atypical development.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
The course provides the fundamental skills to know the milestones of psychological development from childhood to school-age. The course provides some strategies to observe and measure the cognitive and emotional underpinnings of learning and the class group relationships. The course aims to support students in working in groups to plan and verify studies and educational interventions.
Making judgments:
The course will encourage a critical and active participation to discussions, group activities and lessons.
Communication skills:
The course provides appropriate vocabulary and adequate communication skills with children and adults.
Learning skills:
The course provides skills required for continuity in learning.
Prerequisites - 1 semester - last names A-L
Ability to understand the lessons, texts, slides of the course
Prerequisites - 2 semester - last names M-Z
none
Teaching Methods - 1 semester - last names A-L
Knowledge and understanding:
Lectures, seminars, small groups’ exercises to in-depth study.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Small group exercises and role-playing , discussion in group and in the class.
Making judgements:
Group discussions and presentation of critical reflections to class; reflections and problem solving starting from the discussion of study cases.
Communication skills:
Exercises in couple and small group. Presenting to class small group’s work/reflections in an oral form. Use of a correct vocabulary referring to the studied topics.
Knowledge and understanding
Lectures, webinars and on-line talks from experts, work in small groups to pan a study/research
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Exercises, individual or small groups work and discussions in the class.
Making judgments:
Group discussions and presentations to class of the group work.
Communication skills:
Presenting group work studies/research in an oral and written form. Use of a correct vocabulary for the studied topics.
Learning skills:
This competence will be promoted through group study/search activities.
Further information - 1 semester - last names A-L
Couse program, the time-table of course activities, suggested readings, learning objective, teaching methods, type of assessment will be presented at the beginning of the course. All students are invited to be present at the beginning of the course, even those who cannot attend the course o can do it but only rarely.
In addition to the slide presented during classes, the time-table of course activities, also Syllabus will be put online on the e-learning site.
Further information - 2 semester - last names M-Z
The course program, the time-table of course activities, suggested readings, learning activities, teaching methods and type of assessment will be presented at the beginning of the course. All students are invited to be present at the beginning of the course, even those who cannot attend the entire course or that can do it rarely. Course frequency is highly suggested.
Syllabus will be online on the e-learning site.
Type of Assessment - 1 semester - last names A-L
Knowledge and understanding:
Oral exam with questions finalized to evaluate the acquisition of knowledge.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Oral exam with questions finalized to verify the ability to reflect on issues of the course and to apply this knowledge to the school context. Presentation of reflections and discussion in the class.
Making judgements:
Reflections and personal point of view expressed in oral test and during all course learning activities will be evaluated.
Communication skills:
Use of a correct and appropriate vocabulary in oral test and during all course learning activities.
Learning skills:
Oral test and during all course learning activities.
Type of Assessment - 2 semester - last names M-Z
Knowledge and understanding:
Written exam (open questions) to verify in depth knowledge and critical skills. All students (attending or non attending) have the opportunity to perform formative evaluation activities, during the course (see calendar on Moodle)
Apply knowledge and understanding
in the written exam, ability to reflect on issues faced during the course and to apply this knowledge to the school context.
Small group homework and collective discussions in classroom will be requested: it will be voluntary and evaluated. Students must apply within and not after the sixth lesson. The students’ personal exposition will be evaluated in regard to: expository clarity, expository complexity, capacity of expressing limits and potentiality of the chosen study/research, respecting scheduled times. The positive evaluation of the group work could result in the addition of up to two points to the final exam evaluation for each student.
Making judgements:
Accessing punctually to knowledge and expressing personal point of view in written test will be evaluated.
Communication skills:
Use of a correct and appropriate vocabulary in written tests and during presentations.
Learning skills:
Written test. Study/research tasks carried-out in small groups.
Course program - 1 semester - last names A-L
The main themes of developmental psychology, theoretical approaches to explain human development, research methods. The biology of development. Social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development from birth to preadolescence. Identity development. Theories of Piaget, Vygotskij, Bowlby. In-depth focus on: families, adoption, bullying, factors that influence school adjustment and children’s academic outcomes, sociometric measures, school as a system, well-being of students and teachers at school, school climate, basic knowledge about plus dotation and atypical development (BES, specific learning disorders).
Course program - 2 semester - last names M-Z
The main themes of developmental psychology, theoretical approaches to explain human development, research methods. The development of social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development from childhood to adolescence. Main theories of development: Piaget, Vygotskij, Bowlby, Human Information Processing; Neuro-constructivism. By seminars and exercises the course will in depth focus on: cognitive and relational factors that influence school adjustment and children’s academic outcomes; comparative investigation of typical and atypical development.
1. Psychological development: definitions and main biological and environmental processes.
2. Motor and perceptual development: theories and milestones.
3. Cognitive development: theories and milestones.
4. Language development: theories and milestones.
5. Literacy and math acquisition: cognitive models and milestones.
6. Implicit and controlled cognitive processes during development.
7. Emotional and moral
development: theories and milestones
8. Psychological development and learning at school.