Singapore University of Social Sciences

Assessing and Documenting Learning

Assessing and Documenting Learning (ECE208)

Synopsis

ECE208 examines the what, why, and how of early childhood assessment and documentation in the light of international practices and trends. Grounded in a socio-cultural view of learning, the assumption here is that while teachers should keep track of children’s progress in various domains of development and learning, teachers have much to gain from learning with and from young children by constantly listening, asking and observing. Documentation serves to share children’s learning with their peers and adults. In the documentation process, teachers must effectively communicate their interpretations of children’s thinking and their processes of learning in ways that would enlighten Singaporean families and communities.

Level: 2
Credit Units: 5
Presentation Pattern: Every semester

Topics

  • Strength-based approaches to assessing and interpreting young children’s learning and development in ECCE settings
  • Awareness of psychological methods of child assessment and how these differ from classroom assessment and observation
  • Collaborating with colleagues and families in understanding individual children’s progress
  • Goal setting with children
  • Purposes of documenting children’s learning and development
  • Examining forms of documentation in international practice
  • Developing portfolios for each child
  • Involving children in documentation
  • Learning stories as a form of assessment and documentation
  • Purposes and ways of displaying children’s work
  • Observing and documenting as teacher learning and inquiry
  • Ways to relate and communicate with families to support child growth and well-being

Learning Outcome

  • Examine ways of assessing and interpreting children’s progress
  • Discuss the purposes of assessing and documenting children’s learning
  • Practise ways of sharing, displaying and documenting children’s learning process
  • Observe and analyse a centre’s practices in assessing and documenting learning
  • Observe, document and interpret an aspect of a child’s learning process based on learned theories
  • Communicate child observations to others (teachers, parents) in a constructive manner
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