ECE 2108 Contexts in Care and Education

STAFFING:

REQUISITES:

RATIONALE:

Since the learning environment in early childhood programs is a core element of curriculum, the organisation and educational purpose of child-responsive environments is foundational knowledge for early childhood educators. They must be conscious of the impact of changes in the immediate human, physical and time environment, and aware of influences in the external sociopolitical and community context. These issues are of particular significance in programs for very young children as atmosphere or climate exerts a marked influence on children's personal comfort, health and safety, responsiveness to experiences and interpersonal behaviour.

SYNOPSIS:

Effective learning environments in early childhood education are characterised by flexibility and responsiveness to children and are planned in relation to a range of ecological and educational considerations. At a macro level, a variety of social, economic, political and educational trends impact on policy and regulatory requirements and on family or community expectations. At a micro level, organisation of a learning environment, including not only physical issues but also time and interpersonal issues, is modified regularly in response to the current interests and progress of children and the needs of staff and parents. In this course, learning environment across the age range birth to eight years is explored, then concepts are applied to educare programs for children under 4 years of age.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

• identify social, economic, political, and educational trend impacts on services for early childhood education and care in local, regional and international contexts;
• define the roles of physical, time & human environments in early childhood programs;
• outline regulations and curriculum documents as they relate to the learning environment in early childhood settings;
• organise and modify responsive early childhood learning environments;
• relate environmental issues to care programs for children aged birth to 3 years.

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:

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:
   (a) To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available (or at least a grade of C-) for each assessment item.
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:
   (d) To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must submit all of the summative assessment items and achieve at least 50% of the available weighted marks for those items.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   (a) The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or 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/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES