Recommended Study Sequence

This unit will explore broad perspectives on literacy and literacy learning that reflect changing social, economic and political contexts and the impact of technologies and globalisation on literacy practices. The unit will examine a range of issues in literacy, including indigenous languages and dialects, bilingual literacies, issues of language loss and retention, gender issues, and cultural literacies. The unit will also focus on processes of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will address academic discourse, information literacy and critical literacy.

Professionals working with children, young people and families must base all action on sound legal and ethical foundations. Students are introduced to concepts of professions and professionalism and oriented to the professional and ethical aspects of teaching, particularly in New South Wales. Students need to be aware of, and develop reflective understandings in concepts of morals and ethics, accountability, professionalism, ethical responses, ethical communication and dilemma resolution. The role of laws, codes and guidelines is outlined and specific national and state legislation, policies, codes and guidelines are introduced, in particular regulations pertaining to mandatory reporting of child abuse, occupational health and safety. Contemporary and global approaches to ethics and critiques of traditional western approaches are introduced.

The additional needs of young children with a range of difficulties, disabilities and potentials and their families are discussed within an eco-cultural framework. Students are introduced to strategies and methods to facilitate the inclusion of children with a range of abilities, skills and needs into regular early childhood programs. Collaboration, the role of multidisciplinary teams, transdisciplinary approaches to service delivery and the paramount role of families are advocated as essential for effective early childhood intervention.

Students will use a variety of investigative techniques to highlight the evidence of patterns and relationships in mathematics. The inherent structure of mathematics will be approached through the examination of various mathematical systems. In addition, students will examine the nature of mathematical thought, highlighting the complimentary roles of inductive and deductive reasoning. This unit contributes directly to the achievement of a sound foundation in mathematics.

This unit introduces students to a range of contemporary theoretical frameworks to develop understanding about the social construction of difference, identity and subjectivity within social, historical and political contexts. A critical awareness of the intersections between language, knowledge, power and discourse are explored providing students with practical and theoretical tools for reflecting, analysing and deconstructing inequalities and subjectivity in personal and professional contexts.

The image of the child and understandings of childhoods impact significantly on approaches adopted within early childhood education. In recent years traditional understandings of 'childhood' and the 'universal child' have been increasingly challenged by new discourses associated with the reconceptualisation of childhood. This unit explores the historical and current influences on early childhood education and the social constructions of family and childhoods. Students will investigate the multiplicity of experiences of childhood, different images of childhood and how conceptions of childhood impact on the education and care of children's 'rights'.

This unit introduces early childhood professionals to national and international research in the area of early intervention and prevention and examines national and international innovations in policy responses and programme delivery. It explores implications for policy and practice across a range of diverse settings, including the key role of the early childhood professional and organisations in community capacity building.

Children today are highly interested in finding out about their world and investigating how things work. They are also highly engaged with and spend significant amounts of time interacting with new technologies, media and popular culture. This unit aims to develop students’ understandings of science concepts and the NSW Board of Studies Science and Technology K-6 syllabus document and to foster positive dispositions towards scientific and technological activity in both themselves and in young children. The unit also aims to develop critical understanding of the impact of new media on children and will focus on constructive and creative ways of using this influence to empower children as learners and as critical consumers in today’s society.

Education is an area where policies and politics are strategically connected to a vision of the future, the nation and its citizens. In this unit we examine the impact of these intertwining dimensions with the aim of understanding the political and contested nature of education and developing alternative educational futures. In a historic period marked by transnational and transglobal movements of people it is no longer possible to see education through the narrow lens of national imperatives and bounded citizenship. This unit takes a broad perspective on education globally, nationally and locally and considers the dynamic relationships constructed within them.

This unit increases students' understanding of the diverse, complex and changing nature of Australian families and communities and the role of early childhood services within the contemporary socio-cultural context. The unit provides students with opportunities to develop critical pedagogies and critical approaches for working with families and communities within a context of the social, political and economic discourses in early childhood education. Through course work, reflexivity and research, students will focus on developing and refining communication skills and collaborative partnerships with families, staff and children so that they are able to become reflexive practitioners.

This unit is designed to develop students' understandings of children's construction of mathematical concepts during their first eight years. Students will develop their ability to assess young children's mathematical understandings and to provide learning experiences, including investigation and the use of technology, to enhance the growth of children's mathematical thinking.

This unit explores a wide range of literary texts created for children, from folktales, fairytales and myths to contemporary examples. It focuses on the relationship between children’s texts, society and culture. The unit will examine a variety of genres and themes, for example, the experience of childhood as constructed by adult authors of children’s texts; post-colonial children’s literature; the emergence and development of distinctly Australian children’s texts; the development of “young adult� literature; the impact of new technologies on children’s literature; and role of art in children’s literature.

This unit will explore broad perspectives on literacy and literacy learning that reflect changing social, economic and political contexts and the impact of technologies and globalisation on literacy practices. The unit will examine a range of issues in literacy, including indigenous languages and dialects, bilingual literacies, issues of language loss and retention, gender issues, and cultural literacies. The unit will also focus on processes of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will address academic discourse, information literacy and critical literacy.

This unit is designed to meet the needs of prospective educators who require in depth knowledge in the field of historical and contemporary Indigenous Australian cultures and education. The unit relates both to working with Indigenous Australian children and families in educational settings and for the effective implementation of Aboriginal perspectives and studies in learning environments with all Australian children.

This unit introduces students to the field of early childhood education. It provides students with a foundation in the diverse range of early childhood and family services within which they will be working; historical and philosophical understandings of early childhood education; and emerging directions in the work of the early childhood professional in the 21st century. Key understandings, assumptions, ideas and structures about the work and responsibilities of the early childhood educator are considered in the context of a dynamic and changing field.

The image of the child and understandings of childhoods impact significantly on approaches adopted within early childhood education. In recent years traditional understandings of 'childhood' and the 'universal child' have been increasingly challenged by new discourses associated with the reconceptualisation of childhood. This unit explores the historical and current influences on early childhood education and the social constructions of family and childhoods. Students will investigate the multiplicity of experiences of childhood, different images of childhood and how conceptions of childhood impact on the education and care of children's 'rights'.

An in-depth knowledge and awareness of the nature and context of growth, development and learning in the early childhood years is essential for early childhood educators. This unit provides a framework for understanding developmentally appropriate practices, and act as a foundation for future study in early childhood. The main focus of this unit is on the play, development and learning of children in the years before school. Each of these are considered in the context of family and community. That children do not neatly fit age-stage descriptions is emphasised in the unit, and there are sufficient flexibility for students to consider the implications of play, development and learning issues beyond the first five years of life. An integral part of this unit is the focus on inquiry, emphasising a critical approach to play, development and learning, and based on a variety of perspectives and theoretical orientations.

The additional needs of young children with a range of difficulties, disabilities and potentials and their families are discussed within an eco-cultural framework. Students are introduced to strategies and methods to facilitate the inclusion of children with a range of abilities, skills and needs into regular early childhood programs. Collaboration, the role of multidisciplinary teams, transdisciplinary approaches to service delivery and the paramount role of families are advocated as essential for effective early childhood intervention.

Students will use a variety of investigative techniques to highlight the evidence of patterns and relationships in mathematics. The inherent structure of mathematics will be approached through the examination of various mathematical systems. In addition, students will examine the nature of mathematical thought, highlighting the complimentary roles of inductive and deductive reasoning. This unit contributes directly to the achievement of a sound foundation in mathematics.

Structured around an overview of lifespan development including diversity, this unit focuses on the holistic nature of growth and development from birth to early adulthood, 0 - 18 years. Opportunities to observe and interact with individuals in a variety of settings will enable student's to apply observation techniques, become familiar with individual differences and atypical development and apply developmental theories and principles in the interpretation and nurturing of an individual's development. A critical focus of this unit will be on the implications in applied settings for nurturing development and promoting the individual's well being.

Professionals working with children, young people and families must base all action on sound legal and ethical foundations. Students are introduced to concepts of professions and professionalism and oriented to the professional and ethical aspects of teaching, particularly in New South Wales. Students need to be aware of, and develop reflective understandings in concepts of morals and ethics, accountability, professionalism, ethical responses, ethical communication and dilemma resolution. The role of laws, codes and guidelines is outlined and specific national and state legislation, policies, codes and guidelines are introduced, in particular regulations pertaining to mandatory reporting of child abuse, occupational health and safety. Contemporary and global approaches to ethics and critiques of traditional western approaches are introduced.

This unit explores physical, social, political and community issues which impact on the health of children, adolescents and families. The knowledge gained will be appropriate for working with children and families within a hospital or community setting. The promotion of health and prevention of illness underpines this unit.

This unit introduces students to a range of contemporary theoretical frameworks to develop understanding about the social construction of difference, identity and subjectivity within social, historical and political contexts. A critical awareness of the intersections between language, knowledge, power and discourse are explored providing students with practical and theoretical tools for reflecting, analysing and deconstructing inequalities and subjectivity in personal and professional contexts.

This unit introduces early childhood professionals to national and international research in the area of early intervention and prevention and examines national and international innovations in policy responses and programme delivery. It explores implications for policy and practice across a range of diverse settings, including the key role of the early childhood professional and organisations in community capacity building.

This unit is designed to develop students' understandings of children's construction of mathematical concepts during their first eight years. Students will develop their ability to assess young children's mathematical understandings and to provide learning experiences, including investigation and the use of technology, to enhance the growth of children's mathematical thinking.

Education is an area where policies and politics are strategically connected to a vision of the future, the nation and its citizens. In this unit we examine the impact of these intertwining dimensions with the aim of understanding the political and contested nature of education and developing alternative educational futures. In a historic period marked by transnational and transglobal movements of people it is no longer possible to see education through the narrow lens of national imperatives and bounded citizenship. This unit takes a broad perspective on education globally, nationally and locally and considers the dynamic relationships constructed within them.

This unit increases students' understanding of the diverse, complex and changing nature of Australian families and communities and the role of early childhood services within the contemporary socio-cultural context. The unit provides students with opportunities to develop critical pedagogies and critical approaches for working with families and communities within a context of the social, political and economic discourses in early childhood education. Through course work, reflexivity and research, students will focus on developing and refining communication skills and collaborative partnerships with families, staff and children so that they are able to become reflexive practitioners.

This unit explores a wide range of literary texts created for children, from folktales, fairytales and myths to contemporary examples. It focuses on the relationship between children’s texts, society and culture. The unit will examine a variety of genres and themes, for example, the experience of childhood as constructed by adult authors of children’s texts; post-colonial children’s literature; the emergence and development of distinctly Australian children’s texts; the development of “young adult� literature; the impact of new technologies on children’s literature; and role of art in children’s literature.

This unit introduces students to processes of design. It examines how knowledges may be formed through visual design processes and how visual design reveals knowledges. It also introduces students to basic visual literacies, current design applications and production processes.

Children today are highly interested in finding out about their world and investigating how things work. They are also highly engaged with and spend significant amounts of time interacting with new technologies, media and popular culture. This unit aims to develop students’ understandings of science concepts and the NSW Board of Studies Science and Technology K-6 syllabus document and to foster positive dispositions towards scientific and technological activity in both themselves and in young children. The unit also aims to develop critical understanding of the impact of new media on children and will focus on constructive and creative ways of using this influence to empower children as learners and as critical consumers in today’s society.

Learning through Community Service is a 20 credit point unit in which students apply discipline-based knowledge as they carry out projects of substantial benefit to community agencies. The unit will run over a 6-month period (1H or 2H) and will include common symposium sessions, a 10-week placement in a community agency, an on-line learning system for student/team support, and a final report to the agency. Cohorts available in 2007.1H include International Student Social Support Networks; MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School; Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); Community Language School Development; Video Production; Equity Buddies; Strategic Communications; Children and Technology; and Languages in Educational and Community Settings. Cohorts available in 2007.2H include MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Literacy, Practically Primary and Serving Children, Families and Professionals as Children Start School.

This unit canvasses a range of contemporary critical issues in early childhood education and analysis their impact upon policy, pedagogy and practice. It provides students with an opportunity to explore an issue in depth through an extensive literature review and placement project.

This unit is designed for students who are interested in understanding how a second language is learned. It examines learning in both natural or classroom contexts as well as language development in child and adult learners. Students are introduced to current theories of Second Language Acquisition, as well as current research and its applications to the classroom or the translation process. Students will conduct a small research project to become familiar with the process of learning a second language and some basic research notions and techniques.

This unit is a core unit in the BA Languages Key Program. It is part of the linguistics major and sub-major and can also be taken as an elective. Bilingualism and biculturalism are an important aspect of life in Australia: many Australian residents are, were, or could be, bilingual and/or bicultural. This unit aims to give students an understanding and appreciation of the most important facets and manifestations of bilingualism and biculturalism, in the linguistic, cognitive, personal, societal and educational spheres, particularly with regard to the Australian context. It also aims to show students how this unit fits in with other language and linguistics-related disciplines, e.g. Sociolinguistics, Second Language Acquisition, etc.

This unit is designed to develop students' interest in language and society and give them an understanding and appreciation of variation in language (accents, dialects) and language change, language planning, as well as the interdependent relationship between language learning, communicative competence and cultural practices, both in the Australian context and also in a more global context. It also aims to show students how this unit fits in with other language and linguistics-related disciplines, e.g. Linguistics, Bilingualism and Biculturalism, Second Language Acquisition.

This unit is designed to raise students’ awareness of what language is and how it works, by giving them a basic understanding and appreciation of general linguistics. It provides students with conceptual tools to be able to do basic analysis of language at the levels of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. It also makes students familiar with concepts and terms that occur in other language and linguistics-related disciplines (e.g. Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Developmental Linguistics, Bilingualism, and other applied linguistics areas).

Professionals working with children, young people and families must base all action on sound legal and ethical foundations. Students are introduced to concepts of professions and professionalism and oriented to the professional and ethical aspects of teaching, particularly in New South Wales. Students need to be aware of, and develop reflective understandings in concepts of morals and ethics, accountability, professionalism, ethical responses, ethical communication and dilemma resolution. The role of laws, codes and guidelines is outlined and specific national and state legislation, policies, codes and guidelines are introduced, in particular regulations pertaining to mandatory reporting of child abuse, occupational health and safety. Contemporary and global approaches to ethics and critiques of traditional western approaches are introduced.

Education is an area where policies and politics are strategically connected to a vision of the future, the nation and its citizens. In this unit we examine the impact of these intertwining dimensions with the aim of understanding the political and contested nature of education and developing alternative educational futures. In a historic period marked by transnational and transglobal movements of people it is no longer possible to see education through the narrow lens of national imperatives and bounded citizenship. This unit takes a broad perspective on education globally, nationally and locally and considers the dynamic relationships constructed within them.

This unit will explore broad perspectives on literacy and literacy learning that reflect changing social, economic and political contexts and the impact of technologies and globalisation on literacy practices. The unit will examine a range of issues in literacy, including indigenous languages and dialects, bilingual literacies, issues of language loss and retention, gender issues, and cultural literacies. The unit will also focus on processes of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will address academic discourse, information literacy and critical literacy.

This unit is designed to meet the needs of prospective educators who require in depth knowledge in the field of historical and contemporary Indigenous Australian cultures and education. The unit relates both to working with Indigenous Australian children and families in educational settings and for the effective implementation of Aboriginal perspectives and studies in learning environments with all Australian children.

The image of the child and understandings of childhoods impact significantly on approaches adopted within early childhood education. In recent years traditional understandings of 'childhood' and the 'universal child' have been increasingly challenged by new discourses associated with the reconceptualisation of childhood. This unit explores the historical and current influences on early childhood education and the social constructions of family and childhoods. Students will investigate the multiplicity of experiences of childhood, different images of childhood and how conceptions of childhood impact on the education and care of children's 'rights'.

Learning through Community Service is a 20 credit point unit in which students apply discipline-based knowledge as they carry out projects of substantial benefit to community agencies. The unit will run over a 6-month period (1H or 2H) and will include common symposium sessions, a 10-week placement in a community agency, an on-line learning system for student/team support, and a final report to the agency. Cohorts available in 2007.1H include International Student Social Support Networks; MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School; Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); Community Language School Development; Video Production; Equity Buddies; Strategic Communications; Children and Technology; and Languages in Educational and Community Settings. Cohorts available in 2007.2H include MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Literacy, Practically Primary and Serving Children, Families and Professionals as Children Start School.

This unit promotes considerations of the inter-related processes of learning and creativity and the application and practice of these in all aspects of life. Learning and Creativity must be considered in context. This context is personal, social, cultural and environmental. Unit content is critically positioned within diverse theories, with an emphasis on experiential learning and ongoing critical reflection. The unit promotes understanding of feeling and experience as much as concepts and ideas. It emphasizes the tools and skills of learning, the everyday nature of creativity and enables students to develop and apply their creativity. It is designed for students interested in personal, community and cultural development, in the context of far reaching change.

The unit provides opportunities for students to examine theories and practices associated with Transformative Learning (TL), within oneself and society, and its potential role for the development of professional educators, change agents and leaders in society. TL is learning that is liberating, emancipatory, empowering, profound, deep, and life changing. It occurs through critical reflection on experience, subsequent testing through discourse, and also through intuitive and affective processes. This unit enables students to design and facilitate life-affirming and transformative learning experiences in others.

Literacy is as a socio-cultural phenomenon which impacts differently on different social groups. This unit raises questions about who, historically, has had differential access to literacy in specific societies and cultures. The unit investigates the changing nature of literacy(ies) both historically and in contemporary societies. It also focuses on the phenomenon of English as a global language and what this has meant for post-colonial socieites. Specific case studies of literacy in terms of social activism will be examined.

This unit examines contemporary issues relating to innovation and change in the use of Information Communication Technologies. As knowledge becomes increasingly globalised, contested, and rapidly changes, the role of knowledge workers changes. Students will examine and reflect on the implications for individuals, students, teachers, employment teams and employers. Contemporary pedagogies and tools that maximise the potential of ICT's are introduced and applied and examined using an ethical perspective. Ethics and equity issues relating to ICT availability and use are critically examined.

This unit explores a wide range of literary texts created for children, from folktales, fairytales and myths to contemporary examples. It focuses on the relationship between children’s texts, society and culture. The unit will examine a variety of genres and themes, for example, the experience of childhood as constructed by adult authors of children’s texts; post-colonial children’s literature; the emergence and development of distinctly Australian children’s texts; the development of “young adult� literature; the impact of new technologies on children’s literature; and role of art in children’s literature.

This unit aims to introduce students to some theories of genre and to some textual examples of specified genres. Genres studied will vary from year to year; possible examples include: the romance, soap opera, sci-fi, horror, the Bildungsroman, fantasy, Gothic fiction, reality TV, film noir, lyric poetry etc. Texts may be drawn from across different media (e.g. literature, film, music) and from both popular and "high" culture. Students may have the opportunity to produce work (e.g. creative writing) in relation to the conventions of the genre studied. Students should be aware that this unit involves the reading of a number of literary texts, possibly including pre-twentieth century works.

This unit explores the status and success of the novel as the dominant modern literary form. It examines aspects of the history and development of the novel from the seventeenth century up to the present, along with a range of novelistic texts from one or a number of literary traditions: from classic British and/or American texts to contemporary postcolonial fiction; from the search for the mythical "great Australian novel" to famous and not-so-famous works in languages other than English.

Students will use a variety of investigative techniques to highlight the evidence of patterns and relationships in mathematics. The inherent structure of mathematics will be approached through the examination of various mathematical systems. In addition, students will examine the nature of mathematical thought, highlighting the complimentary roles of inductive and deductive reasoning. This unit contributes directly to the achievement of a sound foundation in mathematics.

This unit is designed to develop students' understandings of children's construction of mathematical concepts during their first eight years. Students will develop their ability to assess young children's mathematical understandings and to provide learning experiences, including investigation and the use of technology, to enhance the growth of children's mathematical thinking.

This unit aims to increase students' knowledge of the scope and variety of Australian writing. It examines a range of Australian texts from a number of contexts, usually organised along historical and/or thematic lines, and considers the role of writing - both "high" literature and more popular forms - in constructions of Australian culture. Issues of place, gender and race may be foregrounded, and consideration given to how these influence images of Australia. Film and television texts may also be included or emphasised.