Early Childhood Education - Programmes, Awards and Licensies

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1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION MA Early Years Education Awarding Institution: Institute of Education, University of London Teaching Institutions: Institute of Education, University of London Name of final award Master of Arts (MA) Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Certificate Programme title Early Years Education Language of study The Institute of Education teaches and assesses participants through the medium of the English Language. Competence in English is required of all applicants. Programme regulations may indicate the level of competence required for each applicant and may make its achievement a condition of admission. Participants The programme is designed both for practitioners currently or recently working in Early Childhood services in the UK, and for overseas students who have specific experience or interest in working in this field in their own country. Given the recent expansion and diversification of this field it may include those working in healthrelated services, with families, or in specialist units for children with additional needs. Educational Aims of the Programme The aims of the programme are as follows: a) to engage early years educators with current understandings of teaching and learning in the early years, and with the wide range of contexts within which young children s development takes place b) to enable early years educators to gain an understanding of policy development in early childhood services, at a local, national and international level c) to promote the engagement of early years educators with current debates and issues concerning young children s lives and development d) to allow early years educators to develop skills for assessing the quality of early years settings and services e) to enable early years educators to conduct research into young children s lives and their development and learning

2 Learning Outcomes By the end of this programme, students will have a) engaged with new understandings of effective teaching and learning in the early years, including in home learning environments b) gained an understanding of recent policy developments in early years provision, and of policy formation within settings c) acquired the knowledge and skills to conduct research into young children s lives and experiences in the context of early childhood services d) acquired knowledge and skills that will support their professional development in the early years field Criteria for admission Standard admissions criteria for entry to M-level programmes: an honours degree from a UK university passed at 2.2 or above; OR equivalent from an overseas institution; OR a lesser qualification supplemented by a qualifying essay or portfolio Experience or interest in Early Years: A record of employment in the sector OR a supporting statement which demonstrates that the applicant is committed to this field for some personal or professional reason. Applicants whose first language is a language other than English may be required to provide evidence of their English language proficiency. The Institute of Education is committed to admitting and supporting participants with disabilities and welcomes applications from them. Participants do not need to be registered disabled to draw on these services, though in order to provide services in the long-term we will need to ask for medical or other evidence, as appropriate. Disabilities Support can also support people who have a temporary mobility / dexterity impairment / other difficulty as a result of an accident, injury, illness or surgery. We aim to treat every person as an individual, with needs which may differ from those of other people with a superficially similar disability. We do not therefore have standard procedures for participants with dyslexia, nor standard procedures for visually impaired participants: each person's needs are considered individually. Mode of study The programme is undertaken over one year full-time or between two and four years part-time study. Full-time students normally attend on two evenings per week; parttime students normally attend on one evening per week. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards The programme normally requires students to take four 30-credit modules at M-level, and then to study for a 60-credit (20,000-word) dissertation. The Institute of Education uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), as a guide to support periods of study undertaken abroad and to

3 assist student mobility. Currently it is assumed that two UK credits equate to one ECTS. Therefore a module of 30 credits would typically equate to 15 ECTS credits. The programme has three core modules which must be completed successfully in order for the student to proceed to the dissertation. These are: Early Childhood Education (Autumn term module) Management & Contemporary Issues in the Early Years (Spring term module) Research Methods in Education (Autumn term module) To complete their taught programme, students may select a further (30 credit) module from the range of unrestricted options offered by the IOE. Students who for academic or personal reasons are unable to complete the programme successfully may exit with 2 or 4 (taught) modules completed, gaining a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma respectively. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to he achieved and demonstrated Teaching on the modules takes place in the three-hour taught sessions, which are normally to a large group (30+ students) and which have a compulsory 80% attendance rule, and also in small group sessions and in individual tutorials. The large-group sessions are highly interactive, combining short segments of lecture input with small-group discussions on the set readings, planning activities, analysis of video material, and reflections on practice. Some sessions include an hour s input from a visiting speaker who is normally a professional in the field (head of a children s centre or service) but may be a visiting academic, including overseas visitors who are being hosted by the programme leader. All students have access to a set of digitised readings each week and are expected to have read and prepared them before the class. Some students make presentations on their own professional experience, and these presentations are very well evaluated. Individual tutorials are offered to all students during each module, in preparation for the submission of a draft assignment, which receives written feedback prior to final submission. Some students are offered or request additional follow-up tutorials when they have received comments on their draft. Learning throughout the programme is viewed as the outcome of students active interaction with reading materials, with staff and students in group sessions, and with the drafting of written assignments. At the level of academic content, the programme presents the view that learning takes place as the result of active participation in a community of learners and with the appropriation of cultural resources by learners. The programme aims to practise what it preaches by offering students the same model of learning that is proposed for young learners, although the balance of engagement with written rather than human resources is different. Assessment, similarly, is viewed as part of the learning process although ultimately it is the route to an award. The process of constructing an assignment through reading and initial planning / tutorial discussion / draft assignment / written and verbal

4 feedback / final assignment is understood to extend the students thinking rather than simply to assess what is already known. lnformation about assessment regulations Participants must successfully complete all elements of the programme, to achieve the minimum credits required for the award. All coursework, is assessed according to the grade-related criteria for the programme level, found in the programme handbook. All assignments are independently marked by two staff members, who meet to discuss and reconcile the marks and comments for each individual. Assignments are graded from A to D, with D being a failing grade. Participants are permitted to represent a failed assignment on one further occasion, within 12 months of the original submission. An external examiner is appointed by Senate and plays an important role in monitoring the quality of the programme and evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and support provided for the programme participants and the reliability of the judgements made in assessing them. Further details about assessment regulations can be found at e_assessment_of_students.pdf Support for learning Support is offered from the beginning of the application process. Students who do not receive a standard offer are invited to submit qualifying essays or portfolios, and guidance is given in completing these successfully. An induction day at the start of the year informs students of the programme content, methods and expectations, and introduces them to Student Support Services and CAPLITS. Programme and module handbooks offer full instructions and advice on studying, writing and submitting both assignments and dissertations. The programme leader is available to advise all students on academic as well as personal matters, and to refer students to the support services available at IOE Group/peer support is actively encouraged through the reading groups and through small-group activities during taught sessions. Students who are writing assignments on similar topics are informed and encouraged to share their work with each other in the course of writing. Students are all advised on the use of the library and information services, and of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) operating system. Methods for evaluating and improving the programme A programme rep is appointed each year and students are encouraged to contact her/him with any matters that they do not feel they can raise with the teaching staff. The programme rep attends a termly programme committee to report on issues raised by students, and these are minuted for further action

5 Module reviews are undertaken verbally in the last session of the module, and in writing by means of evaluation forms ed to students so they can be submitted anonymously. The forms ask specifically about ways we could improve but this section is rarely completed by the students. The external examiner s advice is sought and followed as appropriate. Indicators of quality and standards In addition to the ongoing internal monitoring and discussion of students performance in verbal and written contributions, the external examiner is invited to give a candid appraisal of how standards compare with other universities and programmes. Relevant benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes There are no standard benchmarks. We expect a small number of our students to proceed to doctoral study, to write for peer-reviewed journals, or to move into HE posts themselves. The majority seek promotion within the early childhood field and use the programme leader as referee for their applications. Many are successful and become leaders in their field. Date of completion/amendment of specification August 2010