Course Description :

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Examination of current research on child and adolescent development in the context of the digital age. Appraisal of empirical literature relating to the impact of contemporary technological innovations on the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development of children and adolescents. Investigation of the complex interactions among development, media and technology, and recent sociocultural change. Exploration of the effects of sociocultural change on development.

Rationale :

It is essential that developmental psychologists in the 21st century have an empirical, research-based understanding of the impact of the digital age on child and adolescent development. Most contemporary children and adolescents have grown up with new digital technologies, and many are proficient in the use of computers, the Internet, and smartphones. The digital age has had a profound impact on the way children and adolescents learn, socialize, and communicate.

The digital age is here to stay, and technological innovations will likely continue to increase at a rapid pace. There is much information in the news and popular literature that is based on fear and hype rather than on scholarly research. This course approaches the child and adolescent development in the digital age from an objective scientific perspective.

Measurable Learning Outcomes :

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Critique current scholarly research on child and adolescent development in the context of the digital age as well as distinguish scholarly sources of information from general audience sources.
2. Appraise empirical literature relating to the impact of contemporary technological innovations on the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development of children and adolescents.
3. Investigate the complex interactions among development, media and technology, and recent sociocultural change.
4. Explore the effects of sociocultural change on development.
5. Integrate a biblical perspective with the scientific study of child and adolescent development in the digital age.

Course Assignment Summary :

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes :

Course Requirements Checklist :

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4) :

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences.

• Therefore, the student is required to provide a discussion thread in response to the provided prompt.
• Each thread must be at least 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge.
• In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates threads.
• Each reply must be at least 250 words.

Journal Article Summary Assignments (3) :

The student will write 3 Journal Article Summary Assignments (1–3 pages each) from research-based peer-reviewed journal articles of the student’s choice pertaining to the topics identified in the assignment instructions relating to child and adolescent development in the digital age. These Journal Article Summary Assignments may later be incorporated into the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment if the student chooses to use them.

Research Paper: Topic and References Assignment :

The student will submit a research paper topic and 3 scholarly peer-reviewed journal article references, in APA format, related to the topic.

Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment :

The student will write a 10–15-page Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment in the current APA format that focuses on research on a topic related to child and adolescent development in the digital age. The Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment must include at least 8 scholarly journal articles as references.

Other references, including course materials and the Bible, may be incorporated in addition to the 8 journal articles, but the majority of the content of the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment paper should be supported by research-based scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles.