ECD Module 3

Programme Overview 

Welcome to this learning programme that will lead you to greater understanding of:

• Preparing Early Childhood Development programmes with support
• Developing learning programmes to enhance participation of learners with special needs
• Designing activities to support the development of babies, toddlers and young children
• Representing, analysing and calculating shape and motion in 2- and 3-dimensional space in different contexts. 

As you work your way through the learning programme you will gain competence against the following unit standards:

This learning programme is intended for all persons who need to:

• Prepare Early Childhood Development programmes with support. This Unit Standard is for people who wish to enter or obtain recognition at an entry level of Early Childhood Development (ECD)
• Develop learning programmes to enhance participation of learners with special needs. All qualifications for Education, Training and Development (ETD) practitioners are required by law to include Unit Standards that enable ETD practitioners to accommodate learners with special needs. This Unit Standard is for environmental education practitioners who work fairly independently and need to be able to develop learning programmes or systems that take account of learners with special needs. Work contexts may include environmental education centres, heritage sites, community education projects, environmental health and safety training programmes in industry or environmental projects within government departments or the NGO sector
• Design activities to support the development of babies, toddlers and young children. This Unit Standard is for people who wish to enter or obtain recognition at an entry level of Early Childhood Development (ECD)
• Represent, analyse and calculate shape and motion in 2- and 3-dimensional space in different contexts. This generic and/or vocational learning programme is intended for all persons who need to represent, analyse and calculate shape and motion in 2- and 3-dimensional space in different contexts. This Unit Standard is designed to provide credits towards the mathematical literacy requirements of the NQF at level 4. The essential purposes of the mathematical literacy requirements are that, as the learner progresses with confidence through the levels, the learner will grow in:
• an insightful use of mathematics in the management of the needs of everyday living to become a self-managing person
• an understanding of mathematical applications that provides insight into the learner`s present and future occupational experiences and so develop into a contributing worker
• the ability to voice a critical sensitivity to the role of mathematics in a democratic society and so become a participating citizen.

Programme entry level requirements 

It is assumed that people learning towards this Unit Standard comply with the following entry level requirements:

• Communication at NQF Level 4 or equivalent
• Mathematical Literacy and Communications at NQF Level 3 

It is recommended that learners have:

• Knowledge of development of children
• An understanding of child development theories 

The candidate will be required to demonstrate an FETC or RPL equivalent in order to gain access to the National Diploma in Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice (EETDP) (NQF Level 5) for which this is a core unit standard. 

This unit standard assumes competence in a number of EETDP Certificate Unit Standards at levels 4 and 5, including the following:

• Identify and describe learning processes
• Identify and support learners with special needs
• Demonstrate knowledge of environmental education goals, principles and methods and their appropriateness in different contexts
• Select, plan and adapt a contextually-relevant environmental learning programme
• Implement and evaluate an environmental learning programme.

 The candidate should work towards this Unit Standard concurrently with the following Unit Standards from the Level 5 Diploma in EETDP:

• Design, organise and improve an original environmental learning programme
• Manage a learning environment appropriately for a learner group. 

Programme outcomes 

This learning programme is outcomes-based, which means we take the responsibility of learning away from the facilitator and place it in your hands. 

Your learning will begin in the workshop where you will identify the skills and knowledge you require in order to meet the specific outcomes and assessment criteria contained in the unit standard.

In this learning programme, we will be covering the following learning outcomes:

During the workshop you will complete a number of class activities that will form part of your formative assessment. In this process you have the opportunity to practise and explore your new skills in a safe environment. You should take the opportunity to gather as much information as you can to use during your workplace learning and self-study. 

The workshop will be followed by summative assessment tasks to be completed through self-study in your workplace. In some cases you may be required to do research and complete the tasks in your own time.

Assessment 

PLEASE NOTE that it is your responsibility, as the learner, to prove that you are competent (that means, that you have acquired all the necessary skills and that you can successfully do all the necessary tasks). You therefore need to plan your time and make sure that you keep your Portfolio of Evidence up to date and hand it in timeously. 

A Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) is a collection of documents of work you have produced to prove your competence. You will compile your portfolio from activities, tools and checklists that are associated with and relevant to the Unit Standard that is being assessed. 

You will be given the following documents to assist you in creating a PoE:

• Learner Guide: The Learner Guide is designed as a guide for the duration of your learning programme and as the main source document for transfer of learning. It contains information (the knowledge and skills that you need) and application aids that will help you to develop the knowledge and skills that are stipulated in the specific outcomes and assessment criteria. The Learner Guide also indicates the formative assessment class activities that you need to complete as part of your PoE
• Learner Workbook: The Learner Workbook contains all the class activities that you will be completing to show formative learning. These will be assessed as part of your Portfolio of Evidence as formative assessment. You will be handing in the Learner Workbook as part of your PoE
• Learner PoE Guide: The Learner PoE Guide provides details about the assessment, such as the assessment preparation, plan and specific summative assessment activities that you need to complete in the workplace. 

Both formative and summative assessment is used as part of this outcomes-based learning programme:

• Formative Assessment: In order to earn credits for this Unit Standard you will need to prove to an assessor that you are competent. The Class Activities in your Learner Workbook are designed not only to help you learn new skills, but also to prove that you have mastered competence. You will have to develop a Portfolio of Evidence to hand in to an assessor so that you can be assessed against the outcomes of this Unit Standard. Where you come across a Class Activity icon, you must complete the formative assessment activity in the Learner Workbook. You can find the comprehensive guidelines for the development of your Portfolio of Evidence in the Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide for the particular learning programme that you are working with.
• Summative Assessment: The objective of the NQF is to create independent and self-sufficient learners. This means that you will also have to do independent research and assignments, such as Knowledge Questions, Practical Activity (completed in the workplace), Summative Project and Logbook.

The assessment process is discussed in detail in the Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide. When you are ready, you will advise your mentor that you are ready for assessment. He or she will then sign off the required sections in the Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide and you will be able to submit your Portfolio of Evidence for assessment. The summative assessment activities have been placed in the Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide for your convenience. If any of your assessment is conducted using observation, role plays or verbal assessment, you should place a signed copy of the checklists in your Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide, after your mentor or line manager has completed it. 

The Training Provider will assess your portfolio. If you are successful, you will receive the credit value of this learning programme. The entire assessment process is explained in the Learner PoE Guide. Please read this guide as soon as possible, as it explains the assessment process in detail and clearly explains your rights and responsibilities that will ensure that the assessment is fair, valid and reliable. 

If you are not successful, you will receive all the guidance needed to resubmit your PoE within a specific time period, according to the requirements of the training provider.

Learner support 

Please remember that as the programme is outcomes-based – this means the following:

• You are responsible for your own learning – make sure you manage your study, practical, workplace and portfolio time responsibly
• Learning activities are learner-driven – make sure you use the Learner Guide, Learner Workbook and Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide as they are meant to be used, and that you know and understand what the Portfolio requirements are
• The facilitator is there to help you during the contact, practical and workplace periods of this programme – make sure that you have his/her contact details.

 Dear learner

 Please note the following:

The content of this course is organised according to the learning outcomes in the relevant unit standards. This means that certain content may overlap or be duplicated in and among modules and Learning Units. You should see this as a useful opportunity to revise that particular information.