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

    Social Science Education in Early Childhood
  • Unit Code

    SSE3260
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mrs Karen NOCITI

Description

This unit examines the Social Science learning area in early childhood education. Students use contemporary curriculum documents to develop skills in supporting the development of conceptual understandings, process skills and values in young children (0-8), with the intention of promoting active and informed citizenship. In particular, students will explore pedagogical frameworks and examine a range of differentiated teaching, learning and assessment strategies appropriate to inquiry-based learning in early childhood education. Students also have the opportunity to evaluate teaching resources that support the development of the mutli-literacies of social science inquiry.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SSE2011

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply the theory and practice of Inquiry-based teaching and learning to the planning and implementation of effective teaching and learning programs that reflect a student centred, differentiated curriculum in early childhood settings.
  2. Connect purposeful assessment methods to an inquiry-based framework to monitor and evaluate progress of Social Science education and Early Years Learning Framework outcomes.
  3. Describe the nature and purpose of the Social Science learning areas for the early childhood phase of schooling (K-3).
  4. Explain how young childrens explorations in Social Science experiences support the achievement of outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework for children.
  5. Identify ways to promote active and informed citizenship in children.
  6. Plan for the integration of Indigenous History and Culture, Asia and Australias engagement with Asia and Sustainability in the Social Science learning experiences and programs.

Unit Content

  1. Active and informed citizenship and `taking action'.
  2. Assessment methods for monitoring concept development, skill development and values development in young children.
  3. Australian Curriculum, The National Quality Standard, The Early Years Learning Framework and other associated documents.
  4. Concepts of Indigenous History and culture, and social and environmental sustainability.
  5. Constructivist learning theory and Inquiry models for teaching and learning the skills, concepts and values of the social sciences.
  6. ICT, print, web-based and context-based resources (people and places).
  7. Processes for planning and implementing inquiry-based pedagogies.
  8. Teaching and learning strategies including cooperative strategies.

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 OfferedNot Offered12 x 1 hour lecture
Semester 112 x 3 hour seminar12 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered
Semester 1Not OfferedNot Offered12 x 2 hour tutorial

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

May include: Lectures, Workshops, Inquiry based experiences, Online modules, Guest Speakers.

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
AssignmentFormative Assessment10%
AssignmentWritten assignment50%
ExaminationExamination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentFormative Assessment10%
AssignmentWritten assignment50%
ExaminationExamination40%

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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