Course Descriptions

CD 0001: Child Development
CD 0001 focuses on the developmental characteristics of the child from pre-birth to eight years of age. All aspects of development and an introduction to the major theoretical positions that explain development will be examined. Throughout this course, you will have an opportunity to critically analyse the various components of a theoretical and practical perspective on child development. You will also examine the overall effectiveness and efficiency of our understanding of child development, in terms of its practical application to child rearing and education.

PS 0001: Promoting Pro-Social Behaviour
In this course you will learn about how to promote positive emotional relationships in early years' classrooms. The goal of this course is to develop awareness of the elements that promote healthy social-emotional development in young children, through an examination of theories and techniques of interpersonal relationships. A unit on the High/Scope Problem Solving Approach is an important component of this course. You will examine how practical this approach can be in a Pakistani cultural context.

LE 0001: The Learning Environment
During this course, you will examine various early childhood programme environments. Your role as a future educator in developmentally appropriate, pro-social environments, will be explored with an emphasis on the interest area approach to classroom design.You will learn about designing, developing, maintaining and practising in indoor and outdoor environments. The educator's role in planning the daily routine and schedules in a psychologically safe, active learning environment for children will be explored in depth.

HP 0001: History and Philosophy
HP 0001 is designed to explore the meaning of childhood in the field of early childhood education. The content of this course will guide you through an exploration of the historically diverse ways in which childhood has been defined, and help you develop and clarify, your own concept of childhood. You will explore and examine various pedagogical approaches to ECE, and look at the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which the Government of Pakistan is signatory to.

OA 0001: Observation and Assessment
In the Observation and Assessment course you will examine the importance of observation as it applies to the daily practice of the early childhood teacher. You will explore the significance of observation; observation techniques; interpretation of recorded data; and objectivity and subjectivity in the observation of children. You will learn how the different observation instruments can help you understand the needs of a child, so that you can plan what is best for that child’s developmental needs. You will also debate whether testing is the best method of assessing, and evaluating a child’s development.

UF 0001: Understanding Families and Child Abuse
During this course, you will examine and analyse the role of family in today’s diverse and changing society, and discuss the impact different kinds of family systems have on children. UF 0001 will introduce you to the components of healthy family structures, and help you develop an understanding of social trends, social changes and social problems, associated to the different family structures found in Pakistan. A module on child abuse has been included, to provide basic information about the types and range of abuse, Pakistani children in urban and rural settings are subjected to.

PE 0001: Play Experiences
PE 0001 will focus on the value of play and active learning. It will help you understand the role adults play in facilitating active learning, in an early years' environment. When adults intervene in a youngster’s play world, they need to base their actions on a firm understanding of children, their stage of development, and their play. The course will be based on principles of developmentally appropriate practice, with an emphasis on the High/Scope approach. You will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to plan and implement child-centred play experiences.

FP 0001 Field Practice
For both, Pre and In-Service students, this course is the bridge between theory and practice; it will help you implement your learning from the ECE-CP. You will be provided with an opportunity to increase your awareness of effective teaching styles and to implement developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in your classroom. Your classroom practice will be evaluated twice during the ECE-CP. To support you and answer the many questions you will have, you will participate in a weekly seminar class in Term 3.

If you are a pre-service student, in addition to the above, you will be given the opportunity to observe and work with children in an early years' environment, in one of our Field Placement Sites. You will then be required to plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences for those children in an early years' classroom. This course will help you to evaluate your current competencies, and to plan towards on-going professional growth. It will also provide you with the opportunity for discussion with faculty, concerning a wide range of professional issues.

MI 0001 Meaningful Interactions
The contents of MI 0001 will focus on how to positively manage Adult/Adult interactions and make them meaningful. This course will help you examine the concepts and techniques of interpersonal relationships and self examination that will encourage you to identify the factors within you, that contribute to or obstruct constructive relationships with others. The course will look at the fundamental aspects of meaningful interaction, including Self Development, Effective Communication, Perception in Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution by using a variety of teaching methods and learning resources.

HN 0001: Health and Nutrition
Through this course, you will understand the importance of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for children. The main components of this course will be nutrition, safety, hygiene and environment friendly practices. You will have the opportunity to examine your own attitudes toward these aspects and understand the importance of each aspect in children’s holistic development. This course explains how good nutrition and a safe, clean, green environment are inter-linked with children’s overall health and well-being. You will understand how these factors influence children’s overall development and will develop your skills in creating and maintaining a healthy, safe environment for children and yourselves in the context of Pakistani schools.

PP 0001: Professional Practices
By the end of PP 0001, you will be able to articulate your personal philosophy on early childhood education. You will be aware of the professional responsibilities and practices of an early years' educator, and be able to recognise, analyse, implement and enhance ECE quality indicators within the context of Pakistani schools. You will also examine the role of the teacher as a leader and a mentor, and learn about acceptable, appropriate, professional behaviour, when interacting with colleagues, school administration, parents and other stakeholders of the school.