Basics of Competence in Early Childhood Education and Care (10 cr)

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- apply the legislation, recommendations, guidelines and ethical principles of early childhood education and care
- utilise the early childhood education and care plan as a document guiding education and care work
- describe their vocational and social pedagogical expertise and role as builders of a learning community
- promote and strengthen children’s sense of community and agency while understanding the importance of play and peer relationships

Materials

All materials will be available online.

- National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (2022):
https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/National%20core%20curriculum%20for%20ECEC%202022.pdf
- Act of Early Childhood Education and Care (2018)
Unofficial Translation:
https://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/2018/en20180540.pdf
- Convention on the Rights of the Child https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text#
- Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC / KARVI) https://karvi.fi/en/early-childhood-education/
- EVERY DAY QUALITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE: https://karvi.fi/app/uploads/2020/06/FINEEC_T1620.pdf
- GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE: https://karvi.fi/app/uploads/2019/03/FINEEC_Guidelines-and-recommendations_web.pdf

- Peter Moss and Pat Petrie. Education and social pedagogy: What relationship?. London Review of Education. Vol. 17(3):393-405. DOI: 10.18546/LRE.17.3.13
- Juha Hämäläinen and Lisbeth Eriksson, Social Pedagogy in Finland and Sweden: A comparative analysis, 2016, Pedagogia Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, 27, 71-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.7179/PSRI_2016.27.05
- Ryynänen, S., & Nivala, E. (2017). Empowerment or emancipation? Interpretations from Finland
and beyond. Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, 30, 33-46. DOI:10.7179/PSRI_2017.30.03.

Teaching methods

The course is part of the qualification of an early childhood education social pedagogue (varhaiskasvatuksen sosionomi).

The lessons and workshops will take place online via Zoom. Attendance requirement at online lessons and workshops will be 80% / 100% to achieve the versatile theoretical and practical skills required for an early childhood education socionom / teacher. The first and the last lesson are compulsory.

The course includes individual, paired and small group assignments, working life cooperation, home study and knowledge sharing seminars. Instructions for the assignments will be available at Canvas workspace a week before the course start.

Exam schedules

The course starts on
31.08.2023 12.30 - 15.30 online at Zoom.
You will get the Zoom link and more information one week before the course starts (by email).

Other online lessons:
14.09.2023 12.30 - 15.30
28.09.2023 12.30 - 15.30
4.10.2023 12.30 - 15.30
26.10.2023 12.30 - 15.30

In addition to the online lessons you will have meetings with your study peers online (you can set up the dates and times by yourself in connection with the assignment due dates).
All the course assignments need to be submitted by 30.11.2023.
The course evaluations will be done during December 2023.

Completion alternatives

1) RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING
Any competence that corresponds to the learning outcomes of the course can be included in it through recognition and accreditation of prior learning. The starting point is competence-based thinking: what matters is your competence itself, not how and where you acquired it. The procedures for the recognition and accreditation of prior learning are Recognition of prior studies and Demonstration of competence.
Where to start:
At first you would need to go carefully through the objectives, contents and assignments of the course to evaluate if there would be some entity / several entities where you already have know-how and competence? If yes, think how you can demonstrate your competence (e.g. earlier certificates, individual essay, short research or development project at your workplace, report, portfolio). Within one week of the start of the course contact the responsible teacher kaisa.salminen@laurea.fi to arrange a Zoom meeting where we will discuss and identify your competence and agree on the method of demonstrating your competence.

OR

2) RECOGNITION OF WORK-BASED LEARNING
If you are working in ECEC at the same time that studying it would be possible to find an alternative way to complete the course or some part of it by recognizing what information and skills you can learn (or have already learned) at your workplace.
Where to start?
At first you would need to go carefully through the objectives, contents and assignments of the course to analyze if there would be some entity / several entities which you can learn at your work place?
If yes, think how you can learn those things in practice and how you can demonstrate your competence (e.g. essay, short research or development project at your workplace, report, portfolio).
Within one week of the start of the course contact the responsible teacher kaisa.salminen@laurea.fi to arrange a Zoom meeting where we will discuss and identify your work situation, general and personal goals and agree on the method of learning and demonstrating your competence.

Student workload

The scope of the course is 10 credits and means for the student 270 hours spent studying. It is important that you write down the due dates of the assignments in your calendar and reserve enough time to study the themes and issues. The course has both individual and group assignments and the modules rhythm the progress of the studies.

Content scheduling

The course consists of three modules:
- Module 1 Basics and task of early childhood education (4 credits)
- Module 2: Social pedagogical expertise in early childhood education (3 credits)
- Module 3: Children's sense of community and agency (3 credits)

Evaluation scale

H-5