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

    Language and Literacy in Early Childhood
  • Unit Code

    EPA6173
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Amelia RUSCOE

Description

This unit critically explores evidence-based research about teaching and learning language and literacy in contemporary early childhood contexts, with an emphasis on how practitioners can use this knowledge to lead change in education policy and practice. It identifies and analyses philosophical and pedagogical models of literacy teaching and learning in different contexts. Ways of analysing and responding to language and literacy learning are examined and used to develop effective learning environments and programs. Stakeholder views of early language and literacy, including those of the administrator, teacher, child and parent will be identified as a means of leading and sustaining change, particularly in relation to the rapidly changing early childhood landscape towards assessment driven curricula.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Explore evidence-informed research in early language and literacy learning within the context of home literacy learning (HLLE) and educational settings.
  2. Reflect on inclusive and contextually relevant language and literacy assessment strategies.
  3. Critique effective pedagogies and programs for language and literacy learning.
  4. Lead language and literacy teams to improve practice with sustainable change to optimise children’s learning outcomes.

Unit Content

  1. Language and literacy learning in the 21st Century. Perspectives on the nature and processes of early language and literacy learning, social nature of language and literacy learning within families inclusive of HLLE) and communities and educational settings including multi-modal literacies.
  2. Using assessment data to inform policy and practice. Exploring efficacy of early language and literacy interventions. Language and literacy strategies and programs, including assessment strategies.
  3. Leading language and literacy teams and sustainable change in language and literacy. Ways of working collaboratively with colleagues and families across settings to develop continuity and coherence. Leading debate on effective early language and literacy learning. Developing a multi-agency approach to supporting families and educators' work towards enhancing language and literacy outcomes for children.

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 1Not Offered13 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 2 hour tutorialNot 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

Additional Learning Experience Information

Workshops, seminars.

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
EssayFactors influencing children's language and literacy learning 50%
PresentationLanguage and learning assessment strategies 50%

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.

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