School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2023 Units. All assessment changes will be published by 20th February 2023. All students are reminded to check the handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    STEM in Early Childhood: A Creative Integrated Approach
  • Unit Code

    ECS4160
  • Year

    2023
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Patricia Ruth COLLINS

Description

This unit introduces students to the interdisciplinary approach of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in early childhood. The unit will extend on the knowledge already gained in the undergraduate units of mathematics and science. Students will explore how to teach creatively, integrating learning across the curriculum through inquiry and project-based teaching. Opportunities will be provided for students to plan, implement, assess and evaluate an integrated STEM curriculum to foster critical thinking, problem solving, exploration, inquiry and reasoning.

Prerequisite Rule

To enrol in this elective, students must have completed and passed ALL: SCE2240: Early Childhood Science and Technology Education ECM2260: Early Childhood Mathematics 1 ECM3260: Early Childhood Mathematics 2

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a range of knowledge, understanding, skills and dispositions related to STEM content areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an early childhood setting.
  2. Select and provide appropriate content, experiences and materials to support the learning of STEM processes for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in early childhood.
  3. Demonstrate effective management, organisational, planning and assessment strategies to integrate and document learning across STEM curriculum areas.
  4. Apply an integrated programme that meets the needs of young students within the learning areas of STEM.

Unit Content

  1. Identification of the key concepts underpinning the development of children's understanding of STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  2. Planning of meaningful learning experiences for the development of critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, inquiry, deep learning and intellectual skills.
  3. Identification of the source and use of appropriate resources, materials and equipment to support planned experiences for both indoor and outdoor environments.
  4. Examination and development of organisational and management strategies most appropriate to integrating the curriculum including inquiry approach and project approach.
  5. Examination of the teacher's role in planning and preparing an active learning environment and strategies to promote discovery, enquiry and questioning.
  6. Strategies for planning, assessing and reflection using integrated webs and documentation.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 18 x 4 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

WIL - Project

Students undertake an activity in collaboration or consultation with an industry partner but do not spend any time or only a very small amount of time  (e.g. 1-2 short visits) in an actual workplace.

Additional Learning Experience Information

A combination of lectures, workshops, guest speakers, videos, required readings and group and individually assigned work are used to achieve the unit outcomes. Students are required to become independent learners, contributors in workshops and competent team members.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeWeekly Reflection Task40%
ProjectImplementation and presentation60%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeWeekly Reflection Task40%
ProjectImplementation and presentation60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

ECS4160|1|1

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    STEM in Early Childhood: A Creative Integrated Approach
  • Unit Code

    ECS4160
  • Year

    2023
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Patricia Ruth COLLINS

Description

This unit introduces students to the interdisciplinary approach of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in early childhood. The unit will extend on the knowledge already gained in the undergraduate units of mathematics and science. Students will explore how to teach creatively, integrating learning across the curriculum through inquiry and project-based teaching. Opportunities will be provided for students to plan, implement, assess and evaluate an integrated STEM curriculum to foster critical thinking, problem solving, exploration, inquiry and reasoning.

Prerequisite Rule

To enrol in this elective, students must have completed and passed ALL: SCE2240: Early Childhood Science and Technology Education ECM2260: Early Childhood Mathematics 1 ECM3260: Early Childhood Mathematics 2

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a range of knowledge, understanding, skills and dispositions related to STEM content areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an early childhood setting.
  2. Select and provide appropriate content, experiences and materials to support the learning of STEM processes for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in early childhood.
  3. Demonstrate effective management, organisational, planning and assessment strategies to integrate and document learning across STEM curriculum areas.
  4. Apply an integrated programme that meets the needs of young students within the learning areas of STEM.

Unit Content

  1. Identification of the key concepts underpinning the development of children's understanding of STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  2. Planning of meaningful learning experiences for the development of critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, inquiry, deep learning and intellectual skills.
  3. Identification of the source and use of appropriate resources, materials and equipment to support planned experiences for both indoor and outdoor environments.
  4. Examination and development of organisational and management strategies most appropriate to integrating the curriculum including inquiry approach and project approach.
  5. Examination of the teacher's role in planning and preparing an active learning environment and strategies to promote discovery, enquiry and questioning.
  6. Strategies for planning, assessing and reflection using integrated webs and documentation.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 18 x 4 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

WIL - Project

Students undertake an activity in collaboration or consultation with an industry partner but do not spend any time or only a very small amount of time  (e.g. 1-2 short visits) in an actual workplace.

Additional Learning Experience Information

A combination of lectures, workshops, guest speakers, videos, required readings and group and individually assigned work are used to achieve the unit outcomes. Students are required to become independent learners, contributors in workshops and competent team members.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeWeekly Reflection Task40%
ProjectImplementation and presentation60%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeWeekly Reflection Task40%
ProjectImplementation and presentation60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

ECS4160|1|2