Exercise analytical, critical and problem-solving skills in the context of theory within the discipline, methods of enquiry, applications and interventions.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

A number of supportive structures within teaching, learning and assessment methods form the basis of students' developing cognitive skills in the area of Early
Childhood Studies. Both teaching and learning methods actively encourage students to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills. Students are frequently required to consider aspects of both practice and theoretical perspective. Problem solving activities, for example in the shape of case study considerations, form the basis of a significant number of seminar activities. Through these, students learn to apply their knowledge and understanding to situations, both real and imaginary, thus requiring the use of their cognitive abilities.
In these situations, students increasingly direct their own learning and demonstrate their capacity to think both independently and collaboratively.
Teaching places heavy emphasis on the acquisition of research skills, including information retrieval, small-scale research design, data collection and analysis, and seeks to utilise these techniques across the levels to progressively build a student's capacity to engage with this skill.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods are focused across the programme on the requirement to communicate information in an accessible form which can be understood by different audiences; thus, allowing the students to demonstrate their developing specialist cognitive skills.

Demonstrate the capacity to communicate information in an accessible and understandable manner through both the written and spoken word, to different audiences and for different purposes.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies provide an opportunity for students to ‘articulate’ their position as graduate professional practitioners in the field of early childhood education and care. This takes the form of both spoken and written discourse.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations, video analysis.

Direct their own learning and thinking.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students increasingly direct their own learning as their engagement with the programme progresses. They demonstrate this through progressively more complex interactions with discipline specific literature, seminar activities, tutorial discussions and Personal Development Portfolio [PDP] engagement. The final level of the programme also emphasises this through the completion of a self-selected, small-scale study which students pursue, in conjunction with their supervisor, to address their own developing knowledge through the completion of this undergraduate dissertation.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations, video analysis, dissertation completion.

Demonstrate the capacity to think independently and to collaborate within a critical community of learning.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The programme considers the development of a critical community of learning as a core feature of its learning outcomes. Students bring their practice-based experience to bear, not only on their own thinking, but on the thinking of their co-learners. This reciprocity of approach is fundamental to the creation of a ‘community of practice’ for early childhood working.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods allow for examination of this through critical reflection on professional practice. Within the assessment portfolio [RPP; sections 1 & 3] two sections ‘book end’ the assignment task; drawing out the learners' expectations and experiences of their engagement with the course content.

Demonstrate/apply research skills and engage with information retrieval, small-scale research design, data collection and analysis.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Across all three levels of the programme students engage in information retrieval, as they seek out the literature base to support their thinking. These skills develop across the course of the programme as students culminate their studies in the production of a small-scale research project, their dissertation.

Methods of Assessment

This involves designing a small-scale study to address an identified, self-selected research aim; collecting data to address this, working to analyse the collected information and ultimately, displaying this in the form of their dissertation report.

Engage in in-depth investigations of the context and development of early childhood services in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and a variety of international contexts.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The approach adopted to teaching, learning and assessment will provide students with experiences which are progressive as the programme moves forward. Students will be encouraged to move to a position of independent learning through a series of guided experiences. Learning at Level 1 will concentrate on providing a foundation to each student's understanding of the child and the highly complex role of an Early Years practitioner as they engage in the reciprocal nature of the learning and exchange of knowledge occurring between adults and children. Learning will, subsequently, progress to deal with issues of enhanced practitioner knowledge and understanding through to skills of critical analysis and interpretation. From this position in Level 1 students will be encouraged in a learning journey towards individualised development, marked by the capacity to critically analyse their own practice.

A blended learning approach will be adopted with regard to delivery, incorporating Canvas as the virtual learning environment. At all times teaching will take account of the need to integrate theoretical perspectives with practice from settings providing services for young children and their families, in that regional, national and international contexts. Students will, therefore, be learning how to apply their enhanced knowledge base to a variety of placement/employed contexts.
In addition to this normal pattern of placement experience, an opportunity exists within the programme for international experience. BA students may avail of the international links which the University College has and can spend a specified number of weeks studying in a higher education institution in a country within the scheme. This also allows for placement experience to be undertaken within this context.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment will match the learning outcomes of the various modules and seeks to provide both formative and summative feedback to students at all stages. A variety of methods are chosen to allow the broad base of learning outcomes to be examined and also the range of students' backgrounds, interests and styles of learning to be accommodated.
The course recognises the need to incorporate innovative and dynamic assessment techniques, including formative mechanisms of self and peer evaluation. Of particular importance for this course is the development of a RPP, which systemically charts each student's developing thinking, understanding, and competence in the field of practice.
The range of assessment methods used includes, among others, the RPP, oral presentations, self-reflective accounts, and essays, as well as a range of examination methods. Assessment criteria are rigorously applied to each submission and provide a scale of achievement drawn from the University College's use of the QUB conceptual equivalent marking framework.

Exhibit knowledge and understanding of contemporary themes within early childhood education and care from a variety of professional perspectives.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Teaching will place a heavy emphasis on the growing body of literature which now underpins this area of study. At Level 1 students will be guided through these sources, with teaching methods demonstrating to students how they gain increased independence in accessing and retrieving such information. Level 2 students are encouraged to take ownership of this process and to broaden the scope of their search techniques. Thus, they enhance the links which they make between theory and practice and are able to demonstrate a much deeper level of understanding of the issues affecting this age phase. Level 3 students are required to show the capacity to manage their own learning, and to demonstrate their ability to engage fully with relevant sources of knowledge and debate in the field.
The programme has been designed to promote student development across five strands, each of which progresses across the three levels of the degree, focusing on a different context within the lives of children.
The five strands include, Health & Well Being, Placement Experience, Professional
Communication & Relationships,
Curriculum, and Shared Understanding of Psychological Perspectives. The context of each level allows for progression within these thematic areas, with Level 1 concentrating on the 'The Child', Level 2 emphasising 'The Child in Practice' and Level 3 highlighting 'The Child in Family & Community'.
Teaching in all strands and at all levels emphasises each students' experiences in the Placement/Employed context as a framework for exploration and learning. These are integral to the teaching process and are used as the basis for group discussion, seminar activity, assessment activity and the overall developing competence of the students.

Teaching will place a heavy emphasis on the growing body of literature which now underpins this area of study. At Level 1 students will be guided through these sources, with teaching methods demonstrating to students how they gain increased independence in accessing and retrieving such information. Level 2 students are encouraged to take ownership of this process and to broaden the scope of their search techniques. Thus, they enhance the links which they make between theory and practice and are able to demonstrate a much deeper level of understanding of the issues affecting this age phase. Level 3 students are required to show the capacity to manage their own learning, and to demonstrate their ability to engage fully with relevant sources of knowledge and debate in the field.
The programme has been designed to promote student development across five strands, each of which progresses across the three levels of the degree, focusing on a different context within the lives of children.
The five strands include, Health & Well Being, Placement Experience, Professional
Communication & Relationships,
Curriculum, and Shared Understanding of Psychological Perspectives. The context of each level allows for progression within these thematic areas, with Level 1 concentrating on the 'The Child', Level 2 emphasising 'The Child in Practice' and Level 3 highlighting 'The Child in Family & Community'.
Teaching in all strands and at all levels emphasises each students' experiences in the Placement/Employed context as a framework for exploration and learning. These are integral to the teaching process and are used as the basis for group discussion, seminar activity, assessment activity and the overall developing competence of the students.


Teaching will place a heavy emphasis on the growing body of literature which now underpins this area of study. At Level 1 students will be guided through these sources, with teaching methods demonstrating to students how they gain increased independence in accessing and retrieving such information. Level 2 students are encouraged to take ownership of this process and to broaden the scope of their search techniques. Thus, they enhance the links which they make between theory and practice and are able to demonstrate a much deeper level of understanding of the issues affecting this age phase. Level 3 students are required to show the capacity to manage their own learning, and to demonstrate their ability to engage fully with relevant sources of knowledge and debate in the field.
The programme has been designed to promote student development across five strands, each of which progresses across the three levels of the degree, focusing on a different context within the lives of children.
The five strands include, Health & Well Being, Placement Experience, Professional
Communication & Relationships,
Curriculum, and Shared Understanding of Psychological Perspectives. The context of each level allows for progression within these thematic areas, with Level 1 concentrating on the 'The Child', Level 2 emphasising 'The Child in Practice' and Level 3 highlighting 'The Child in Family & Community'.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations, video analysis, dissertation completion.

Develop a critical understanding of the policies and procedures related to important aspects of practice in early childhood education and care, for example, safeguarding and child protection.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

At all levels of the degree programme, linked to course content, students develop a sound understanding of the wide variety of policies and procedures associated with practice in early childhood education and care settings. These range from, for example, data protection and confidentiality policies; safeguarding and child protection policies; behaviour management policies; and, parental partnership policies.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations, video analysis, dissertation completion.

Participate in a critical community of learning, thereby enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the importance of the adult's role in the lives of young children.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Strategies to engender the development of a critical community of learning are utilised at every level. These communities form the basis for developing a shared understanding of the importance of the adult’s role in the lives of young children. Participants are encouraged to share their placement/employment-based experiences of assisting young children in their development. This occurs through seminar activity and collaborative learning amongst the student cohorts. These groups are sometimes constituted by students themselves in the form of ‘friendship’ collaborations; at other times they are constructed by course coordinators to ensure a suitable mix of background and experience. Increasingly, online sharing platforms facilitate these learner communities, for example, What’sApp, Padlet, Mentmieter, and Canvas Collaborations.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, and presentations.

Engage in a multi-professional approach as they understand and respond to the issues central to working with young children and their families in a variety of settings and communities.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The subject specialism of Early Childhood Studies capitalises on a context in which a range of specialists interact with children and their families through multi-professional approaches. Thus, the degree course seeks to use teaching, learning and assessment methods which highlight for students how important their developing competence in interdisciplinary working is; for example, through examining different professional roles and the mechanisms by which they can best cooperate to further support the needs of children. Teaching seeks to illuminate issues, such as pastoral care, health and well-being, safeguarding and child protection, and to highlight how these can be best addressed through multi-disciplinary working practices. Thus, teaching takes account of a broad spectrum of expertise in the field, presenting a holistic picture of child development issues, education practices, and health and care concerns. Teaching also utilises liaison with other fields of study and professionals through accessing a variety of perspectives to present a rounded picture of the skills necessary to progress in this area. This is furthered through the use of expert guest speaker lectures; for example, Speech and Language Therapists, Sure Start Coordinators, et cetera.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods, especially the RPP, encourage students to evaluate their learning in and to use skills of reflection and evaluation to challenge and expand their understanding of their own position in the midst of this multi-professional approach.

Liaise competently with a wide variety of agencies in the fields of education, social welfare and health and thereby effectively applied childcare policies and responded to legislative demands.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Teaching within the programme presents a holistic picture of child development issues, education practices, and health and care concerns. Liaison with other fields of study, and professionals, through accessing a variety of perspectives, presents a rounded picture of the skills necessary to effectively liaise with the range of statutory, voluntary and private agencies involved in early childhood education and care. Planned placement/employment-based opportunities afford the chance to put this knowledge into practice.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, and presentations.

Respond to the needs of children and families in relation to childcare issues.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Understanding the position of families in relation to childcare issues is central to the themes explored during Level III courses. Students consider international evidence in relation to this issue, the strategies and mechanisms which can be implemented to ensure anti-discriminatory practice, the frameworks through which pastoral care and safeguarding are enabled, and the developing professionalism of the staff who implement these policies.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, and presentations, and dissertation completion.

Advocate for children.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Across the course of the degree programme, but especially at Level III, teaching focuses heavily on how students can respond to the needs of children and on demonstrating how these needs can be assessed and analysed. In this way, the role of the students as advocates for children is emphasised and encouraged.
Thus, the course seeks to help students in their learning as they progress from a position where they are developing their subject specific skills to one where they are demonstrating the capacity to plan and respond to professional challenges; understanding their own professional position in relation to a variety of issues.
Skills associated with effective child observation are developed from Level I

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, and presentations, and dissertation completion.

Put into practice their skills in relation to child observation, thereby gaining deep insights into the lives of children, families and communities.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Skills associated with effective child observation are developed from Level I onwards. They receive particular focus in the courses: Child Development & Children’s Health and Well-Being. Subsequently, the skill is then further developed in the course: Children’s Learning Intentions. This understanding of the rationale for close observation is supported by the teaching of a range of strategies/mechanisms.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, and presentations.

Effectively communicate their understanding of a range of issues pertinent to early childhood studies in a professional manner, matched to the required context and audience.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Courses across the programme provide the opportunity for students to develop a broad range of transferable skills. Their capacity to communicate effectively in workshops and seminars, et cetera, is actively developed through the teaching strategies of the tutors. They promote active engagement with course material and prioritise student to student, and student to tutor, interaction.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations, video analysis.

Utilise their understanding of a range of mathematical processes which assist them in the furtherance of their practice.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Teaching strategies associated with the application of number involve engaging with child observations, dataset analysis, and the collection of data by individual students.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed include RPP completion and dissertation report submission.

Evaluate and utilise IT appropriately and effectively for a range of purposes.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The teaching and learning of information technology skills begins early in the programme, even at the point of induction. Students are introduced to the virtual learning environment and its capacity to assist them with their engagement on the programme. Tutors incorporate sessions within their courses which assist students in the development of skills which they may not have had a previous opportunity to develop; e.g. presentation creation. This continues across the course of the programme, as students become more sophisticated in their engagement with ICT; for example, the use of software programmes aimed at student collaboration, Padlet & Mentimeter, to share their perspectives, and engage with other students. At the culmination of the programme student engagement with the dissertation process also involves a significant amount of support from dissertation supervisors to assist students in the use of basic statistical packages, and the subsequent presentation of their results.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed include child observations formatting; presentation formats; dissertation report completion.

Work collaboratively with others.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The teaching and learning strategies employed by tutors, effectively creating a ‘community of practice’, draw together the experiential background of the students right from the beginning of the programme. Students are assisted in the process of forming into self-selected ‘buddy groups’ as they tackle discussion and seminar tasks which have been issued to them. As they progress further into the programme tutors enhance their aptitude for working with others by allocating group work to non-specified groups, so that students bring together a range of experiences. The capacity of Canvas collaborations, Padlet, and Mentimeter platforms, amongst others, support this engagement.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed within the assessment portfolio’s [RPP; sections 1 & 3] two sections ‘book end’ the assignment task; drawing out the learners' expectations and experiences of their engagement with the course content.

Recognise and reflect critically on their own role as a graduate professional in the discipline.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The teaching and learning within the programme, assists students at each level to recognise their own role in improving their performance. This is focused on within the full-time offering of Personal Development Portfolio work [the PDP]. Each semester, tutorial activity directs the thinking of students to monitoring their own development as a graduate professional; highlighting for themselves those areas which need to be enhanced.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed within the assessment portfolio’s [RPP; sections 1 & 3] two sections ‘book end’ the assignment task; drawing out the learners' expectations and experiences of their engagement with the course content.

Effectively tackle challenges inherent in a variety of professional issues associated with early childhood, utilising problem-solving skills to meet the needs of children and their families/carers.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Teaching and learning within the programme, at all levels, offers students the opportunity to problem solve, as they consider the potential impact of their role on the development of young children. Students engage with case studies and seminar activities to develop and showcase their own facility to address the needs of children and families, including children with additional needs, or pastoral care/safeguarding challenges.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods to develop this include; essays, portfolios, presentations.

Demonstrate the ability to study effectively to improve their own performance and thereby their understanding of policy and practice.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

From their initial point of registration on the full-time degree programme, students are required to engage in a range of induction activities which assist them in orientating their thinking to HE structures and expectations. Subsequently, students then engage in a series of units designed to enhance their ability to study effectively. These range across topic areas such as, ‘Reading Effectively for HE’; ‘Academic Writing Skills’; ‘Time and Space Management’; and, ‘Citation And Referencing Standards’. Taught sessions in relation to these issues are integrated throughout the teaching in semester one of the first year of study. For those students articulating into the full-time programme from the Foundation Degree, dedicated additional sessions, covering these issues, are run by the ‘Articulation Link tutor’. Each study issue also has a dedicated folder of resources uploaded to a ‘dummy’ course on Canvas [SEC1000, PDP] so that students can return to the content throughout their time on the degree.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed throughout the entire degree programme offer opportunities to assess the students’ progressive engagement with their study skills. Through feedback and feedforward, in both formative and summative assessment mechanisms, tutors provide direction to students on an individual basis; for example, directing them to the relevant Canvas folders, or to the Student Communication Skills Centre for assistance with academic writing skill.

Have the capacity to demonstrate skills in relation to entrepreneurship/employability.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

In order to enhance students’ employability skills, including skills in relation to entrepreneurship, a University College wide programme of Degree Enhancement has been designed. Students are strongly encouraged to engage with this University College policy to assist them in addressing the fundamental skill of career management. The Careers Adviser of the University College cooperates with programme tutors in its roll out; seeking to maximise participation from full-time cohorts. The programme sets out areas for student development in relation to, ‘community engagement’; ‘college engagement’ and ‘professional development’.
Students also have the opportunity to undertake a number of taught programmes/sessions (including in modular form) which seek to enhance specific transferable skills. For example, sessions related to career and employability skills, including opportunities to engage in ‘mock’ interviews. This provides a context in which students can set and monitor goals for learning and development. Similarly, provision within the programme extends to the acquisition of a recognised qualification in First Aid and a College base certificate to demonstrate students’ knowledge and understanding of the principles of policy implementation in the area of safeguarding in child protection.

Methods of Assessment

Students present a portfolio of evidence of their participation as they near graduation. Doing so results in the award of either a ‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’, or ‘Gold’ certificate to go alongside their degree parchment.

Career plan.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Being a professionally orientated programme, enables ECS to place a heavy emphasis upon employability skills and career planning. Throughout the degree programme, all courses encourage and facilitate professional practice in the field of early childhood education and care. Students’ participation in the Professional Development Planning [PDP] programme also encourages reflection on this area of development. Engagement with the Careers Officer, through a series of talks and individual consultations, also develops their awareness. This also extends to voluntary participation in ‘mock interview’ activities.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment methods employed in each course encourage students to reflect upon their developing professional skills; this is achieved in the Reflective Practice Portfolio [RPP; sections 1 & 3] as two sections ‘book end’ each assignment task. The PDP template [stored in the assignment facility of SEC1000, PDP on Canvas] acts as a mechanism for recording and individual’s engagement with career planning.