ECE 1002 Child Studies II

SubjectCat-NbrClassTermModeDescriptionUnitsCampus
ECE1002247722, 2003EXTChild Studies II1.00TWMBA
Academic Group:FOEDU
Academic Org:FOE004
HECS Band:1
ASCED Code:070101

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: Lyn Bower
Moderator: Anne Petriwskyj



RATIONALE:

Children's development and behaviour do not occur in isolation but in response to the context of each situation. The learning environment influences children's ability to benefit from experiences, and their individual background modifies their perception and interpretation of events. These issues are highlighted in the work of Bronfenbrenner on the importance of the range of ecological contexts within which the child develops.


SYNOPSIS:

This course will focus on many aspects of early childhood environments in which children find themselves. It will investigate human interactive processes, organisation of space and time and the context of physical environments and the influence of these factors on the planning of appropriate programs within social and cultural contexts.


OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  • consider the wide range of ecological contexts within which a child develops;

  • identify and organise important learning areas in early childhood settings;

  • create learning environments which are responsive to the children's abilities and interests, and which consider their social and cultural background;

  • demonstrate their knowledge of the overall interplay between the way in which play spaces are organised and the effect of interpersonal relationships;

  • design environments which are safe, aesthetic and responsive.



    • TOPICS:


    DescriptionWeighting (%)
    1. Introduction to a range of ecological contexts in which young children are exposed
    		 10.00
    2. Identification of important learning areas
    		 10.00
    3. Consideration of Government regulations on physical environments
    		 10.00
    4. Creation of indoor learning environments and selection of equipment and materials
    		 25.00
    5. Creation of outdoor learning environment and selection of equipment and materials
    		 25.00
    6. Aesthetics and the creation of responsive environments
    		 10.00
    7. Programming and developing learning environments
    		 10.00

    TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

    Books can be ordered by fax or telephone. For costs and further details use the 'Book Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au by entering the author or title of the text.

    Greenman, J. 1988, Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Children's Environments That Work, Exchange Press, Redmond USA.




    REFERENCE MATERIALS:

    Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

    1999, In the Park [picture], Scholastic Publications, Leamington Spa England.

    1995, Plan it!: Guidelines for Planning Early Childhood Outdoor Supervised Play Environments in New South Wales, The Working Party, Sydney.

    Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Docket, S. & Death, E. 1996, Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings, 2nd edition, Harcourt Brace, Sydney.

    Berry, P. 2001, Playgrounds That Work: Creating Outdoor Play Environments for Children Birth to Eight Years, Pademelon Press, Sydney.

    Carlson, A. 2000, Aesthetics and the Environment: The Appreciation of Nature, Art, and Architecture, Routledge, London.

    Derman-Sparks, L. 1989, The Anti-bias Curriculum, NAEYC, Washington, DC.

    Faragher, J. & Macnaughton, G. 1998, Working with Young Children: Guidelines for Good Practice, 2nd edition, RMIT Publishing, Melbourne.

    Feeney, S., Christensen, D. & Moravcik, E. 2001, Who am I in the Lives of Children: An Introduction to Teaching Young Children, 6th edition, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Frost, J. 1992, Play and Playscapes, Delmar, Albany NY.

    Gordon, A. & Browne. K. 2000, Beginnings and Beyond, 5th edition, Delmar, New York.

    Harrison, L. 1989, Planning Appropriate Learning Environments for Children Under Three, Australian Early Childhood Association, Watson ACT.

    Hendrick, J. 1998, Total Learning: Developmental Curriculum for the Young Child, 5th edition, Merrill, New York.

    Hendricks, B.E. 2001, Designing for Play, Ashgate, Burlington VT.

    Immig, J. 2000, The Toxic Playground: A Guide to Reducing the Chemical Load in Schools and Childcare Centres, Total Environment Centre, Sydney.

    Isbell, R.T. 2001, Early Learning Environments that Work, Gryphon House, Beltsville, MD.

    Isbell, R.T. 1995, The Complete Learning Center Book: An Illustrated Guide for 32 Different Early Childhood Learning Centers, Gryphon House, Beltsville, MD.

    Jolley, J. 1995, Developmentally Appropriate Outdoor Play Environments for Infants and Toddlers, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Beltsville, MD.

    Morrison, G.S. 2001, Early Childhood Education Today, 8th edition, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, N.J.

    Seefeldt, C. 2000, Active Experiences for Active Children: Social Studies, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, N.J.

    Taylor, B. 2002, Early Childhood Program Management: People and Procedures, 4th edition, Merrill, New York.

    Vergeront, J. 1987, Places and Spaces for Preschool and Primary (Indoors), NAEYC, Washington.

    Vergeront, J. 1988, Places and Spaces for Preschool and Primary (Outdoors), NAEYC, Washington.

    Walsh, P. 1988, Early Childhood Playgrounds: Planning an Outside Learning Environment, Martin Educational, Albert Park VIC.

    Wilkinson, P. F. (ed). 1980, Innovation in Play Environments, St Martin's Press, New York.

    Wortham, S. 2002, Early Childhood Curricumum: Developmental Bases for Learning and Teaching, 3rd edition, Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ.




    STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

    ACTIVITYHOURS
    Assessment30
    Directed Study90
    Private Study45


    ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

    DescriptionMarks Out ofWtg(%)RequiredDue Date
    ASSIGNMENT 1999.0040.00Y09 Sep 2003(see note )
    ASSIGNMENT 2999.0060.00Y31 Oct 2003
    NOTES:
    .
    999 indicates that this course will be graded using one of the following letter grades: HD, A, B, C, F, or Incomplete. Plus and minus may be used with each of these letter grades.

    IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

    1. Attendance requirements:
      (a) There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
    2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
      To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least a grade of C- for each assignment.
    3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
      If assignments are submitted after the due date without an approved extension of time, University penalties may be applied.
    4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
      (c) To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment items.
    5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
      The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the grades obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
    6. Examination information:
      (e) There is no examination in this course.
    7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
      (d) There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
    8. University Regulations:
      Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/SECARIAT/calendar/Part5/ or in the printed version of the current USQ Handbook.

    ASSESSMENT NOTES

    1.1. Letter grades will be used for summative assessment items in this course. 2. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced if required by the Examiner. 3. In accordance with University's Assignment Extension Policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner of a course may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. 4. The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media. 5. The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.