ECE 1101 The Young Child: Development and Ecology

STAFFING:

REQUISITES:

RATIONALE:

An awareness and understanding of the growth and development of young children is essential for those working in early childhood settings. The young child is uniquely distinguished from the older child requiring ways of working that are responsive to the individual within the family, educational and care contexts. Planning a curriculum which is responsive to young children is enhanced when early childhood educators are cognisant of the diverse array of learning and development theories and their relevance to early childhood education.

SYNOPSIS:

This course is an in-depth study of growth, development and learning of children pre-birth through eight. The study program builds upon Foundations courses and explores theories in depth and with particular emphasis on their relevance to early childhood pedagogy. The course examines a diverse array of theories of child development and engages students in an elementary critique of these theories. Students study both the sequence and domains of child development and build an appreciation of the impact of context and culture on development. One of the features of the course is the acquisition of skills in child study through guided observation activities that will be applied in the practicum component of the course. Emphasis will be placed on play as a window to understanding the child. This course emphasises literacy correctness in all its forms.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. discuss major developmental and learning theories pertaining to children pre-birth through eight;
2. map the sequence of child development (birth-8) in different domains and describe the processes that underpin this development;
3. discuss current issues in research surrounding early childhood development (birth-8);
4. outline the impact of context and culture on the development of young children (birth-8)
5. apply the tools of child study in an integrated way to facilitate understanding of the whole child and her/his particular context for development;
6. analyse and interpret children's play;
7. identify practical and pedagogical applications of theory in every day early childhood teaching practice;
8. use written communication effectively and appropriately;
9. write clearly, grammatically correctly and with accurate spelling and punctuation.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

Professional Experience occurs weekly during semester. A value of 1 indicates you have passed the Professional Experience component. Zero indicates you have not passed the Professional Experience component.

2.

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.

3.

Date of examination will be advised during semester.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and 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. Students should demonstrate a professional attitude and commitment by attendance at and participation in at least 80% of scheduled classes.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least a grade of C- for each assignment. To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must demonstrate their ability to write clearly, grammatically correctly and with accurate spelling and punctuation.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit an assignment after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% in each of the summative assessments and 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:
   In a Closed Examination, candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of 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/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Results for this course will not be released until associated professional experience, including professional experience folder, have been successfully completed and documentation processed.
2. 5 days observation professional experience.