PP0420 - Child Development

You will experience a variety of learning and teaching strategies designed to facilitate your participation in the learning process. This includes lectures, seminars, peer presentations, observation of DVD material, case studies, independent study, collaborative group work and formative and summative assessment. Such a range of teaching and learning strategies will inevitably lead into some personal reflections, which will provide an important source of learning.
Self-directed reading and learning activity will form an important foundation of your learning, as will the structured programme of lectures and follow-up seminars. Seminars will provide you with an opportunity to discuss and develop your thinking in small groups. A range of electronic and interactive resources will be available via the Electronic Learning Portal (eLP), including the tutor’s video explanations and summaries which will complement lectures material, discussion boards and appropriate use of social media tools. Your development of knowledge and understanding in this module will be shaped by your ability to relate theories, concepts and observations to the field of child development.

Tutors will support your learning through a variety of ways on this module. They will provide a programme of lectures which relate to the learning outcomes for the module; these lectures will make connections between theory and practice. You will have the opportunity to work in a smaller seminar group where you can discuss lecture content and share your insights gained from directed tasks. Contact details for all tutors for this module are available in the module handbook and via the eLP.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of all aspects of child development (i.e. physical, emotional, social and cognitive) and their inter-related nature.
2. Outline and consider the significance of environmental influences upon the child’s development (family, community and society).
3. Demonstrate awareness of the principles behind the practice of promoting children’s holistic development.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

4. Show appreciation of the concept and practice of observing young children and to carry out and evaluate observations of young children

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

5. Understand the concept of diversity within child development and reflect upon this within your own learning. apply this to children’s development in a range of contexts

The summative assessment for this module is in two parts. Part 1 accounts for 50% of the overall assessment for this module. Part 2 accounts for 50% of the overall assessment for this module.

Part 1 - Focusing on one aspect of child development , you will carry out an observation using a selected video clip, and evaluate the observation in relation to child development theory (1000 words) (MLOs 1 & 4)

Part 2 - A written essay chosen from a selection of titles, addressing the nature of children’s development. (1000 words) (MLOs 2, 3, 5).


Additional formative assessment - detail of process and rationale:

A range of formative tasks will be woven into the content of the module including presentations, small group discussions and carrying out independent library based research.
The main formative assessment will involve carrying out a series of observations of children using selected video clips to evaluate these in relation to theories and presenting key findings to peers. (MLOs 1-5)

Feedback will be given to individual students on their summative assessments, and where appropriate group feedback will also be provided.
Formative feedback will be provided on lecture and seminar tasks throughout the course of the module.

None

None

This module will introduce you to this mode of enquiry in a range of ways, and as such, can best be described as ‘research orientated’ and research led. You will be introduced to appropriate methodological approaches including observation and analysis. You will be supported to apply these skills to the analysis of child development.