PSY212 Life-span Development
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Oct 10, 2025
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Psychology
Lejla Mustoo Başer
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
The aim of this course is to provide students with fundamental knowledge of human development. It introduces the key concepts of development, its challenges, and the major theories and research in the field. Beginning with foundational theories and research on human development, the course then explores genetic influences and prenatal development, followed by birth and the newborn period. It continues with the study of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development in infancy, early childhood, and middle to late childhood.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Newman, B.M. & Newman, P.R. (2015). Development through Life, A psychosocial approach. 12th Edition, Cengage Learning; Feldman, R. (2018). Development Across the life Span, 8th Edition, Pearson, USA.
Additional Literature
Hoffnung, R. J., Seifert, K. L., Hine A., Pause, C. Ward L., Signal T., Swabey K., Yates, K., Smith R. B. (2018). Lifespan development, 4th edition; Santrock J. W. (2011). Life-Span Development, 13th edition; Masten, A.S. (2014). Ordinary magic. Resilience in Development, Chapters 8, 9, 10. The Guilford Press; Gross, J.J. (2014). Handbook of emotion regulation. 2nd edition. Guilford Press; Felitti, V.J. (2002) The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult health: Turning gold into lead. The Permanente Journal/Winter 2002/Vol.6., Nr.1., pp.44-47; deMause, L. (1995) The History of Childhood, 1st Edition, Jason Aronson Inc.; Felitti, V.J., Anda, R.F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D.F., Spitz, A.M., Edwards, V., Koss, M.P., Marks, J.S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACE), American Journal of preventive medicine, pp.245-25.Teaching Methods
Weekly lectures with class discussions and active student engagement to relevant topics
Evaluations through assignments, class activities and exams
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course overview | |
| 2 | History of Childhood | All relevant chapters |
| 3 | Lifespan perspectives, Major theories for understanding human development | Chapters 1 & 2 |
| 4 | Lifespan perspectives, Major theories for understanding human development | Chapters 2 & 3 |
| 5 | Pregnancy and Prenatal Development | Chapter 4 |
| 6 | Infancy | Chapter 5 |
| 7 | Preparation for the midterm exam | All relevant chapters |
| 8 | MIDTERM EXAM | All relevant chapters |
| 9 | From Research to Practice | All relevant chapters |
| 10 | Toddlerhood | Chapter 6 |
| 11 | Early Childhood | Chapter 7 |
| 12 | Middle and Late Childhood | Chapter 8 & 9 |
| 13 | Applied: Resilience | All relevant chapters |
| 14 | Applied: Regulatory Skills | All relevant chapters |
| 15 | Preparation for the final exam | All relevant chapters |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSY212.1 | Course | Monday 15:00 - 17:50 | B F2.4 | - | - |
| PSY212.2 | Course | Tuesday 11:00 - 13:50 | B F1.16 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 - 15:00 | B F2.3B | |
| Tuesday | 10:00 - 12:00 | B F2.3B |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes :
Midterm Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes :
Reflection papers
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : LO3 LO4
Presentation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes :
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture
42 hours ⏳ (14 week × 3 h)
Assignments
26 hours ⏳ (13 week × 2 h)
Home Study
12 hours ⏳ (12 week × 1 h)
Mid-term exam study
35 hours ⏳ (7 week × 5 h)
Final Exam Study
35 hours ⏳ (7 week × 5 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [PSY212] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Oct 10, 2025 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| PSY212 | Life-span Development | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Prerequisite | PSY103 | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Lejla Mustoo Başer | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 12:00-15:00 Tuesday: 10:00-12:00 |
|||||||
| lmustoo@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | The aim of this course is to provide students with fundamental knowledge of human development. It introduces the key concepts of development, its challenges, and the major theories and research in the field. Beginning with foundational theories and research on human development, the course then explores genetic influences and prenatal development, followed by birth and the newborn period. It continues with the study of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development in infancy, early childhood, and middle to late childhood. |
|||||||||
| Textbook | Newman, B.M. & Newman, P.R. (2015). Development through Life, A psychosocial approach. 12th Edition, Cengage Learning; Feldman, R. (2018). Development Across the life Span, 8th Edition, Pearson, USA. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Weekly lectures with class discussions and active student engagement to relevant topics. Evaluations through assignments, class activities and exams. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Course overview | |||||||||
| Week 2 | History of Childhood | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Lifespan perspectives, Major theories for understanding human development | Chapters 1 & 2 | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Lifespan perspectives, Major theories for understanding human development | Chapters 2 & 3 | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Pregnancy and Prenatal Development | Chapter 4 | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Infancy | Chapter 5 | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Preparation for the midterm exam | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 8 | MIDTERM EXAM | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 9 | From Research to Practice | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Toddlerhood | Chapter 6 | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Early Childhood | Chapter 7 | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Middle and Late Childhood | Chapter 8 & 9 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Applied: Resilience | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Applied: Regulatory Skills | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Preparation for the final exam | All relevant chapters | ||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 35 | All of the LOs | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Midterm Exam | 1 | 30 | All of the LOs | Not Allowed | |
| Reflection papers | 2 | 20 | LO3, LO4 | Not Allowed | |
| Presentation | 1 | 15 | LO2 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture | 3 | 14 | 42 | Assignments | 2 | 13 | 26 | |||
| Home Study | 1 | 12 | 12 | Mid-term exam study | 5 | 7 | 35 | |||
| Final Exam Study | 5 | 7 | 35 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 07/10/2025 | |||||||||