| Module Title |
Integrated Learning across the Curriculum |
| Module Code |
EDP1062 (ITS: ED3011) |
|
Faculty |
Language, Literacy & ECE |
School |
DCU Institute of Education |
|
NFQ level |
8 |
Credit Rating |
5 |
|
|
Description
In the context of primary education, integration is a central tenant of high quality teaching and learning in the primary curriculum (NCCA, 2020). Influenced by the thinking of Locke, Rousseau, Dewey and the progressive education movement, an integrated curriculum is based on the pedagogical and epistemological principles of constructivism which beliefs that learners construct their own knowledge and understanding by doing and motivated by teaching approaches that begin with the learners’ prior learning. To support student teachers’ understanding and practice of integration, students undertake this module where the focus is on providing meaningful learning activities that are designed by crossing discipline boundaries and/or utilising multiple disciplinary perspectives (Dowden, 2014) to support the individual needs, knowledge, skills, dispositions, cultures and interests of the ‘whole’ child, including relationships with families and communities (New, 1999). The module examines and critiques approaches to plan and develop integrated learning experiences from junior-sixth class, while integrating the four themes of Aistear (Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating; Exploring and Thinking) (NCCA, 2009) with curriculum subjects of the Primary School Curriculum (GoI, 1999; DES, 2019). The module will identify various models/approaches of curriculum integration (Fogarty, 2009; Banks, 2003) that promote authentic content and skills integration that are appropriate for early childhood and primary education and which will underpin the requirement for students to plan and provide integrated teaching and learning experiences in their final year professional practice.
|
Learning Outcomes
1. Consolidate understanding of foundational roots of an integrated curriculum in early childhood and primary education contexts through revisiting educational theories studied in various modules of the BEd programme in years 1, 2 and 3.
2. Appraise and critique theoretical perspectives on integration with a view to understanding both its benefits and challenges.
3. Identify and evaluate integrated approaches to planning learning experiences for young children that cohere with the Infant Primary School Curriculum and Aistear.
4. Appreciate diverse starting points for integration in middle and senior classes such as enquiry-based, challenged based learning (CBL), arts integration or other subject areas, frameworks, models or abstract concepts.
5. Plan and develop culturally responsive, inclusive and creative integrated learning experiences that balance child-led and teacher-led learning in in authentic and meaningful contexts.
6. Integrate content of the Primary School Curriculum and where relevant with the themes and principles of Aistear in order to promote effective pedagogy in the primary school classroom.
|
| Workload | Full time hours per semester | | Type | Hours | Description |
|---|
| Lecture | 11 | Presentation of integrated approaches to planning learning experiences in infant primary classrooms and theoretical models, frameworks, starting points and abstract concepts for middle and senior classes. | | Workshop | 6 | Presentation of integrated approaches to planning learning experiences in infants. Exploration of resources and develop plans of integrated work for teaching in the infant classroom. | | Seminars | 4 | Working in small groups towards the research, identification and illustration of a model to support comprehensive subject integration for middle or senior classes. | | Online activity | 7 | Engage with online (H5P) material on integrated early years teaching and learning. | | Independent Study | 16 | Engage with a variety of literature and resources to prepare for early years teaching and learning lectures, workshops and online activities. | | Assignment Completion | 29 | Completion of continuous assessment tasks to demonstrate planning for integrated teaching and learning in the early years classroom. | | Assignment Completion | 52 | Create group poster, supported by written rationale, readings and relevant graphics to illustrate integrated plan for middle or senior classes |
| Total Workload: 125 |
|
|
| Section Breakdown | | CRN | 20279 | Part of Term | Semester 2 | | Coursework | 0% | Examination Weight | 0% | | Grade Scale | 40PASS | Pass Both Elements | Y | | Resit Category | RC1 | Best Mark | N | | Module Co-ordinator | Fiona Giblin | Module Teacher | |
|
| Assessment Breakdown |
| Type | Description | % of total | Assessment Date |
|---|
| Participation | Preparation and completion of group/paired tasks in lectures and workshops to demonstrate planning for integrated teaching and learning in the early years classroom. | 17.5% | n/a | | Participation | Preparation and completion of independent tasks in lectures to demonstrate planning for integrated teaching and learning in the early years classroom. | 7.5% | n/a | | Loop Quiz | Engagement online material to complete independent quiz to demonstrate understanding of an emergent curriculum in early childhood education. | 5% | n/a | | Assignment | Engagement online material to complete independent quiz to demonstrate understanding of an emergent curriculum in early childhood education. | 20% | n/a | | Group project | Design a poster outlining a unit of work for middle or senior classes based on one or more of the models of integration which have been presented within the plenary lectures. | 50% | n/a |
| Reassessment Requirement Type |
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
RC1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module.
RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment
|
|
Pre-requisite |
None
|
|
Co-requisite |
None |
| Compatibles |
None |
| Incompatibles |
None |
|
|
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml
|
Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Error parsing Indicative Content: Control character error, possibly incorrectly encoded - 3 |
Indicative Reading List
Books:
- Barnes, J.: 2011, Cross-curricular learning 3-14., Sage,
- Cowan, K., & Berry, M. In D. Whitebread & P. Coltman (Eds.). Teaching & learning in the early years: 2015, Creativity in the Early Years., Routledge,
- Drake, J.: 2014, Planning for children's play and learning; Meeting children's needs in the later stage of the EYFS., Routledge,
- New, R.: 1999, An integrated early childhood curriculum: Moving from the what and the how to the why. In C. Seefeldt (Ed.), The early childhood curriculum: Current findings in theory and practice (pp. 265-283)., Teachers College Press.,
- Sargent, M.: 2011, The project approach in early years provision: A practical guide to promoting children's creativity and critical thinking through project work., Andrews UK Ltd.,
- Walsh, G., McMillian, D., & McGuiness, C.: 2017, (Eds.), Playful teaching and learning, Sage,
Articles:
- Katz, L. & Chard, S.: 1998, Issues in selecting topics for projects., Eric Digest, 0
- 2012: The emergence of emergent curriculum., Young Children, 0, 1
- Why theme-based curricula work: Early Childhood News, 0, 1, Hudson, P.
- Teaching Science: 58(3), 40, 0, 1, Bacon, K., 2018
- 0: 1, Fogarty, R., 1991, Ten ways to integrate curriculum, Educational Leadership, 49(2), 61,
- 1: Beane, J., 1995, Curriculum Integration and the disciplines of knowledge, The Phi Delta Kappan, 76(8), 616,
|
Other Resources
- Teaching Resource: CCEA., Foundation Stage Learning through play in the early years.,
- Report: Siraj-Blatchford, I., Muttock, S., Sylva, K., Gilden, R., & Bell, D., 2002, Researching effective pedagogy in the early years.,
- Website: NCCA, Primary School Curricula,
|
|
Module Teachers:
Fiona Giblin, Regina Murphy, Therese Farrell, Clare Halligan, Deirdre Butler, Michael Flannery, Susan Pike |
|
|
