Course Handbook. Foundation Degree of Arts: Early Childhood studies (part time-3 year).

Transcription

1 Course Handbook Foundation Degree of Arts: Early Childhood studies (part time-3 year)

2 Contents Your college will adjust accordingly Section Page Sources of Additional Information 1 1. Welcome 2 2. Your course team 3 3. An introduction to your course aims and intended learning outcomes 6 4. Useful resources 8 5. Structure of your course The Staffordshire Graduate and Employability Learning, teaching and assessment on your course Induction and Enrolment Your professional responsibility Attendance and Absence Work based learning Assessment Employability Development Accreditation of prior learning How to submit assessments and extenuating circumstances Academic Misconduct and Feedback on your work External examiners appointed to your course Communication Support and Guidance (Including Personal Tutoring) The Student Voice Rules and Regulations 26 Appendices 27

3 Sources of Additional Information This handbook provides useful information about your course, how it will be delivered and how you will be assessed. It does not try to give you all the information you will need during your time at the university. More information can be found in the following places: On-Line Student Guide This handbook is designed to be viewed online for your convenience. Further information from websites is accessed by holding the Ctrl key followed by left click on your mouse wherever you see text underlined in blue. The on-line student guide ( provides important information about the university and the services available to students, including: Welcome Week Student Cards e:visionstaffs Portal Our Student Charter The Staffordshire Graduate Term Dates Timetabling Student accommodation Campus and travel information Finance, fees and support Disclosure and Barring Service applications Visas Course and module enrolment Changing your award or modules Withdrawing or intermitting from your course University rules and regulations Disciplinary matters including academic misconduct Appeals and complaints Referencing and study skills (including guidance on completing assessments) What to do if you can t hand in work due to circumstances beyond your control Examinations Getting feedback on your work The student voice Employability and careers IT services and support Disability and dyslexia Counselling The Nursery The Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Graduation Certificates, Transcripts and Verification Letters Module Handbooks Your course is made up from a number of individual modules. Detailed information on each module is provided in separate module handbooks. Your module tutor will tell you how to access the handbook for their module. The Blackboard On-Line Learning Environment Information and learning materials for your modules will be provided on the Blackboard online Learning Environment. Blackboard will form an important part of your learning experience. Please let your module tutor know if you encounter any problems accessing this material. 1 P age

4 1. Welcome Welcome to the Faculty of Business, Education and Law. You join us at a really exciting time, as we are transforming our campus into a modern and vibrant environment that will enhance the academic and social life of the University. Through the Staffordshire Graduate programme, we focus on you, our students. We will help you to become independent thinkers, to debate, question and discuss key issues in your chosen subject. You will be encouraged to be enterprising and entrepreneurial, to be an effective communicator and successful team worker. We will focus on supporting your development through your course, so that you will have the best opportunity for successful graduate employment on completion. Employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship are important to us at the University and are integral to the design of all our courses. This means that we have close connections with employers, business practitioners and professional bodies that help us make our courses relevant, interesting and up to date. The people you will meet in the Faculty are friendly and approachable. They are all keen to help you succeed. Our aim is to nurture and inspire you, to help you grow, to build your potential through working in a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable international academic environment. Our academic staff are passionate about their subjects, their teaching, research and enterprise. They will help you to build your knowledge, understanding and expertise through sharing with you experiences of their academic research, their work with local communities and their work with organisations, local, national and international. The Faculty of Business, Education and Law is international in its perspective. The people that you meet will inspire you through the international perspective they have gained through studying at or working in partnership with other Universities and Colleges both in this country and around the world. There are many opportunities for you to learn and gain a global perspective; from other students and the academic staff. We will help you to see new possibilities and to bring new horizons into view. Above all, our strongest partnership is with you, our students. We put our students at the heart of everything that we do and we are committed to giving you the best possible experience we can. We understand the importance of the commitment you have made to us and we value the time you spend with us and remember, we are always pleased to hear what you have to say. I hope you have a successful, exciting and fulfilling time with us. Professor Susan K. Foreman, MSc, PhD Dean of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law. 2 P age

5 2. Your Course Team My name is Jayne Daly and I am the Award Leader and Programme Advisor to some colleges for the Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies (part time route) at Staffordshire University. On behalf of the University and our partner colleges and centres, I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our Award and to provide you with some of the information you will need to become successful HE students. The programme is demanding and will require a high level of commitment, but we hope you will find it immensely rewarding. We appreciate that as well as studying part time, you will have work responsibilities to consider; whilst some of you will also be juggling family commitments. We also understand that many of you will be returning to study after a gap in your education. However, we can assure you that support from both the University and your chosen college or centre is available to help you and we encourage you to seek it out and use it effectively to help you progress personally, academically and professionally. The Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies is part of the School of Education, within the Faculty of Business, Education and Law. As a student on the programme, we recognise you as a student of the university and you are entitled to access any of the university student services or resources it offers. You will also be enrolled as a student at whichever of our partner colleges or centres you have chosen to study, giving you the additional advantage of access to the services and resources they provide for you. The purpose of this handbook is to present useful information about the programme in a way that you will easily understand. Please make sure that you read it in conjunction with information provided by your college or centre. At Staffordshire University we pride ourselves in being at the forefront of a student centred approach to learning and teaching. Central to this belief is that you and your total learning experience matters to us. As such, this is your course and the more you contribute to it the more you will get out of it. You will find that the staff take an informal, although disciplined, approach to your teaching and learning. We sincerely hope that you enjoy the course and find it interesting and relevant. If you have any concerns or ideas for improving the programme delivery or the information in this handbook we would like to hear them. Jayne Jayne Daly (Education) MAEd, BA(Hons) Ed, PGCHPE, Cert Ed. Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies/Award Leader Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies (Part Time Route) Award Leader BA (Hons)top up Early Childhood Studies. Room B183, Brindley Building Leek Rd Stoke on Trent ST4 2DF Tel jayne.daly@staffs.ac.uk 3 P age

6 Your College will provide the following information for key members of the course team: name, room, telephone number, address, brief summary of the role. Key members may include: course leader, level leaders and final year project co-ordinator. Your College will explain how the course team are particularly qualified to teach this course. Describe how they are engaged in relevant research or other scholarly activity. This may include links to on-line staff profile pages. If you have any questions about the course or issues you would like to raise, speak to your course tutor at your provider: 2.1 Course Tutor details: Name Telephone 2.2 Administrative Contacts Award Administrator Your provider will have an administrator responsible for this award Name : Room : Telephone number : address : Student Guidance Advisor Your provider will offer you support if required. To access this please contact: Name : Room : Telephone number : address : 4 P age

7 University Award Administrator: Name : Veronica Wagg Room : B227, Brindley Building, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent ST4 2DF Telephone number : address : V.Wagg@staffs.ac.uk Award Leader: Jayne Daly jayne.daly@staffs.ac.uk 5 P age

8 3. An Introduction to your Course Welcome to the Staffordshire University Foundation degree of Arts: Early Childhood Studies (FdA: Early Childhood Studies). We hope you will find this course interesting and useful to your career. All the providers and the University pride themselves in being at the forefront of a studentcentred approach to learning and teaching. Central to this belief is that it is you and your total learning experience that matters to us the most. As such, this is your course and the more you contribute to it the more you will get out of it. We aim to provide you with courses which enhance your employability by instilling a lifelong commitment to reflective practice and professionalism. Discussion and full participation are encouraged with a variety of teaching methods being used. The programme on which you are about to embark is a demanding one that requires a high level of commitment but it can be immensely rewarding. We hope that you enjoy the course and if you have any ideas for making the course better or stronger we would certainly like to hear them. If you need any further information please contact your Course Tutor at your provider. 6 P age

9 3.1 Award Aims The key aims of the Award are: 1) To become a discipline expert in Early Childhood studies. The work-based award enables you to understand and develop your roles and responsibilities in your workplace. 2) To develop your professionalism. The work-based award develops skills towards supporting early childhood studies such as nursery nurses, nursery managers. It also promotes progression towards alternative careers in education, such as early years teaching. Successful completion of the award enables direct progression onto a one year top-up BA (Hons.) Early Childhood Studies Award. Professional attributes developed include improving communication and team-working abilities, as well as information literacy and academic skills. 3) To develop your wider professional practice. You will evaluate how the organisation you work for compares with alternative institutions and contexts in order to consider developments to your practice and that of your institution. 4) To develop your independent thinking skills You will critically reflect and evaluate your own practice, as well as that your institution in order to inform practitioner-led research and change. The Role of Learning Outcomes Your award has a set of written learning outcomes that describe what you should be able to do by the end of the course. These statements are designed to help you understand what you need to do to pass your course and receive your award. The outcomes for your course can be found in appendix A of this handbook. Each module you study has separate learning outcomes which join together to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the overall learning outcomes for your award. The learning outcomes for your modules can be found in your module handbooks. The specific learning outcomes for your award and modules have been matched to eight university wide learning outcome statements (knowledge and understanding; learning; enquiry; analysis; problem solving; communication; application; and reflection). These standard statements describe the abilities and skills all Staffordshire University students should demonstrate in order to pass their course. The statements have been designed to meet national expectations contained within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This ensures that the learning outcomes for your course are equivalent to similar courses at other UK universities and colleges. A table showing how your module learning outcomes have been aligned with the eight university learning outcome statements can be found in appendix A. Your course is designed to support you in achieving QAA benchmark quality standards (Appendix B) in Early Childhood. 7 P age

10 4. Useful resources 4.1 Recommended books The following is a list of books which will be useful for your studies on the course. You may wish to read a few of these before starting in order to develop your understanding of key educational issues. Early Years Hayes, C., Daly, J., Duncan, M., Gill, R. & Whitehouse, A. (2014) Developing as a Reflective Early Years Professional: A Thematic Approach. Northwich: Critical Publishing Levine, L. and Munsch, J., (2010), Child Development: An Active Learning Approach,London, Sage. Neaum,S.,(2012) Language and Literacy for the early years London, SAGE. Oates, J & Grayson, A. (eds), (2004), Cognitive and Language Development in Children, Oxford, Blackwell. Palaiologou, I.,(2012) Observation for the Early Years 2 nd Ed London, SAGE. Piaget, J., (2001), The Language and Thought of Children, (3 rd ed) (translated by Gabian M. and R.), London, Routledge Classics Sharman, C., Cross, W. and Vennis, D., (2007), Observing Children and Young People, London, Continuum. Smidt,S.,(2013) The Developing Child in the 21 st Century Oxon, Routledge. Study Skills Bedford, D. and Wilson, E., (2013), Study Skills for Foundation Degrees (2 nd Ed.), Abingdon: Routledge Bolton, G., (2010), Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development (3rd edition). London: Sage Publications Burns, T. and Sinfield, S., (2008), Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University, London: Sage. Cottrell, S., (2008), The Study Skills Handbook, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Cottrell, S., (2011), Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Weyers, J. and McMillan, K. (2011) How to Write Essays and Assignments (2 nd Edition) 8 P age

11 4.2 Course materials: You will receive materials to help your study on this course from your Personal Tutor. In addition to this, you will have access to Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This contains information on your modules. You will need to access this in order to submit your assignments, so please make sure you can access this as soon as you have enrolled onto the course. If you experience any difficulties with access, contact your course tutor for support. Blackboard can be found at: Library Resources and Support In addition to materials provided by your organisation, the University library is available to you once you have enrolled. If accessing either Stafford or Stoke libraries is difficult, there are many resources available online, including all of the core texts. There is a reading list of online resources for each module which can be found at: As well as this, you will have access to key online academic education journals. If you need advice searching for resources, or using our online system, contact our subject specialist librarians. The library can be accessed from: This also includes access to the Box of Broadcasts (BOB), an off-air recording and media archive service available to staff and students at Staffordshire University. [YOUR COLLEGE WILL ADD DETAILS ABOUT YOUR INSTITUTION S LIBRARY/LRC] 9 P age

12 5. The Structure of your Course The Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies will normally take three years to complete part-time, attending college one day a week (usually late afternoon/evening but times vary). The academic year is divided into three teaching blocks or terms, each normally being ten weeks in length. Precise dates may vary depending upon your choice of College, so please check. You will study 6 core modules and 2 part time option modules for the whole award at the first two undergraduate levels in Higher Education: 4 modules at level 4 and 4 modules at level 5. Part-time Option Module Core Modules L E V 1b. Professional and Academic Development 2. The Developing Child: A Holistic View 3. The Planning Cycle 4. Enabling Environments E L 30 credits 30 credits 30 credits 30 credits 4 L E V E 5b.Working with Young Children 30 credits 6. Leading Change in the Early Years 30 credits 7. Safeguarding and Promoting Children s Welfare 8. Early Childhood: Global Perspectives on Contemporary Issues 30 credits L 30 credits 5 Application for BA (Hons) Top up. 10 P age

13 The sequence of modules has been designed to help you progress academically and become a more independent learner, for example by providing initial support with study skills in the first module and more challenging assessment tasks in the level 5 modules. To qualify for the FdA ECS you will need to accumulate 240 credits (120 credits at each level). However, it may soon be possible to exit with a Certificate in Higher Education:Early Childhood when you have successfully completed all level 4 modules, thus achieving 120 credits (please speak to your relevant Course Leader). Please speak to The Award Leader at Staffordshire University if you wish to register for the Certificate in Higher Education: Early Childhood as your chosen college campus will need to be a registered partner for this. Each module carries 30 credits. The credits are part of a national system to enable you to accumulate credits as you pass each module. It enables transfer from one institution to another and students to have their prior learning acknowledged and accredited. At Staffordshire University, the following total learning time is allocated to modules: 30 credit modules 30 hours class contact 270 hours work-based and independent study Total = 300 hours learning time 5.1 FD ECS (p/t) Module delivery pattern Autumn Term Y1 Practitioners Personal, Academic and Professional Y2 Development (30 credits/l4) Inclusive and Enabling Environments (30 credits/l4) The Developing Child; A Holistic Approach (30 credits/l4) Y3 Safeguarding and Promoting Children s welfare (30 credits L5) Spring Term Y1 Y2 The Developing Child; A Holistic Approach (30 credits/l4) Working with Young Children (30 credits/l5) The Planning Cycle (30 credits/l4) Y3 Early Childhood: Global Perspectives on Contemporary Issues. (30 credits/l5) Summer Term Y1 Y2 The Planning Cycle (30 credits//l4) Leading Change in Early Years (30 credits/l5) Practitioners Personal, Academic and Professional Development (30 credits/l4) Y3 11 P age

14 5.2 Level 4 Modules (30 credits each) Module 1- Practitioners Personal, Professional and Academic practice This module will offer an opportunity to build upon your existing knowledge, skills and understanding and will encourage you to adopt a positive approach to your new course by developing skills of communication and presentational methods. You will be introduced to the purpose and development of reflective practice, professional development profiles, critical thinking skills, referencing, interpretation of data and the development of an academic argument. Module 2- The Developing Child; A Holistic Approach An in-depth understanding of the unique child s development underpins all good practice in early childhood and this is gained through systematic observation of the child. This module aims to help you reflect on the importance of observation and to provide opportunities for you to evaluate a range of observation techniques in order to select the ones most appropriate to the aims of your observations and practice some of them to gain detailed information about a child s holistic development and learning. It aims to help you evaluate established theoretical perspectives on how children develop and learn and apply them to individual children s observed behaviour in the light of new scientific evidence and to understand how contemporary theorists continue to build upon and adapt existing concepts of early childhood development. Module 3 The Planning Cycle This module will introduce students to definitions of play and the importance of play to the development of children through a theoretical and historical approach. Students will learn about the differing types of play, their relationship to development and current provision set within a cultural context. Students will consider a range of planning perspectives and the implementation and evaluation of the planning process in the context of the planning cycle. The module will examine the role of the adult in the extension of play opportunities. Students will be asked to consider the place of flexibility and spontaneity in the planning process and will have the opportunity to plan, provide and evaluate activities to use with children on placement which will take into account the individual needs of children. Students will gain a deeper understanding of learning theories and early childhood pedagogy relating to play, and an experiential view of teaching and learning. Students will combine their theoretical knowledge of child development and practical experience to the observation and assessment within their case studies. Students will be introduced to a range of observation techniques and they will be encouraged to focus upon the ethical, professional and cultural issues that may affect the way in which we may perceive and interpret the behaviour of others. 12 P age

15 Module 4 Inclusive and Enabling Environments The module will examine definitions of curriculum, different models, philosophies and political events that affect curriculum. You will examine the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, National Curriculum and alternative curricula and consider how children s learning environments may differ. You will review literature and theoretical perspectives on the role of the adult in children s learning and examine appropriate learning environments to enable children to progress in the areas of knowledge, understanding, skills and concepts. Children s rights will be examined and you will gain an understanding of the principles of catering for the unique needs of the child in relation to diversity of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, disability and lifestyle etc. You will examine the development of values, beliefs and stereotypes and how these can be overcome by providing inclusive and respectful environments for all children and families. Your role in challenging stereotypical attitudes and behaviours will be considered. A range of resources and equipment will be investigated to evaluate how they can be used to make children feel included and promote young children s awareness and understanding of diversity. You will examine changing concepts of inclusion, looking at a variety of reports and legislation and review the impact of special educational needs on individuals and their families, and the support systems in place. 5.3 Level 5 Modules (30 credits each) Module 5: Working with Young Children This module will consider a case study that will investigate the organisational structures of provision for young children. It will analyse the impact of the legal framework, national and local policy on provision when supporting children and critically reflect upon how the EYP works with professionals from other agencies and disciplines to provide a unified and holistic approach to child health and development. It will analyse approaches to working in partnership with parents and families and how the EYP supports effective children s transitions and initiatives to promote child and family health and well-being. Consider oneself in practice as a reflective practitioner in relation to personal learning from these analytical contributions. Module 6: Leading Change in the Early Years In this module you will be introduced to the main concepts of management theory and human and physical resources management. You will reflect upon your own role in an aspect of leadership change within the workplace. 13 P age

16 You will link and critically evaluate general management theories, to the principles of leadership, team building, delegation and motivation and relate this to your own practice. Module 7: Safeguarding and Young Children s Welfare Students will consider the changing emphasis of legislation and guidance to protecting children in England, the impact of Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) and the broad strategy for change in children's services. Students will examine, across professional boundaries, the reformed structuring and services which create the means by which the interests, needs and welfare of the children can be protected and advanced. Students will consider how resources and attitudes reflect and underpin the value that society places on children and childhood. Students will explore the notion of child protection within the context of major legislation and policy change. They will reflect, in detail, on the major changes in child welfare in order to understand the debates shaping children's policy. This module will introduce contemporary debates about child protection, as well as deepening understanding of the policy developments involved and the implications for children's rights. Module 8: Early Childhood Global Perspectives on Contemporary issues This module will focus initially on exploring developing constructs of childhood in different societies to facilitate critical reflection on students won understandings and what has influenced them. It will continue to expand to expand on concepts and issues introduced previously to allow for more breadth and depth of independent research and reading of topics related to individual s interests and experiences. It will enable students to seek perspectives beyond their personal experiences in different societies. It is expected that the content and assessment of this module will provide appropriate professional academic challenge to encourage and prepare students for progression after achieving their award. 14 P age

17 5.4 Example Course Calendar Foundation Degree ECS: 1 st Yr Module Calendar (Part-time route) 14/09/15 21/09/15 28/09/15 05/10/15 12/10/15 19/10/15 26/10/15 02/11/15 09/11/15 16/11/15 23/11/15 30/11/15 1 st yr Induction Submit 1 st draft account Reading Week 04/01/16 11/01/16 18/01/16 25/01/16 01/02/16 08/02/16 15/02/16 22/02/16 29/2/16 07/03/16 14/03/16 Poster Presentation Reading Week Formative assessment (2 nd Reflective account) 11/04/16 18/04/16 25/04/16 02/05/16 09/05/16 16/05/16 23/05/16 30/05/16 08/06/15 15/06/15 22/06/15 Reading Week Submit 3 rd draft account 15 P age

18 5.5 Example Course Calendar Foundation Degree ECS: 2 nd Year Module Calendar /09/15 28/09/15 05/10/15 12/10/15 19/10/15 26/10/15 02/11/15 09/11/15 16/11/15 23/11/15 30/11/ Inclusive and Enabling Reading Environments Week Mod starts 04/01/16 11/01/16 18/01/16 25/01/16 01/02/16 08/02/16 15/02/16 22/02/16 29/2/16 07/03/16 14/03/ Working with Young Children Mod starts L 4 ESSAY FOR INCLUSIVE AND ENABLING Reading Week 11/04/16 18/04/16 25/04/16 02/05/16 09/05/16 16/05/16 23/05/16 30/05/16 06/06/16 13/06/16 20/6/16 1Leading P age

19 Change Mod starts Reading 5.6 Example Course Calendar Foundation Degree ECS: 3 rd Year Module Calendar Wk beg 21/09/15 28/09/15 05/10/15 12/10/15 19/10/15 26/10/15 02/11/15 09/11/15 16/11/15 23/11/15 30/11/ Safeguarding Module Starts Reading Week 04/01/16 11/ 01/16 18/01/16 25/01/16 01/02/16 08/02/16 15/02/16 22/02/16 29/02/16 07/03/16 14/03/ Early Childhood Global Perspectives on Contemporary Issues Reading Module Starts 17 P age

20 6. The Staffordshire Graduate and Employability The Staffordshire Graduate represents a set of qualities that the University passionately believes is necessary for success in the 21st century. The Staffordshire Graduate is a reflective and critical learner with a global perspective, prepared to contribute in the world of work. The Staffordshire Graduate will: Discipline Expertise: Have an understanding of the forefront of knowledge in their chosen field Professionalism: Be prepared to be work-ready and employable and understand the importance of being enterprising and entrepreneurial Global Citizenship: Have an understanding of global issues and of their place in a globalised economy Communication and Teamwork: Be an effective communicator and presenter and able to interact appropriately with a range of colleagues Have developed the skills of independence of thought and (when appropriate) social interaction through teamwork Reflective and Critical Learner: Have the ability to carry out inquiry-based learning and critical analysis Be a problem solver and creator of opportunities Lifelong Learning: Be technologically, digitally and information literate Be able to apply Staffordshire Graduate attributes to a range of life experiences to facilitate life-long learning and life-long success. All students will have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes (Appendix C). These will include learning opportunities within their chosen awards and co-curricular activities such as work experience, volunteering and the development of employability, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills. 6.1 Professional recognition Your College will include specific career or further study opportunities available to students on graduation. This may draw upon the experiences of former students 18 P age

21 7. Learning, Teaching and Assessment on your Course 7.1 Induction and Enrolment An early session in each year will include the following: Enrolment Personal Introductions and briefing Introduction to the award structure Review of participants professional, academic and personal aims Overview of Student Union, Employability and Student Support Services Once University library Cards have been issues and IT access granted, the following will be included in sessions. Library Induction including how to access e-books, media library resources and online academic education journals, computing induction and Blackboard VLE induction. 7.2 Your professional responsibilities As developing professionals, you are expected to: Take responsibility for your own learning and understand your learning patterns. Develop study skills by utilising a range of learning methods, including tutor/student contact, virtual learning environments and work-based activities. Apply new knowledge to the workplace, reflecting on existing practice at individual, team and organisational level. Focus learning on your education sector and organisation, supported by appropriate levels of theoretical knowledge, skills and techniques. Utilise work-based support, academic tutors and critical friends to maximise your educational experience. On successfully completing the award, you will be able to progress onto the BA Education Hons. (top up) for the final 120 credits (at level 6). Each module features 30 hours of face-to-face teaching. You should not expect to learn everything you need to be successful on the awards from taught sessions. You are expected to study extensively in your own time in recognition of the fact that a substantial element of learning will occur in the workplace through directed workplace based tasks, observation of workplace practice and engagement with workplace based advice and guidance on pedagogy. This is designed to support the development of your professional effectiveness and to enhance employability and career development across educational sectors and beyond. For each module you will therefore be required to allocate substantial time to personal learning, including reading, research, observing colleagues and producing your assignments. Each module is considered to require around 270 hours of independent studying time, meaning that each 30 credit module represents approximately 300 hours of study. You will be provided with a timetable indicating when you will be required to attend for each module. The course is designed to last two extended academic years, though you will normally have a maximum of five years to complete the award. 19 P age

22 7.3 Attendance and Absence Employability is at the heart of this award, so you are expected to take a professional attitude to all aspects of your study, including attendance and punctuality. According to university regulations on attendance, you are required to attend for a minimum of 80% of the taught sessions for each module, including time allocated for participants to engage in VLE related activities such as using the Discussion Board. However, you must also adhere to your provider s requirements if it is higher. Your College will provide details of your college s attendance policy. Occasional unavoidable absence (for example, caused by illness, bereavement) notified to and authorised/approved by Tutors will of course not be treated as problematic provided the participant is able to make up the work in a reasonable time frame. Therefore, please ensure that you clearly inform your Personal Tutor of any issues as soon as possible. If you are not meeting this attendance requirement for each module because of unexplained and/or unauthorised absence, you will be informed that you have not met the module attendance requirement and will need to complete the work missed from each session. Any pattern of irregular unauthorised/unapproved attendance over more than one module will normally result in a formal warning that you they are in danger of failing on attendance and professional grounds. Repeated lateness (without prior agreement by the course tutor) will result in the tutor refusing you entrance into the session. This will then be recorded as an absence. Repeat leaving sessions early (without prior agreement by the course tutor) will also result in the tutor refusing the student entrance into the session. As above, the course requires an 80% attendance. 20 P age

23 7.4 Work-Based Learning Students on the Foundation Degree of Arts: Early Childhood studies must be employed for a minimum of twelve hours per week in an appropriate educational role or setting. This employment may be paid or voluntary. A letter from the applicant s head teacher/principal/head of department/manager must accompany any application. This letter must support the application by confirming the applicant s involvement in supporting the sector. You must also provide to your provider appropriate evidence in relation to current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance. 7.5 Assessment Assessment takes a number of different forms: Reflective accounts to inform Action Plans form essential components in the assessment of your professional abilities. These will demonstrate your understanding of personal development needs, workplace development and organisational awareness. Design and evaluation tasks, such as the development and evaluation of support materials. Research tasks, to inform and develop your professional practice and the quality of your organisation. Critical Evaluation of support materials and organisation-wide issues on the basis of evidence collected during their professional experience. Adherence to your employer requirements You will be assessed in every module for which you enrol. The assessments are designed to test achievement of the module's learning outcomes and you will be given information on what is expected of them at the start of the module. Assessment types, volume and length have been considered by the University team to allow students to demonstrate skills and knowledge outlined within module assessment criteria. Some modules have more than one assessment task and some will be linked to the teaching and learning methods of the module. The assessment tasks set over the duration of the programme have been designed to develop and build upon a wide range of personal and professional skills, whilst strongly reinforcing links between theory and practical application. The assessment strategy has been constructed to reflect the changing role of the early childhood studies practitioner at all ages from years. It is understandable that some methods of assessment will suit different students in different ways, therefore a range of assessment methods will be used on the programme to assess the learning outcomes of the modules. Assessment methods include: Assignments Case Studies/Practical Planning Poster Presentation Group presentations 21 P age

24 Annotated bibliography Independent Research project Portfolio Reflective Log Multiple Choice Examination Work based case study reflection In addition to the above you need to adhere to your employer s requirements. This will include undertaking Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) to meet their requirements. If you cease to work in a position in the Early Years sector you must apply for voluntary work in this field for 12 hours or more per week or intermit or withdraw from the award until you have gained suitable employment which meets the work-based demands of the course. 7.6 Employability Development This course aims to help you enhance your career opportunities. Therefore, work-based reflection and development forms a major part of the overall course content and assessment. Throughout the course, you will therefore engage in: Work-based tasks Creation of resources to support learning Observation of the practice of professionals Reflection on organisational practice Wider understanding of sector practice Work placement research As developing professionals, you are expected to: Take responsibility for your own learning and understand your learning patterns. Develop study skills by utilising a range of learning methods, including tutor/student contact, virtual learning environments and work-based activities. Apply new knowledge to the workplace, reflecting on existing practice at individual, team and organisational level. Focus learning on your early years sector and organisation, supported by appropriate levels of theoretical knowledge, skills and techniques. Utilise work-based support, academic tutors and critical friends to maximise your educational experience. Each module is assessed with a value of 30 credits and comprises of one or two tasks. You must pass all parts to pass the module overall. We utilise a variety of assessment strategies in order to develop your overall critical thinking skills. These include creating learning resources, comparing workplace policies as well as reflecting and acting on your personal career aspirations. These are then underpinned by demonstration of academic understandings of the vocational tasks carried out within written assignments, group feedback and presentations. On successfully completing the award, you will be able to progress onto the BA Early Childhood Studies Hons. (top up) for the final 120 credits (at level 6). 22 P age

25 7.7 Accreditation of Prior Learning The Accreditation of Prior Learning is the term used when a student uses his or her previous experiences to gain admission to a programme of study; admission to a module; admission at an intermediate stage in a programme (advanced standing); or to gain exemption from part of a programme of study. These previous experiences may be work-based learning, general learning experiences (experiential) or certificated qualifications. You should normally apply for exemptions or admission with advanced standing through the AP(E)L scheme when you apply for a place on the award, or immediately upon registration for your modules. You will not be allowed to apply for AP(E)L in a module once you have submitted any assessment for that module. If you apply for exemptions or admission with advanced standing through the AP(E)L scheme you may be required to undergo some assessment to determine the relevance of your experiences/qualifications. The APL and AP(E)L forms can be obtained from the Faculty Office. The APL and AP(E)L Board meets in early October. It is chaired by one of the Faculty s Programme Area Managers and its purpose is to consider all the APL and AP(E)L applications received from students and uphold or reject these applications dependant on the evidence provided. 7.8 How to Submit Assessments You must submit all pieces of assessment required for each module on or before the submission date for each piece of assessment. Failure to do so is likely to result in failure of the module overall. Your assignment should conform to the word requirement; an assignment of more than 10% above or below the word limit will be penalised. Please enter the number of words on the front page of your assignment. You should type or word process your assignments using a clearly legible font and size (Arial 11, for example) spacing the lines by 1½ or double; you should number the pages. In the interest of fairness the University retains copies of your written work for later inspection and quality processes. Written assignments are submitted online using Turnitin on the Blackboard VLE For instructions how to use this see: efzone/turnitin.jsp#students For any problems with this, contact IT services: The Service Desk is available by phone 24/7, including bank holidays. Students can contact their nearest Service Desk on: or or @staffs.ac.uk Always, of course, good practice to keep a hard or (backed up) electronic copy of any assignment you submit as well as the submission receipt you will receive via P age

26 Extenuating circumstances There may be occasions when you are unable to submit or undertake a piece of assessment due to circumstances beyond your control. The University has put in place a procedure for dealing with such extenuating circumstances. You can find more information on the university s extenuating circumstances procedure at: If you are unable to submit your assignment on time you may be eligible to apply for extenuating circumstances. You must contact your tutor as soon as possible in order to discuss your options. If you have dyslexia, make sure that you an electronic label is available to ensure that your work is marked appropriately. Your Personal Tutor will be able to provide guidance on this. Assessment criteria The assignment specific criteria are underpinned by generic assessment criteria for written work. These are used by other validated Education awards and focus on particular University Learning Outcomes. You will find these in each module handbook. 7.9 Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism The University and Faculty take the issues of academic dishonesty, plagiarism or cheating very seriously. If you are caught breaking the University s rules, you can expect to be punished this might mean failing an assignment, failing a module or even failing your award and being asked to leave the University. It is vitally important that you understand the rules regarding plagiarism. These can be found at: YOUR COLLEGE WILL ADD DETAILS OF YOUR OWN ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT POLICY There are several resources available to help you in writing and preparing assignments so that you do not break the rules: Study Skills Academic Skills Know-how If in doubt, make sure you ask your tutor before you submit work. Feedback on your Work Seven principles of good feedback Good feedback should: Be an interactive process involving student-tutor and student-student dialogue; Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection; Clarify for students and staff, through dialogue, what good or bad performance actually is in the assignment or task; Be developmental, progressive and transferable to new learning contexts; Be ongoing and embedded in the learning process; 24 P age

27 Motivate, build esteem and confidence to support sustainable lifelong learning; Support the development of learning groups and communities. The University s Academic Board has been considering the outcomes of the last National Student Survey and discussing how it can provide quicker assessment feedback to students. This guidance refers to summative (actual) rather than formative (practice) assessments. In relation to this, the following has been agreed: Coursework and other assessments, excluding examinations You will normally receive feedback on all your assessments, other than examinations, within 20 working days following the date of submission of your assessment or actual date of the assessment (in the case of class tests). For some assessments the feedback period will be less than 20 working days. However, it may be the case that the 20 day rule for some assessments cannot be met for justified reasons (for example, modules on which a large number of students are enrolled). However, it is anticipated that this will apply to only a small number of modules on your award and, in those cases, the feedback return period will not exceed 25 days. The anticipated feedback return times for all assessments will be published in your Module Handbooks. In order to ensure that feedback is provided within 20 days, in most cases, the marks for your work will be provisional and will be subject to final ratification by the appropriate Assessment Board in due course External Examiners Appointed to your Course External examiners help the university to ensure that the standards of your course are comparable to those provided by other universities or colleges in the UK. More information on the role performed by external examiners can be found at: The external examiner for your course is: Carole Parnell ( L4) and Patricia Gardiello (L5) It is not appropriate for you to make direct contact with your external examiner. 8. Communication Your college will indicate how the course team will communicate with students. (E.g. , noticeboards, student pigeon-holes, Blackboard) Your College will indicate how students are expected to communicate with course team members. 25 P age

28 9. Support and Guidance Your College will provide details of how your institution s personal tutoring policy will be implemented within the context of this course. Your College will describe any further support and guidance that will be provided to students by the course team. Information on university support services can be found in the on-line student guide (available at: The Student Advice Centre run by the Students Union provides independent, impartial and confidential advice to students free of charge. More information on the Students Union can be found at: Employability support Developing your career is a central aim of our programme. Whether you would like advice on interviewing technique or help writing your CV, as a Staffordshire university student, you have access to our Careers Centre. Once again, online support is available as well as face to face guidance. 10. The Student Voice During the course you will have the opportunity to share your views and opinions on your modules, course and the university. Your feedback is key to ensuring that we get an accurate picture of what it is like to be a student at Staffordshire University and enables us to enhance the learning experience for current and future students. Your College will provide information on: Course Committees. How are students made aware of the scheduled meetings? How do they receive notes of the meetings? Student representatives. How are student representatives elected? How do students find out who their representatives are? Student Surveys: NSS and SVS, PTES, DLHE. What surveys will students be invited to complete? Issues raised by previous students and how did the course team addressed these. 11. Rules and Regulations Your course is delivered and assessed according to the University s Academic Award Regulations. These can be accessed at: 26 P age

29 Appendix A: Learning Outcomes for FdA Early Childhood Each award of the University is defined by a set of learning outcomes that indicate the knowledge and skills that you will be able to demonstrate upon completion of your award. You will progress through two academic levels on the programme and the Learning Outcomes for the FdA Early Childhood Studies Award at each level will enable you to: Common learning outcome headings LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5 Knowledge and Understanding Learning Enquiry Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts, philosophies, political, economic and social of early childhood studies. Develop lines of argument and make sound judgements to challenge and evaluate appropriate early childhood studies literature through research, showing a willingness to accommodate new ideas. Present, evaluate and interpret complex data (qualitative and quantitative) appropriate to the diverse range of early childhood Evaluate and interpret the diversity, complexity and changing nature of babies and young Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the main theories and research appropriate to the holistic development of the child including meeting children s individual needs. Understand the limits of their knowledge, (theory to practice) in relation to child education and care organisation and management, and how this influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge. Demonstrate knowledge of the main methods of enquiry in Early Childhood Studies and demonstrate application of the key principles of Information Literacy. Use a range of established techniques to critically analyse the management processes and procedures for a childcare/education 27 P age