Lifespan Development

Information About Lifespan Development
~PSYC 21~


I am teaching two sections of Lifespan Development this spring (2024) semester. In PSYC 21, we cover human biological, cognitive, and psychosocial development from conception through death. This is an important course for psychology majors, but is also relevant for students going into counseling or clinical psychology and healthcare, such as nursing, physical therapy, and recreational therapy.

My online sections of PSYC 21 (CRN 34133 and CRN 34134) are part of the CityOnline Program and are offered across 16 weeks, starting 1/29/24 and ending 5/22/24. Please be sure that taking a course during this time period makes sense given your personal and work schedule. It is important that you have reliable access to the class. I cannot excuse students from class due to vacation plans or lack of internet access. You will be expected to log in to our class to work on tasks and actively participate at least 3 days per week of your choosing. Be sure to keep all of this in mind when making plans that may interfere with your availability to fulfill course requirements.

Feel free to contact me via email (lharriso@ccsf.edu) if you have questions about the course and its requirements. Below you will also find information about adding Psyc 21. More information about adding classes and online waitlist information can be accessed by selecting the "Adding Classes & Online Waitlist Information" page. 

The Textbook for PSYC 21

The textbook for this course is called Invitation to the Life Span, 5th Edition, by Kathleen Stassen Berger (Macmillan Publishers, 2022). As a class, we are not using Achieve, which is a separate website set up by the publisher of the textbook, so you do not need to purchase an access code. You might choose to purchase it as it does come with an e-Book. But, I do not use it. We cover around 1 chapter a week in the textbook (along with some other tasks related to the reading assignments). The text is your primary source of information. Therefore, it is critical that you have access to a copy of the textbook. 


There is also an optional supplement called My Virtual Child. Please do not purchase this supplement until after you have had a chance to log in to the class and read through the syllabus. The syllabus and course schedule will be available in Canvas once class starts.

For Students Currently Registered for PSYC 21

This course is totally online, including the orientation. Therefore, there are actually no required face to face meetings. You will not be able to access the course, including the online orientation, until the first day of class or 1/29/24.

CCSF uses a learning management system called Canvas. You will receive Canvas log in instructions via your CCSF Gmail account on or shortly before the first day of class. You must log in to the class by the end of the second day of the semester. This is equivalent to showing up on the first day of class. If you do not show up, and you do not communicate with me about it, I will assume you changed your mind about the course and offer your spot to a student on the waiting list. Please contact me right away (lharriso@ccsf.edu) if you have trouble logging in to the class. 

Adding PSYC 21 and Being on the Waiting List

If the class is full when you attempt to register for it, you can try to register for the waiting list. If there is a spot on the waiting list you will be offered that option during the registration process. If you are trying to add yourself to the waiting list during the registration period, and you find the list full, I suggest that you keep checking back (even daily, if you are particularly determined) throughout the registration period because students do drop the class and the waiting list before the class starts. Either way, when a student does this, a spot opens on the registered waiting list. For more information on the waiting list process, visit Waitlist Information.

If you still don't make it on to the waitlist, then the next step is to fill out a "class add request" in myRAM. You cannot submit an add request until the first day of class (1/29). See instructions on page 22 in the myRAM Registration Guide. Getting on the registered waiting list is preferable because those students have priority in adding the class. However, being on the waiting list is not a guarantee that I will be able to add you.

Once classes begin I add people, as openings come up, in the order they appear on the waitlist. Once the waitlist is exhausted, I add students from the class add request list. If I can add you, you will receive an email sent to your CCSF email address prompting you to add the class within 24 hours. If you miss this deadline, I will need to revoke the invitation to add and offer the spot to the next person on the list.

If you are registered for the waitlist, please be aware that you will not be able to log in to the class until I can add you. Again, keep in mind that I may not be able to add you. I have a limited number of spots in the class. I recommend that you wait and buy the text only after you've officially registered for the class.

Please be rest assured that during the add/drop period I am very diligent about dropping people who are not participating and adding people from my waiting lists. I know the course is very important for each person on the list, and I work hard to fill openings quickly. I am totally invested in getting you started as early as possible! 

✔ Especially Important

If you are already registered for the waiting list, then be sure to check your CCSF email account daily. If a spot opens in the class before the class starts, CCSF will contact you to prompt you to add. You will have 24 hours to respond. If you miss this opportunity, your spot is offered to the next person on the list. If you do not respond to this prompt from the college, you are not automatically placed back on the waiting list nor can I automatically add you back to the waiting list myself.  At this point, you can (1) try to re-register for the waiting list if it's still during the registration period, or (2) if the first day of class has arrived, you can can fill out a "class add request" in myRAM. So, be sure to check the email address you have registered with the college regularly! 

Resources

The waiting list process is explained in detail here:  Waitlist Information

If you have never taken an online course before, you should be aware that it requires a great deal of self-motivation and initiative, as well as excellent organizational, time management, and study skills.

Are you ready to take an online course? Visit Succeeding in Online Courses to help you decide.


Finally, I recommend that you also visit CCSF's Distance Learning Information to prepare for your online learning experience. This site has an incredible number of helpful resources and lots of information for you to read before class starts, especially if you are new to online learning.