EUB106 Early Childhood Pedagogy, Curriculum and Play-Based Learning

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit introduces key concepts about effective curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment in early childhood education settings. Theories and approaches that inform best practice in early childhood education, including play-based learning, will be explored and evaluated. Further, these will be applied to plan learning experiences based on understandings of learners, curriculum sources, teaching, and assessment strategies.

This unit will also introduce national and state curricular and policy documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, and the National Quality Standard.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Design learning experience plans with clear learning goals that align with the curriculum and are responsive to young children who are learning to manage their feelings and behaviours appropriately.
2. Apply a range of teaching, assessment and behaviour guidance strategies to plan creative, engaging and age-appropriate learning experiences.
3. Critically reflect on early childhood theories and approaches that inform practice in the early years.
4. Reflect on the value of working within a code of ethics for educators engaging with diverse children, families and other professionals.

Content

Learning Approaches

A range of teaching and learning strategies will be used including:

• lectures,
• tutorials,
• online materials,
• professional readings and recordings. 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessment tasks in this unit:

1. Teaching Philosophy - This task connects your learning about early childhood theories and approaches to your developing professional identity and practices.
2. Learning Experience Plan - This task draws on your understanding of early childhood curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to plan a lesson for kindergarten aged children.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Teaching Philosophy

You will develop your early childhood teaching philosophy drawing on the theories and/or approaches and the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics in a concept map.

This will provide a useful resource to support planning in future professional experience placements.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Learning Experience Plan

You will design a teaching and learning plan for children aged 3 to 5 years in a kindergarten setting. The learning experience plan will address at least one of the learning and development areas in the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline.

Your learning experience plan will outline clear learning intentions, explicit links to the curriculum, teaching and assessment strategies.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2020). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

1. Understand how students learn
   Relates to: Teaching Philosophy, Learning Experience Plan

2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it

1. Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
   Relates to: Teaching Philosophy, Learning Experience Plan
2. Content selection and organisation
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
3. Curriculum, assessment and reporting
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

1. Establish challenging learning goals
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
3. Use teaching strategies
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
4. Select and use resources
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan

4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

1. Support student participation
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
2. Manage classroom activities
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
3. Manage challenging behaviour
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan

5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

1. Assess student learning
   Relates to: Learning Experience Plan

7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

1. Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
   Relates to: Teaching Philosophy

Course Learning Outcomes

ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)

1. Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Learning Experience Plan
2. Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO3, Teaching Philosophy
3. Innovative: Create innovative future-focused learning.
   Relates to: ULO2, Learning Experience Plan
4. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues, parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: ULO4, Teaching Philosophy