Development of the Thinking Child

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

Prior coursework in at least two Level 2 psychology subjects, including Cognitive Psychology and/or Developmental Psychology, is recommended. Level 2 psychology subjects are: Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Personality & Social Psychology.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards of Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit Website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

In developmental science the interaction between nature and nurture takes centre stage in answering questions about the reasons for variability in the emergence and growth of children's cognitive abilities. Recent advances in cognitive and neuropsychological assessment procedures provide new ways of understanding changes in typical and atypical development.

This subject examines the development of preadolescent children's thinking abilities: specifically, the significance of cognitive, neurological and neuropsychological factors in typical and atypical development. Current research on developmental plasticity and sensitive periods in development will be reviewed. Special attention will be paid to the prenatal and postnatal development of the central nervous system, as well as the impact of neurological insult on children's cognitive development. Of particular interest are the challenges associated with assessing the changing nature of children's cognitive competencies (e.g., executive functioning, reasoning, working memory, theory of mind, attention, planning and strategic skills), as well as how these are manifest in children with specific disorders (e.g., ADHD) or with particular physical difficulties (e.g., deaf and blind children). Special attention will be paid to the development of language, reading, number and mathematical abilities, focusing specifically on the diagnosis and remedial interventions of children with dyscalculia and dyslexia.

The subject aims to:

• to critically evaluate perspectives on the relationship between cognitive and neuropsychological development
• to evaluate the adequacy of research methods used to study cognitive-neuropsychological developmental issues
• to interpret cognitive-neuropsychological development research data
• to understand analytic issues associated with studying variability in development
• to describe typical and atypical developmental patterns and change trajectories
• to review contemporary analytic methods for assessing developmental change
• to construct meaningful research hypotheses about cognitive-neuropsychological development
• to write lab reports that reflect an understanding of core issues in cognitive-neuropsychological development

Three written laboratory reports of 1000 words each (33% each) to be submitted during semester.

Each piece of assessment must be completed (hurdle requirement).

Attendance of at least 80% of the laboratory classes is a hurdle requirement. In case of failure to meet the hurdle requirement, additional work iwll be required before a passing grade can be awarded.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Students in this subject will be given appropriate opportunity and educational support to develop the following skills to:

• integrate and differentiate theoretical approaches in order to develop an understanding of contemporary issues
• relate theory to practice
• discern and manipulate relationships between theoretical and methodological claims
• present, develop and support an argument for a position and anticipate criticism