Syllabus: 2015 Spring
FS 4543.01 – Developmental Sexuality
Faculty Name: Elizabeth Boatman, M.Ed. GTA
Catalog Course Description
Sexuality across the lifespan with emphasis on sex education in the family (3 semester hours).
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand sexual development across the lifespan and throughout the family life
cycle.
2. Comfortably discuss sexuality within a group & role play parent-child sexuality
education situations.
3. Learn about sexuality education approaches, activities and techniques suitable for
various ages and developmental stages.
4. Understand concepts of gender, gender identity, gender role, sexual orientation, &
sexual identity.
5. Distinguish sexual myths from sexual facts.
6. Become familiar with the professional journals containing articles on human
sexuality.
7. Identify the reproductive organs and their functions for females and males.
8. Understand the methods of contraception and abortion, their levels of effectiveness,
advantages and disadvantages.
9. Understand sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV/AIDS, including
transmission, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
10. Discover the theories involved when studying and researching human sexuality.
11. Develop an appreciation of the physical/psychological & emotional/spiritual
interconnectedness of human sexuality.
12. Identify one’s own values around sexuality issues and articulate personal
responsibility for cultural competence.
Each of the above student learning outcomes must be performed at an appropriate level as stated
in each course assignment requirements, grading scale or rubric.
Subject Matter
This course will cover the subject matters of:
1. Perspectives on Human Sexuality
2. Studying Human Sexuality
3. Female Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response
4. Male Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response
5. Gender and Gender Roles
6. Sexuality in Childhood and Adolescence
7. Sexuality in Adulthood
8. Love and Communication in Intimate Relationships
9. Sexual Expression
10. Variation in Sexual Behavior
11. Contraception, Birth Control and Abortion
12. Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth
13. The Sexual Body and health and illness
14. Sexual Function Difficulties, Dissatisfaction , Enhancement, and Therapy
15. Sexually Transmitted Infections
16. HIV and AIDS
17. Sexual Coercion: Harassment, Aggression, and Abuse
18. Sexually Explicit Materials, Prostitution, and Sex Laws
Major Course Assignments and Examinations
Attendance and Class Participation (75 points)
Being late or absent will affect your grade (please also see the University’s attendance policy,
below). are required to read the materials prior to class, arrive on time, and be prepared to
participate in class discussions and group activities. If, during class, it is determined that a form
of technology (e.g., phones, laptops, etc.) is being used for non-class purposes, you will be
asked to put the device away and/or you will lose participation points. The only exception made
will be for emergencies, which should be discussed with the instructor ahead of time.
This course is intended to be interactive; everyone is expected to participate in class
discussions. There is an expectation of confidentiality (described under course policies)
and respect for others’ opinions. You will find that, very often, other students have different
thoughts and ideas about sexuality. These differing views and diversity in the classroom are part
of what will enrich your experience as a student. While I expect that you are passionate about
what you do, I also expect that you respect this diversity and openly converse with your
colleagues to learn about how and why they have formed their unique views. You will be
graded on your professionalism and participation throughout this course.
Vocabulary Quizzes (5 @ 20 points each)
Five vocabulary-based quizzes are scheduled across the semester. These quizzes will
examine knowledge of terms and definitions. Each quiz will be worth 20 points and be
submitted through Blackboard.
These quizzes will be available 7 days prior to their due date. You are encouraged to
begin taking the quizzes in advance of the deadline. Quizzes will not be “reset” for any
reason. You will have one hour to complete the quiz and two attempts. The highest
grade among the attempts will be recorded. Each attempt may generate different
questions. Quizzes must be completed on Blackboard and submitted by 11:59pm
on the due date. Refer to course calendar for specific due dates.
Annotated Bibliography (50 points)
Select five 5 articles from peer reviewed professional journals on sexuality and prepare an
annotated bibliography in APA format. An annotation of a research article is essentially a
summary of what the article about; an assessment of the information it contains; and reflection
on whether the information is useful, or if it is useful.
The articles that you use should be empirically based (i.e., the collected and analyzed data).
There must be at least 3 different journals represented in your annotated bibliography. If you are
having difficulties finding articles, the TWU library online articles and other credible Internet
resources (e.g. Google Scholar) are good places to begin. Further, the textbook reference
section is an excellent source for articles (just look up the studies that they cite). See Blackboard
for assignment details, a list of possible journals, and an example paper. The annotated
bibliography must be completed and submitted to Blackboard by 11:59pm on 2/12/15.
Mid-Term Exam (100 points)
An in class mid-term exam will cover the first half of the semester (specific chapters will
be indicated on the schedule). Focus will be on course readings and in-class activities
and discussions. The exam will have a variable number of questions and question types
(e.g., multiple choice, true/false, short answer, fill-in the blank). The Mid-Term Exam
must be completed during class and turned into the professor by the end of
class on 3/5/15.
Journal Article Review (50 points)
Choose an article from your annotated bibliography that describes quantitative results (uses
numbers, statistics) from a study conducted by the authors. Article reviews that are not from an
appropriate source, or empirically based, will not be graded. It may be wise to check with me
prior to beginning the assignment to ensure the article you have chosen is from an appropriate
source and describes quantitative results. Review the article using the form provided to you on
blackboard. There is also an example paper and assignment rubric on Blackboard to guide you
in your work. The Journal Article Review must be completed and submitted to Blackboard
by 11:59pm on 4/2/15.
Group STI Presentation (25 points)
Students will work in assigned groups of approximately 3 people to create a 5-10
minute presentation about an assigned Sexually Transmitted Infection (See Blackboard
for groups and topic assignments). The presentation must outline what it is, how it is
spread, symptoms, treatments, how to reduce risk, and other pertinent information.
Please DO NOT include graphic pictures of advanced stage STIs. Please only use the
textbook or credible sources (e.g. Center for Disease Control, Planned Parenthood,
etc.) to retrieve information and include a reference page in your presentation and
handout. For class on 4/16, student groups will share their presentations with the class
and prepare a basic, 1-page written summary of the assigned STI to distribute to
classmates (therefore, students should bring copies for everyone, including 1 to turn in).
See Blackboard for detailed assignment guidelines, rubric, and other helpful
documents.
The Group Presentation and handout must be completed and presented in class
on 4/16/15.
Final Exam (100 points)
The final exam for this course will cover the second half of the semester and
administered online through the Blackboard course shell. Students may not work
together on this exam. You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam. The exam will
have a variable number of questions and question types (e.g., multiple choice,
true/false, short answer, fill-in the blank).
LATE SUBMISSIONS FOR EXAMS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
Readings
Required Texts
Yarber, W. L., Sayad, B. W., & Strong, B. (2012) Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary
America (8th ed.). ISBN-13: 978-0078035319
Suggested Texts
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American
th
Psychological Association (6 ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Note: This is an abbreviated syllabus and is subject to change. A more detailed syllabus will be
distributed to students by the instructor.