Diversity and Learning - Advanced Professional Development [Level HE6]

On this course, you will study how diversity can be incorporated into learning and also the ways in which issues relating to diversity can have an impact on early years‚ provision.

You will examine how children‚s cultural histories can be celebrated to enhance their learning experience. Specifically, this will entail exploring factors informing ethnicity, special educational needs practice and policy, class, socio-economic groupings, faith and gender within the context of government policies such as Sure Start, the Foundation Curriculum and The Special Needs Code of Practice.

Examining diversity will also enhance an appreciation and significance of inter-agency collaborative practices and the possible differing perspectives of professionals.

You will study a broad range of topics. These will include the role of language in shaping perceptions and issues arising from the use of terminologies such as 'integration' and 'inclusion' and the effectiveness of early intervention for early years‚ children perceived as having special needs. You will also study the cultural influences arising from the UK's growing multi-ethnic profile, the correlation between social class and educational attainment and the role diversity and inclusion could have as an instrument for improvement.

Formal teaching will be by lectures, seminars and group discussions. The approach will be to provide theoretical and conceptual frameworks which will be elucidated and informed by reference to your own work-based situation.

Your assessment will be based on three pieces of work ‚ a 20 minute case study seminar paper, presented to the class (20%), submission of a paper version of the seminar paper (30%), and a 1500 word report reflecting the seminar content but containing further analysis and detail of the issues arising (50%).