Enhanced Observation or Interview Assignment
50 points possible
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with a hands-on experience with an individual in a
specific age group of interest in a natural setting. This provides you with the opportunity to relate course
material from lecture, text, and readings to the observed behavior.
Assignment:
As class continues, you might find a certain area of the lifespan that interests you. As you read about
different age periods, you will see different milestones reached. Your task is to conduct an interview with
an adult or observe a child for at least one hour (could be longer) in a setting that is appropriate for that
individual (a play room or playground for a child, comfortable seating for an adult) and report what
happened. This individual should not be your child or relative! Take notes during the interview or
observation and then compile your thoughts into a 3-5 page paper that describes the experience and
connects the experience to the material in the class text about the developmental stage of that person. The
paper should be in APA format (described in the “Specifics” section) and should include references to
the text (in-text citations) when describing and analyzing developmental concepts and theories.
* The link to the video can be found in the submodule for Paper 2. You should have the individual
you choose sign a consent form. If the individual that you choose is under the age of 18, be sure to have
the child’s parent sign the Observation Consent Form before observing. If you are conducting an
interview, be sure to have the adult sign the Interview Consent Form. A copy of each informed consent
form can be found on the course D2L site; you can print the form for the participant or parent to sign. Be
sure to tell them that the purpose of the interview or observation is for a course assignment, and that you
will not be testing the child in any way. Explain that you merely want to observe the child in a natural
situation. Please take a snapshot of the consent form (first page only) with your smartphone.
Observations with children: Some students prefer to strictly observe a child and do nothing else but sit
in the background and take notes. Other students prefer to interact with the child. Whatever you decide to
do, make sure that you are able to take notes while you are observing. It works best if there is another
adult in the room who can interact with the child while you take notes. For the hour, write down
everything that the child does. Write down what you notice about his/her speech, movements, and
behaviors.
Interviews with adults: Prepare your questions in advance. Ask questions about what you are interested
in and ask questions that will help you to fully evaluate the individual’s development (physical,
cognitive, emotional, and social development). Ask questions about the past and the present. Give the
individual time to respond and also discuss what they are interested in. During the interview, also observe
the individual’s nonverbal behaviors such as body posture, speech, and other movements.
Your review should include
Summary of the Observation or Interview:
First, tell me about the location of where the observation or interview took place. What about the
environment was age-appropriate for the individual? Include a detailed description of the individual (but
do not use the individual’s real name. Instead, use a pseudonym (made-up name) to protect your
participant’s identity.
Your description should include information about their age, your relation to the individual (how you
know or found the person), physical appearance (size, build, features, coordination, etc.), and personality
characteristics (mood, temperament, activity level, skills, etc.). Summarize your experience and tell me
about what happened during the hour.
Remember to include a snapshot of your signed consent form when you submit your completed
paper to the D2L dropbox. Points will be deducted from this section if it is not uploaded.
Connection to the Course:
Refer to the different sections and charts in the text and describe the physical, cognitive, emotional, and
social development of the individual. Discuss the specific examples that you noticed that pertain to the
different aspects of development. How did the individual meet, exceed, or lack in the different areas?
Personal Feelings and Thoughts:
Discuss what it was like to be the observer or the interviewer. Why did you choose this individual? How
did the individual respond to you? What was your response to the individual? What did you enjoy most
about the interview or observation? What was the most difficult part of the assignment? How has this
experience affected you as an adult? Will this experience help you in your occupation?
Specifics:
Papers should be in APA format: typed in size 12-point Times New Roman font, have 1” margins, be
double-spaced, be 3-5 pages in length (not including title and reference pages), and have appropriate
spelling, grammar, and punctuation. All papers should include page numbers. You need to provide
correctly formatted in-text citations that reference the text in the connection section, and also include a
correctly formatted reference list at the end of your paper (even if there is only one reference).
Assignments without a name, or not matching the formatting guidelines will have points deducted. There
will be point deductions if these components are missing from the paper. If needed, please visit the
Writing Center on campus for additional assistance.
Student Name:
Rubric for Paper #2: Observation/Interview paper (50 Points Total) – Due Sunday, June 18 2016
Summary of Observation or
Interview
(15 points possible)
Section Requirements:
1) Describe location where the
Observation/interview took place
2) Discuss what about the
environment was age-appropriate
for the individual
3) Describe the individual
• age,
• relation to the individual,
• physical appearance,
• and personality
characteristics)
4) Provide a detailed summary of
the experience
5) Provided snapshot of consent
form
13-15 points
Student provided
detailed discussion of
ALL 8 of the section
requirements.
Detailed description
can be defined as
providing enough
information to
provide an image for
the reader. This
description should be
clear and demonstrate
coherent thought
during the writing
process.
Comments:
10-12 points
Student provided a
detailed discussion
of at least 6
requirements.
Student did not
address 1 of the
requirements.
OR
Student addressed
all requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
7-9 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of at least 5
requirements.
Student did not
address 2 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 6
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
4-6 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of only 4
requirements.
Student did not
address 3 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 5
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
0-3 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of only 3
requirements.
Student did not
address 4 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 4
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
Connection to course
(15 points possible)
4 areas of development to make
connections:
1) Physical
2) Cognitive
3) Emotional
4) Social
13-15 points
Student addressed
ALL areas of
development.
Student used specific
examples from
his/her experience
AND from the
textbook that
demonstrates how the
individual lacked,
met, or exceeded in
the different areas.
Comments:
9-10 points
Student provided
detailed discussion of
ALL 7 of the section
requirements.
10-12 points
Student addressed
all requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail about 1
requirement.
Comments:
7-9 points
Student addressed
all requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail about 2
requirements.
Comments:
4-6 points
Student addressed
all requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail about 3
requirements.
Comments:
0-3 points
Student addressed all
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail about the
requirements.
Comments:
7-8 points
Student provided a
detailed discussion
of at least 6
requirements.
5-6 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of at least 5
requirements.
3-4 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of only 4
requirements.
0-2 points
Student provided
detailed discussion
of only 3
requirements.
Personal Feelings and Thoughts
(10
points possible)
Section Requirements:
1) Discuss what it was like to be
the observer or the interviewer.
2) Explain why you chose this
individual.
3) Describe how did the individual
responded to you.
4) Describe your own response to
the individual and the experience.
5) Discuss what you enjoyed most
about the interview or the
observation.
6) Discuss the most difficult
part(s) about the interview or
observation.
7) Explain how this experience
will help you in your future
occupation.
APA Format & Grammar (5
points possible)
Section Requirements:
1) 12 Times New Roman font
2) 1” margins
3) Double-spaced
4) 3-5 pages in length
5) Appropriate spelling, grammar,
and punctuation
6) Name at the top of the paper or
title page included
7) Numbered pages
APA citations & references (5
points possible)
Section Requirements:
1) Used in-text citations
2) Provided reference at end of
paper.
Subtotal
Points deducted for late
submission (5% deduction for
every 24 hours late)
Total
Detailed description
can be defined as
providing enough
information to
provide an image for
the reader. This
description should be
clear and demonstrate
coherent thought
during the writing
process.
Comments:
Student did not
address 1 of the
requirements.
OR
Student addressed
all requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
Student did not
address 2 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 6
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
Student did not
address 3 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 5
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
Student did not
address 4 of the
requirements.
OR
Student included 4
requirements, but
was brief, unclear,
and/or did not
include enough
detail.
Comments:
5 points
Student met ALL 7
section requirements.
Comments:
4 points
Student met 6 or 5
requirements.
Comments:
3 points
Student met 4 or 3
requirements.
Comments:
2 points
Student met 2
requirements.
Comments:
0-1 point
Student met 1
requirement.
Comments:
5 points
Student met ALL
section requirements
and did not have any
mistakes.
Comments:
4 points
Student addressed
all requirements, but
included minor
mistakes.
Comments:
3 points
Student only
addressed one of the
requirements
correctly.
Comments:
2 points
Student only
addressed one of the
requirements with
minor mistakes.
Comments:
0-1 point
Student attempted
one or both of the
requirements, but
had major mistakes.
Comments:
Running Head: ABBREVIATED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Title of Your Paper
Student Name
school
CURRENT DATE
1
ABBREVIATED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Use paragraph format instead of bulleted points.
Introduction
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce the person. Write about what you know about them prior to your time with
them. Tell about their physical appearance.
Write about how you came to do the interview. Example: “I called Susie and asked her if
she would not mind sitting down with me for a little bit to talk about her and her life.”
Describe the location where the observation or interview took place. What about the
environment was age-appropriate for the individual?
Explain your feelings prior to the interview or observation. Example: “I was very nervous
to observe Nicole because I had never been around a 5-year-old before.”
Write about what happened during the interview or observation. Example: “The child
spent the hour writing her name. She did it like this…” OR “I asked the adult to describe
to me what he does during a typical day. This is what he said…”
Add anything else you think is important!
Connection to Course
BE SPECIFIC AND THOROUGH!! EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN BELOW.
Cognitive
On page xx of the textbook it describes that 2-year-old children are at xxxxx level
cognitively. The text says “xxx” (insert in-text citation with page number here). The child
I observed appears to be lacking in this specific area because when I observed her she did
(or said) xxx.
Repeat this sequence as necessary for this area.
Physical
Repeat above
Emotional
Repeat above
Social
Repeat above
Conclusion
•
•
•
Describe your thoughts on what this experience was like. Example: “As the interview
progressed I found myself becoming more comfortable and less nervous.”
Write about how the individual responded to you. Example: “LaToya appeared to
become more comfortable with my presence because she stopped watching me while she
was playing with her blocks.”
State what you enjoyed most and what you found difficult about the assignment.
2
ABBREVIATED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
•
•
Write about how this experience might help you in your personal or professional life.
Add anything else that you think is important or will give a better understanding of this
interview or observation, but paper is not to exceed five full pages of text. This does not
include the title page or references pages.
Specifics: Papers should be typed in size 12-point Times New Roman font, have 1” margins, be
double-spaced, be 3-5 pages in length, and have appropriate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
All papers should include page numbers. Assignments without a name, student number, or not
matching the formatting guidelines will have points deducted. There will be point deductions if
these components are missing in the final paper. If needed, please visit the writing center on
campus for additional assistance.
3
ABBREVIATED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
References
Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., & Vander Zanden, J. W. (2012). Human development
(10th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gupta, A. K., & Govindajaran, V. (2000). Managing global expansion: A conceptual framework.
Business Horizons, 43(2), 45-54.
4
Purchase answer to see full
attachment