ED3092 - Science Education for Early Childhood

Credit points:	03
Year:	2008
Student Contribution Band:	Band 4
Administered by:	School of Education

Note: Lectures for this subject are delivered online through LearnJCU and requires students to have access to the World Wide Web for participation in the subject.

The construction of pedagogical knowledge for the sciences will be the focus of the subject. Students will examine the essential components of science programs appropriate to ECE, with particular reference to Queensland schools; identify the skills, attitudes and concepts that can be developed in a science program; and analyse teaching strategies and organisation appropriate to the teaching of science. Research related to learning and teaching science and technology will be emphasised in this subject.

Learning Outcomes

• become familar with syllabus requirements;
• become more confident as a learner and teacher of science;
• build a repertoire of learning/teaching strategies in science and technology;
• develop an appreciation of the forces and constraints in science education reform;
• develop skills in planning science learning activities for children.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to deploy critically evaluated information to practical ends;
• The ability to find and access information using appropriate media and technologies;
• The ability to evaluate that information;
• The ability to select and organise information and to communicate it accurately, cogently, coherently, creatively and ethically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner;
• The ability to read complex and demanding texts accurately, critically and insightfully;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to generate, calculate, interpret and communicate numerical information in ways appropriate to a given discipline or discourse;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to work individually and independently;
• The ability to select and use appropriate tools and technologies;
• The ability to use online technologies effectively and ethically.

Prerequisites:	6 units of level 1 ED subjects
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	ED3192

Availabilities
Townsville, Limited, Study Period 1
Census Date 04-Apr-2008
Face to face teaching (1 tutorial per week for 13 weeks in conjunction with regular weekly online lectures and assignments)
Coordinator:	Dr David Lake
Lecturers:	Dr Donna Rigano, Assoc. Professor Angela Hill, Dr David Lake.
Contact hours:	13 hours tutorials 26 hours - regular weekly online lectures and assignments
Assessment:	end of semester exam (40%); invigilated assessment (30%); non-invigilated assessment (30%).
Cairns, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 04-Apr-2008
Coord/Lect:	Dr Hilary Whitehouse.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 13 hours tutorials
Assessment:	end of semester exam (40%); invigilated assessment (30%); non-invigilated assessment (30%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.