Pen Green Centre for children and their families

The aims of this module are to enable students to

• Undertake a substantial independent study into a significant area of theory and/or practice in the early years.
• Use the learning from the independent study to generate creative and/or innovative solutions to practice issues.

Knowledge and Understanding:

Successful students will typically:

1. use ideas at a high of abstraction
2. develop critical responses to theoretical discourses, methodologies and practices.
3. develop a critical awareness that enables creative analysis -resulting in certain cases, the proposition of new concepts or approaches

Skills and Attributes:

Successful students will typically:

1. demonstrate their ability to carry out a substantial, independent study, selecting appropriate methodologies and methods, critiquing their effectiveness and working within an appropriate and critical ethical framework.
2. analyse data that may be complex, contradictory or incomplete in order to derive personal and professional learning.

Scheduled Teaching, campus−based activities in general teaching spaces (e.g.lectures, 20 seminars, tutorials) 20 hours

Scheduled campus−based activities in specialist teaching spaces (e.g practical classes, 25 workshops, demonstrations) 8 hours

Directed independent study 60 hours

Self-directed independent study 542 hours

Total hours 600

Scheduled online activities (General Teaching/Specialist Teaching) 28 hours

Directed independent study 60 hours

Self-directed independent study 542 hours

Total hours 600

This module will support you to plan and carry out a substantial independent study. During the study block, you will be encouraged, with tutor support, to work with your peers to identify a research focus and question(s), select suitable methods and consider relevant sources for a literature review.

You will be encouraged to communicate with authority about your research and the methods you have used. This module will support you to become involved in current debates in the field of integrated provision in the early years. You will draw on the work you have achieved through the previous modules, developing your confidence in applying theory to practice.

This module allows you to study an area of deep interest to you in your field of work in the early years. It is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge in a subject area you are particularly fascinated by and passionate about and to research an aspect of your practice with colleagues and or families. This module will enable you to reflect on your practice in an enabling way and to gain some awareness of the impact of your actions and those of others, both colleagues and children and families. It is an opportunity for you to articulate the difference you are making in your work to outcomes for children, parents and workers.

You will be offered tutorial support while you work on the assignment.

This module is assessed through Coursework.

The expectation is that students attend all scheduled learning and teaching sessions.

If there are exceptional circumstances which result in a student being unable to fulfil this, the student should discuss these with the Course Lead.

Programme/module requirements, including those attendance, must be met and students are responsible for making good work missed through absence.