Assessing and Documenting Learning

Singapore University of Social Sciences

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 REGULAR 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