Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Development

School of Education

Do you want to develop your understanding and knowledge about young children's learning and development? The University of Notre Dame Australia's Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Development will help you to create a solid knowledge base. Developed by an award-winning team of educators and drawing on contemporary research about learning, neuroscience and play, this program supports students in developing key skills that promote positive educational outcomes in early childhood. This fully online, government-subsidised program is suitable for educators in early learning settings, educational assistants and teachers seeking professional learning focused on early development and learning through play, parents of young children, and home-school educators.

If you are planning to home-school your children or work in an early learning centre, the Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Development will be of benefit. The program offers a learner-centred approach, applied theory and interactive online learning experiences. Developed by award-winning and highly experienced early childhood educators, this entirely online, the government-subsidised certificate can be taken for professional learning and also offers the following two pathways to a Bachelor of Education degree. These are:

• The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care is currently delivered from the Fremantle Campus.
• The Bachelor of Primary Education (Early Childhood specialisation) is currently delivered from the Sydney Campus.

The Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Development is a pathway to further study of higher awards, such as a Diploma or Bachelor's degree.

Teaching opportunities are open to graduates of the program in the following areas:

• Early childhood including long day care, family day care, pre-schools, after-hours care
• Primary school settings
• Community and government organisations

The Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Development will provide students with knowledge and skills to support the learning and development of children aged from birth to eight years. The main areas of focus are child development, supporting positive behaviour, creating environments where children can thrive and supporting children's learning through play.

Students will study contemporary theory that will support their understanding of children and how they learn. Students will develop key skills in how to support children to become confident, happy, self-regulated, and motivated learners. This program also equips students with strategies for creating stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments and actively scaffolding and extending children's thinking and learning capacity.

There are 4 x 25 credit point courses within the Certificate program. The program is currently only available part time.

• Each course within the program covers 40 hours of online class engagement spread over the semester with additional reading and assessment preparation time required.
• 20 of these hours are recorded content for self-paced learning
• The other 20 hours are scheduled with 5x4 hour live workshops
• The recorded content for course will be released in concept-based segments to be engaged with at your convenience in the weeks preceding each scheduled workshop.
• The workshops will be live and online with your tutors using zoom.

The courses are offered as following:

Semester 1

• EDUC1022 Creating Environments for Children to Learn Through Play
• EDUC1023 Supporting the Developing Child (0-8)

Semester 2

• EDUC1024 Supporting Young Children to Learn Through Play
• EDUC1025 Supporting Children's Behaviour and Social Engagement

Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.