Childhood and Education Studies (top-up) - Online BA (Hons)

Program Overview

This online BA (Hons) in Childhood and Education Studies from Nottingham Trent University provides students with a deeper understanding of childhood and education, equipping them with tools for change and leadership in the field. Through core modules on contemporary debates and legacy research, students explore social issues and develop research skills. Specialized pathways in early childhood, childhood, and education allow for tailored learning and prepare graduates for diverse career opportunities such as Early Childhood Graduate Leader and Educational Developer.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The BA (Hons) Childhood and Education Studies (Top-Up) is an online course designed for students holding a relevant level 5 qualification who wish to top up to a BA honours degree level. The program focuses on studying childhood from birth to adulthood through research-informed practice and contemporary debate. It equips students with the tools to make a difference in their own setting and society. The course aims to develop students' skills and expertise to become leaders in the childhood and education sector, addressing complex social issues such as decolonization and identity development. It explores philosophical constructs to enhance understanding of working environments and foster confident practitioners.

Outline:

The program is structured around core modules and pathway modules. Students choose a specialist pathway tailored to their professional interests.

Core Modules:

• Legacy Research Project (40 credit points): This module spans three terms and involves a supervised action research project.
It connects directly to the compulsory placement experience (employment or voluntary) and develops undergraduate research skills.
• Contemporary Debates (20 credit points): Taught in term one, this module explores dominant discourses impacting children's lives from maternity care to their eighteenth year.
It examines issues affecting the statutory, independent, and voluntary sectors, encouraging critical inquiry and reflexive practice.

Pathway Modules:

Early Childhood Pathway:

• Research Agendas in Early Childhood (20 credit points): This module examines research agendas within the statutory, voluntary, and independent early childhood sectors, focusing on practitioner research and its influence on practice change.
• The Power of Leadership (20 credit points): This module explores the nature of leadership and leaderful practice in the early childhood sector, examining contemporary debates, theories of leadership, and the role of future leaders in the field.
• Inclusion in the Early Childhood Sector (20 credit points): This module examines statutory requirements around inclusion and SEND in early childhood environments, exploring legislative frameworks and guidance documents related to this aspect of practice.

Childhood Pathway:

• Sustainable Childhoods (20 credit points): This module defines "sustainable childhoods" and explores underpinning theoretical models and viewpoints.
It encourages global contemporary perspectives on global childhoods and employs theory and practice concepts to understand sustainability.
• Future Childhoods (20 credit points): This module investigates the concept of gender, its categorizations, and the emergence of gender diversity within British and global societies.
It considers the development of sexual identity and explores concepts like gender binary, gender neutrality, sexual ambiguity, models of gender affirmation, and transgenderism. It also examines contemporary arguments around RSE within early childhood contexts.
• What Can Comic Books Teach us About the Philosophy of Childhood and Education?
• (20 credit points): This module uses comic books as a foundation for examining the philosophy of education.
It engages with classical and contemporary philosophical constructs and explores their presence in both fictionalized comic book worlds and contemporary education spaces.

Education Pathway:

• Education and Digital Technologies: Teaching in an Online World (20 credit points): This module examines how online and digital technologies influence education throughout life.
It explores societal attitudes, socioeconomics, the digital divide, and contemporary education practices and policies. It also examines the role of educators in delivering effective practice within and beyond mainstream education.
• Future Childhoods (20 credit points): This module investigates the concept of gender, its categorizations, and the emergence of gender diversity within British and global societies.
It considers the development of sexual identity and explores concepts like gender binary, gender neutrality, sexual ambiguity, models of gender affirmation, and transgenderism. It also examines contemporary arguments around RSE within early childhood contexts.
• What Can Comic Books Teach us About the Philosophy of Childhood and Education?
• (20 credit points): This module uses comic books as a foundation for examining the philosophy of education.
It engages with classical and contemporary philosophical constructs and explores their presence in both fictionalized comic book worlds and contemporary education spaces.

Assessment:

The course is assessed solely through coursework, employing a variety of dynamic and creative methods, including:

• Research legacy project: A coursework piece based on practice, allowing students to enact a policy or practice change in their setting.
• Poster presentations
• Media presentations
• Portfolio of evidence
• Blogs

Teaching:

The course is taught online, allowing students to achieve a degree-level qualification that fits in with work and personal commitments. Learning and teaching methods include:

• Engagement with pre-study academic skills learning materials
• Live taught online sessions
• One-to-one supervision of the legacy research project
• Small group online seminar activities
• Engagement with asynchronous (taught online) video content
• One-to-one tutorials
• Regular Personal and Academic Tutorials (PAT)
• Sequential delivery of a minimal number of modules at a time
• Authentic assessment grounded in real-world learning

Careers:

The course prepares students for a range of diverse and rewarding employment opportunities, such as:

• Early Childhood Graduate Leader
• Educational Developer
• Youth Development Worker
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Careers Leader
• Museum Educator
• Student Support Officer
• Learning Mentor
• Youth Worker
• Community Worker
• Youth Mental Health Worker
• Researcher
• Policy development
• Postgraduate study

Other:

• The course is delivered through a flexible online learning approach, allowing students to fit in learning around other commitments.
• Students have the choice of specialist modules in line with their specific interests and career aims.
• Students learn from tutors and other students in a collaborative and supportive environment.
• Students benefit from NTU's top-class teaching, award-winning research, and excellent career opportunities.
• Students have access to the "Student Lounge" online space for socialisation between face-to-face and taught online students.
• The University accepts qualifications from all over the world.
• The University offers scholarships of up to 50% of the tuition fee.
• The University provides an annual printing and copying allowance of £20.