Child Development (11990.2)

Required texts

Compulsory unit resources: 
Books:

Sharma, A. Cockerill, H., & Sanctuary, L. (2022). Mary Sheridan's from birth to five years (5th ed.). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 

Can be purchased from the publisher (Routledge) or other retailers or accessed online through the UC Library.

McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2020). Child development and education (7th ed.). Pearson.

Can be purchased from the publisher (Child Development and Education) or through various retailers or accessed resources are also available online through the UC Library.

Readings available through UCLearn for this Unit:

Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). (2023). How students learn best. An overview of the learning process and the most effective teaching practices. AERO. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/how-students-learn-best-aa_0.pdf 

Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. (2017). Cognitive load theory: Research that teachers really need to understand. NSW Department of Education. https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/about-us/educational-data/cese/2017-cognitive-load-theory.pdf

Additional readings will be made available on on the UCLearn site for this Unit.

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.

Use of generative AI for assessments

Students may use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as indicated in the assessment instructions for this unit, for the group component of assessments 3 ONLY.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

1. The Unit Convener has authorised its use for that assessment;
2. The student uses it in the way that the assessment instructions allow for;
3. The student fully acknowledges its use, with appropriate citations and references. Each referencing guide provided by the Library provides advice on how to appropriately reference the use of GenAI in-text.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not allowed for that assessment. If students are unsure, they should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

Students should be aware that the University of Canberra utilises GenAI detection software. Suspected instances of unauthorised GenAI use may lead to a Learning Validation Conversation' designed to provide assurance that a student is able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills to meet required learning outcomes. Students who are suspected of having misused GenAI in assessment may be required to attend a summary inquiry for suspected misconduct.

It is strongly recommended that students keep records of the development process for all works submitted for assessment, or drafts of work submitted for a work-in-progress review, in a learning portfolio or equivalent. Failure to provide evidence of the development process for assessment may influence a suspicion of GenAI misuse or other forms of academic misconduct. 

 The GenAI for Students Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Special assessment requirements

Students must make a genuine attempt at all assessments and receive an aggregate mark of 50% to pass the unit.

Supplementary assessment

No supplementary assessments will be offered for this Unit.

Student conduct and 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 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

The notional breakdown of hours for this unit is as follows:

30 hours lectures and tutorials

60 hours reading and tutorial preparation

60 hours assessment preparation

Participation requirements

Active engagement in all online modules enhances your learning and is strongly advised. There is a strong correlation between participation and success in higher education. Engagement with face to face tutorials and the weekly online activities will enhance your understanding of this unit's content, assist with your preparation for the assessment tasks and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items.

It is expected that students have completed the lectures, readings and online learning activities prior to attending tutorials.

Required IT skills

Basic word processing and web searching skills are assumed.

Familiarity with the UC Learn (Canvas) tool and with the online resources provided at the UC Library.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Theoretical foundations

This unit engages with the literature and research on child development and draws on different prominent theoretical perspectives explaining development.

Provision of information to the group

Notifications through the Canvas Announcements Forum or the Canvas Discussion Forums are deemed to be made to the whole class.  It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they check for announcements on the Unit's Canvas website (forum messages are also emailed to student email addresses only).  Students should ensure they check their student email regularly.  The Canvas discussion forums will be checked by staff regularly, please ensure that comments are appropriate.

Use of student email account

The University Email policy states that "students wishing to contact the University via email regarding administrative or academic matters need to send the email from the University account for identity verification purposes".  Therefore all unit enquiries should be emailed using a student university email account. Students should contact servicedesk@canberra.edu.au if they have any issues accessing their university email account.

In all cases of absence, sickness or personal problems it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the unit Convener and the student's tutor is informed. The minimum participation requirement must be met in order to pass the unit (regardless of supporting documentation).

Research led education

This unit involves research-led education. 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, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (234015)
• Semester 1, 2026, On-campus, UC - Sydney Hills Campus, Castle Hill, NSW (234016)