Understanding Children's Development and Learning

Course Coordinator: Dr Diane Hui, PhD (Washington University in St Louis, USA), MSc (University of Edinburgh, Scotland), BEd (University of Stirling, Scotland)

Aims
This course aims to develop learners':

• Understanding of contemporary accounts and theories of children's development;
• Capacity to consider how these are relevant to educational practice.

Contents
The course addresses the following questions:

• What significant processes occur in infancy for development and learning?
• In what way is play with other children important during the early years?
• What are the important changes in children's thinking and problem solving as they get older?
• Why is collaborative learning important for children's development?
• How do cognitive theories of development help us to understand children's learning difficulties?
• What can current theories about children's learning and development contribute to the development of new teaching and learning methods in schools?
• Are new digital technologies changing the ways that children think and learn?

Learning support
This course involves 600 study hours. There will be 13 two-hour tutorials, one three-hour day school (which takes place at weekend) and two ‘surgeries’ for individual consultation.

Assessment
There are five assignments (including a project) and a final examination. Except for some designated assignments, students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Set book(s)
Donaldson, M (1978) Children’s Minds, London: Fontana Press.

Garton, A F (2004) Exploring Cognitive Development: The Child as Problem Solver, Oxford, Blackwell.

Hulme, C and Snowling, M J (2009) Developmental Disorders of Language Learning and Cognition, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.