Philosophies and Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education (10178.3)

Required texts

There is no prescribed textbook for this unit. Readings will be available on Canvas.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

Special assessment requirements

An aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit.

A genuine attempt at all assignment tasks  is required to pass the unit.

A satisfactory placement report is required to successfully meet the requirements of this unit.

Supplementary assessment

No supplementary assessments will be offered. 

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

Students are not allowed to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

Reading and private study                                              50 hours

Workshop and/or online participation:                                50 hours

Assessment tasks:                                                         50 hours

Placement

10 days -  Professional experience placement in a Birth to three year old setting

Participation requirements

All absences need to be supported by appropriate documentation (e.g. medical certificate). Successful engagement with all learning activities in this accredited Initial Teacher Education course is necessary to demonstrate that you have met the Graduate career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2011). It is recognised that sometimes absence is unavoidable. If you are absent for more than two sessions, however, your engagement with the unit could be considered unsatisfactory.

There is a strong correlation between participation and success in higher education. Your participation in on-campus sessions and your engagement with online activities will enhance your understanding of this unit's content and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items

Successful completion of the professional experience component is critical to success in the whole unit.  Refer to assessment (5a) on the Canvas site for further details. Students must make themselves familiar with the processes and policies of professional experience.

The pop-up playground is a compulsory requirement to complete the course, if you do not attend you will not meet the requirements to successfully complete this unit.

Active engagement in all online modules enhances your learning and is strongly advised. Unless specifically stated in the unit outline, there is no mandatory attendance requirement. However, you may elect to attend timetabled activities, as they allow you to ask 'real time' questions to develop your understanding for the relevant assessment tasks.

A Note for Online Students.

This is a unit that is delivered to both online and on-campus students. While on-campus students will have regular timetabled activities, online students will be able to study in your own time. The course content is designed in weekly blocks that do not require online students to attend any timetabled activities unless specifically stated. There may be optional timetabled activities to further support your learning that online students can choose to attend. Assessment deadlines will apply.

Required IT skills

Basic computer skills are assumed.

Artificial intelligence services must not to be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an artificial intelligence services may only be used if:

• its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of a specified
  assessment task, and
• it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline, and ¿its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.
• Please note, none of the assignment tasks for this unit permit the use of AI.

In-unit costs

Transport to and from off campus visits and excursions is a cost that students will incur.

Additionally, any resources they wish to purchase or items they wish to print or create as part of the assessment tasks may incur a cost to the student.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit includes a 10-day professional experience placement. Students must adhere to UC policies including the Student Conduct Rules (2018), WIL Policy and Procedure, and Assessment Policy and Procedure. All information regarding placements is available on the All Teacher Education Students (ATES) canvas page and it is the responsibility of the student to check for any updates.  

Students are advised to review InPlace regularly to check the status of their pre-placement requirements and to ensure that all contact details are up-to-date and will be for the during of the placement period. This information must include an emergency point of contact or next of kin. 

The Placement Team requires evidence of the following before a placement can be organised: 
 

Pre-placement Requirements (ALL must be uploaded to InPlace): 

• Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card 

• Working with Children Check (WWCC) 

• TQI Preservice Teacher Registration 

• Completion of Pre-Place module 

Early Childhood (EC) – Current First Aid, CPR and Anaphylaxis  
 

Student needs to upload this information to InPlace and ensure it is verified (green status) by the due date stipulated by the placement team. All compliance tasks must be valid for the duration of the placement blocks. It is a student responsibility to ensure that previously submitted compliance documentation is valid for subsequent placement blocks. 
 

Pre-placement Requirements (must be uploaded to Unit Canvas Page for first professional experience): 

• Acceptable Use of ICT form 

• UC Student Acknowledgement form 
   

Failure to complete required pre-placement requirements by the due date will result in the cancellation of placement and may result in a fail (NC) grade for the unit. 
 

When students are allocated a placement it is their responsibility to contact the school/service to determine any additional pre-placement requirements specific for that location that need to be completed prior to the placement start date. Failure to do this may result in withdrawal from the placement and potential fail (NC) grade for the unit. 

Students who currently have a UC Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) may be eligible for a Placement Support Letter (PSL). It is the student's responsibility to work with UC Wellbeing to determine any adjustment needed for Placement. 
 

Eligibility for placement is dependent on satisfactory academic progression and evidence of active engagement with the Unit content at the time placement is scheduled. 

All placements must occur according to the published placement calendar on the ATES site. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances may request a date change; approval, however, is at the discretion of the Faculty. All placement blocks must be completed within 12 months of the associated unit's teaching and learning start date. Delays beyond this timeframe may result in a fail (NC) grade for the unit. 
 

Intervention and Support 
 

Students who demonstrate unsatisfactory progress towards the expected standard of practice at any point throughout their placement will be provided with Intervention and Support. This support process is tailored to meet the needs of the individuals. If sufficient improvements are not evident, a fail grade (NC) for the unit is the likely outcome. If the student's conduct or practice constitutes a significant risk to public safety, a student's placement may be terminated immediately without the Intervention and Support process being enacted. The student will meet with their Unit Convenor/Faculty member and discuss their progress in the unit and provided opportunities to reflect on their practice, setting goals for improvement.  
 

Assessment Requirement 
 

Placement must be successfully passed to pass the Unit 

Generalised Support  
 

For placement queries, contact placement@canberra.edu.au. 

Contact the placement team or your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

Additional information

Theoretical Foundations

This unit is grounded in social constructivist and sociocultural theories of learning, recognising that children's development and learning occur through social interactions, cultural contexts, and meaningful environments. The theoretical framework draws from influential educational philosophers and theorists such as Loris Malaguzzi, Maria Montessori, and Rudolf Steiner, who emphasised the importance of child-centered, holistic approaches to early education. These foundations are complemented by contemporary theories of play-based learning and environmental design, acknowledging the critical role of thoughtfully prepared spaces and responsive pedagogies in supporting children's development and learning

Research Led Education

This unit involves research-led education and work-integrated learning. There are active researchers delivering this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.

• Semester 1, 2026, Placement, UC - Canberra, Bruce (230312)
• Semester 1, 2026, Placement, UC - Sydney Hills Campus, Castle Hill, NSW (230313)
• Semester 1, 2025, Placement, UC - Sydney Hills Campus, Castle Hill, NSW (229204)
• Semester 1, 2025, Placement, UC - Canberra, Bruce (228691)