The University of Iowa College of Nursing
Lisa Segre, PhD and associate professor at UI’s College of Nursing, was recently bestowed with a Global Curriculum Development Award for her proposal to substantially revise the course material for “Human Development and Behavior.” The award is funded through International Programs and the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization.
“Human Development and Behavior is a foundational course that is taken by many students every year. Introducing the idea that ‘west is not necessarily best’ and examining specific cultural differences in development, not only exposes students to specific international content, but it models the premise that taking into account cultural differences is something that they, as health care providers, should be doing,” explained Dr. Segre.
Human Development and Behavior is required for nursing/nursing-interest students and is also taken by other health science students. The course provides a survey of theories of human development, developmental research, and a snapshot of individuals across the lifespan in terms of physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Offered annually in the spring with an average enrollment of approximately 225 students, Dr. Segre has taught the course since 2009.
In the course, the lifespan is divided into eight stages (time periods), ranging from prenatal development and birth through the end-of-life. The curriculum development award will provide Dr. Segre dedicated time to research cross-cultural content and incorporate it into the class. She firmly believes this revised curriculum will familiarize students with global and multicultural perspectives of human development across the lifespan.