Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- develop and reinforce the inclusiveness of early childhood education and care and culture that supports diversity
- act in a sensitive manner and take into account and support the diversity of families and children
- support the comprehensive wellbeing of children and families in early childhood education and care
- guide children and families to the necessary services and support measures

Teaching methods

The course is part of the qualification of an early childhood education and care social pedagogue / teacher (varhaiskasvatuksen sosionomi / opettaja).

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 social pedagogue / teacher.

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.

Learning materials and recommended literature

Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (2018)
https://laurea.finna.fi/Record/3amk.89982
Recommended to buy (you will need it throughout your studies and work in early education) online from National Agency for Education, price 20 €:
https://verkkokauppa.oph.fi/EN/page/product/national-core-curriculum-for-early-childhood-education-and-care-2018/2555301.

Other literature is openly available online - will be informed when the course starts.

Alternative completion methods of implementation

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 kati.rintakorpi@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 kati.rintakorpi@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.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

Visiting experts and working life cooperation is utilized in learning tasks and project work.

Important dates

6 x 3 h online lessons
The student must be present at the first lesson or inform the responsible teacher of absence in order to confirm their participation in the study. Also the last lesson is compulsory. If you miss 1-2 lessons, you need to study to theme of the lesson individually and write a report of the topic given in Canvas.

Students workload

The course requires attendance on 6 x 3 hour online lessons via Zoom > active participation required.
Other parts of the course can be studied & implemented freely by the students in the given course timeline. For pair works (essay, project) the students need to fix their schedules to fit with each other.
The total scope of the course is 270 hours of student's work.

Content and scheduling

In the course, you will actively reflect on your own activities as an educator in a diverse operating environment. You will get to know the learning community and how it is built together with children and families, taking diversity into account. In the Study Course, we approach inclusion through digital methods and pedagogical documentation. In the Study Course, we find perspectives on children's holistic well-being from the perspectives of inclusive early childhood education, multidisciplinary cooperation, and support for children and families.

The performance of the course consists of three entities:

2 credits Me on my way to become an expert on inclusion and diversity in early childhood education
4 credits Operational culture of inclusion and diversity (in-person teaching, assignments and group work)
4 credits Multidisciplinary cooperation (in-person teaching and project)

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

Competence assessment focuses on the goal descriptions of the curricula, and the level of competence is assessed based on the evaluation criteria stated in the Study Implementation Plan (Laurea's degree regulations).

2 credits Me on my way to become an expert on inclusion and diversity in early childhood education. The essay is evaluated numerically (rejected-1–5)
4 credits Operating culture of inclusion and diversity (in-person teaching, assignments and group work) is graded Passed-Failed
4 credits Multidisciplinary cooperation (in-person teaching and project) The project is evaluated numerically (rejected-1–5)

Assignments have a return period until the end of May 2023, and evaluations will be done in June 2023. If you need a faster evaluation due to graduation, it can be arranged separately (contact the teacher and send your assignments by May 15th).

A student who has not completed the tasks or exams set to pass the course must supplement or renew his/her performance in the manner specified by the teacher of the study course and within the time specified by the teacher. A failed exam or other performance can be renewed twice. Not participating in the actual exam is counted as one performance. (Laurea degree rules.)

Students are expected to follow good scientific practices, which includes proper referencing of sources. Familiarize yourself and ask about practices if necessary. Study assignments are done as individual work, in pairs or small groups (instructed in each assignment separately).

In the evaluation of the study, the criteria according to requirement level II of the competence evaluation framework for a master's degree student are used:

PROFESSIONAL DATABASE, INFORMATION SEARCH AND REPORTING

At grade 5 level, the student can:
- analyze the acquired information and draw conclusions and connect theoretical and experiential information to each other

At grade 3 level, the student can:
- critically evaluate information and justify their actions with the help of researched information

At grade 1 (H) level, the student can:
- consistently uses professional concepts and demonstrates familiarity with the knowledge base
- report and communicate professionally

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY AND WORKING LIFE DEVELOPMENT

At grade 5 level, the student can:
- evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of the produced knowledge, skill or idea in other contexts
- anticipate the needs of the customer and/or partners

At grade 3 level, the student can:
- present solutions to professional tasks using creativity
- promote professional cooperation and develop customer or partner relationships

At grade 1 (H) level, the student can:
- act independently, taking into account the operating environment
- takes responsibility for working with the customer and/or partner and responding to their needs

TEAMWORK SKILLS, LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY
At grade 5 level, the student can:
- evaluate and develop the group's entrepreneurial and responsible working approach
- evaluate the possibilities of utilizing skills and plan your own and the group's development

At grade 3 level, the student can:
- promotes the group's entrepreneurial and responsible working approach with its activities
- describe the development of one's own competence in relation to the competence objectives of the Study

At grade 1 (H) level, the student can:
- describe the importance of their own activities for the success of the cooperation
- describe their competence in relation to the competence objectives of the Study

A student who has not demonstrated his competence at the accepted level required by the evaluation criteria must supplement or renew his performance in the manner specified by the teacher of the course and within the time specified by the teacher. A failed exam or other performance can be renewed twice. Not participating in the actual exam is counted as one performance. (Laurea degree rules.)