Overview
Who Should Take This Minor?
Programme Structure
- For Faculty of Arts (BA) students and Faculty of Social Sciences (BSocSc) students
- For BSc (Exercise&Health) students and Faculty of Science (BSc) students
Modes of Instruction and Assessment
Application Form
ACD Internship (Year 3/ Final Year)- Basic Practices and Arrangement

Overview

This minor offers a coherent academic program focusing on the knowledge, attitudes and skills central to improving the well-being of children and their families. Specifically, the minor will help you (i) acquire scientifically-based knowledge about early childhood development and education; and (ii) enable you to apply theories, research methods, and research findings to practical concerns.

Who Should Take This Minor?

Undergraduates who wish to receive further training in and join professions that promote development and learning in young children (e.g., education, psychology, social work, speech and language therapy, and law).

Programme Structure

- For Arts (BA) and Social Sciences (BSocSc) students
- For BSc (Exercise&Health) and Science (BSc) students

For Arts (BA) and Social Sciences (BSocSc) students

To complete a Minor in Applied Child Development, you will have to accrue 24 credits. Courses cannot simultaneously serve Major and Minor course requirements. Each course account for 6 credits and all courses are compulsory.

Pre-requisite Courses

Year 1:
PSYC1001. Introduction to psychology (6 credits) or BOTH
PSYC1002. How the Mind Works: explorations in basic thinking processes (6 credits) and
PSYC1003. Psychology and Life: personality and social influence (6 credits)

Compulsory Courses

Year 2, Semester 1 (6 credits)

PSYC0009 Life-span Developmental Psychology (6 credits)

This course provides an introduction to developmental psychology from a life-span perspective. The topics include: basic concepts and theories of human development; research methodology and issues in the study of developmental change; biological, environmental and social influences on development; processes of physical development over the life-span; attachment and emotional development; development of perception, language, cognition and morality; development of personality and social relationships. This course is a pre-requisite for EDUC8001, EDUC8002, and PSYC0057.
Remark: For detailed information, please click here.

Year 2, Semester 2 (12 credits)

EDUC8001 Understanding and Guiding the Development of Young Children (6 credits)

This course will consider theoretical approaches to understanding young children and will provide an overview of physical, cognitive and social/emotional development at the infant, toddler, preschool and early primary levels. It will critically evaluate the different models of teaching, consider various methods of guiding young children's behaviour, and focus on how to create and maintain a positive learning environment. The significance and effects of play in the early childhood curriculum and ways of facilitating play will be emphasized. Methods of fostering social competence, self-esteem and self-control in the preschool environment will also be addressed.
Timetable: January 12 – February 23, 2010, every Tuesday and Friday, 10:40 am - 12:40 pm

EDUC8002 Planning, Managing and Assessing Services for Young Children (6 credits)

This course will first consider how theoretical approaches have shaped early childhood education and contemporary curriculum models. It will then address planning and implementing the curriculum/programme. Finally, it will consider assessment and evaluation in early childhood programmes. This part will address ways of assessing, recording and reporting children's progress, and ways of evaluating the different components of early childhood programmes such as the theoretical foundations, goals, physical environment, curriculum, teaching practices, social interaction and parental involvement.
Timetable: February 26 – April 23, 2010, every Tuesday and Friday, 10:40 am – 12:40 pm

Year 3, Semesters 1 & 2 (6 credits)

PSYC0057 Internship with concurrent seminar

The internship will provide first-hand experience working with young children as teachers' aides and opportunities for observing children. In addition, you are to enrol concurrently in a seminar programme focusing on your ongoing field experiences, Educational/Social/Legal Policy, and Advocacy.
Timetable: every Tuesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Enrolment and application procedures for Arts and Social Sciences students

1. Year 1- Satisfactorily completed the Year 1 Pre-requisite courses.

2. Year 2- Enrol in PSYC0009, EDUC8001 and EDUC8002 during August on-line course selection period.

3. Complete the application form, together with a copy of your results, and return them to the Main office of Faculty of Education (Room G03, Hui Oi Chow Science Building) by November 28, 2009.

4. Applicants will be invited for an interview in December 2009.

5. Admission decisions will be announced in early January, 2010.

6. Unsuccessful applications will have to drop the courses as listed in (2) during second semester
    ADD/DROP period.

For BSc (Exercise&Health) and Science (BSc) students

To complete a Minor in Applied Child Development, students will have to accrue 36 credits. Courses cannot simultaneously serve Major and Minor course requirements. The proposed Minor in Applied Child Development structure is compatible with the Minor/Major structure in the Faculty of Science.

Compulsory courses (36 credits)

Year 1 (12 credits)

PSYC1002 How the Mind Works: explorations in basic thinking processes (6 credits)

We are all fascinated by the achievements of the human mind or brain. But we may also often ask ourselves how we can do things better, for example, remember more efficiently. This course will help us to understand more about the ways in which we solve problems, how we develop our abilities to communicate through language, how we think creatively. It will help us to answer questions about why we forget things, how we manage to see things in the world around us, why we sleep and what our dreams mean. We will look at the ways in which the human brain operates, and how it manages to do such amazing things, through reference to research findings, theories and our own practical work. Lectures will include class demonstrations and activities, as well as videos, presented in a way to enhance your interest in, and memory of, what is already a fascinating area. Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1001 are not allowed to take this course.
Remark: For detailed information, please click here .
and
PSYC1003 Psychology and Life: personality and social influence (6 credits)

Through lectures and a series of stimulating class activities, students in this course will learn the latest research discoveries in motivation and emotion, human development. intelligence, personality, psychological testing, stress and health, abnormal psychological functioning, psychotherapy, social attraction, social influence and social competence. This course is intended to enhance the development of self-understanding and social competence. Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1001 are not allowed to take this course.
Remark: For detailed information, please click here .

or

PSYC1001 Introduction to psychology (6 credits)

Discussion of basic concepts in psychology and a preliminary survey of representative work carried out in various areas of psychological investigation, together with an investigation at some length of one such area. Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1002 or PSYC1003 are not allowed to take this course.
Remark: For detailed information, please click here .
and

PSYC0035 Introduction to educational psychology (6 credits)

This course focuses on how psychological theories are applied to learning, teaching, and facilitation of human growth. The topics include major developmental theories and their application to learning and instruction, learning theories from both behavioral and cognitive traditions, effective teaching methods and practices, learners' individual and group differences, achievement motivation, and assessment. Students will be involved in learning activities that require self-reflection and integration of daily life experience. Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003
Remark: For detailed information, please click here.

or

EDUC2001 Psychology of teaching and learning (6 credits)

This course examines a broad range of issues involved in the process of teaching and learning. It is designed to develop students' understanding about the impact of different aspects (e.g., social, cognitive, and affective) of the learning environment upon the effectiveness of classroom teaching and learning. A primary goal of this course is to equip pre-service teachers with knowledge regarding how to create a better learning environment for their own future students, both inside and outside the classroom. This course also aims to acquaint students with the most recent developments in the research area of teaching and learning. Emphasis will be given to the application of this knowledge to pre-service teachers' professional work in the Hong Kong school context. Moreover, this course helps students to develop within themselves as well as among their future students, a variety of abilities, including, but not limited to, analytical, creative, and practical ones. (For students who intend to enrol in this course, please kindly contact Ms Elaine Yu at 2219 4868)

Year 2, Semester 1 (6 credits)

PSYC0009 Life-span Developmental Psychology (6 credits)

This course provides an introduction to developmental psychology from a life-span perspective. The topics include: basic concepts and theories of human development; research methodology and issues in the study of developmental change; biological, environmental and social influences on development; processes of physical development over the life-span; attachment and emotional development; development of perception, language, cognition and morality; development of personality and social relationships.This course is a pre-requisite for EDUC8001, EDUC8002, and PSYC0057.
Remark: For detailed information, please click here .

Year 2, Semester 2 (12 credits)

EDUC8001 Understanding and Guiding the Development of Young Children (6 credits)

This course will consider theoretical approaches to understanding young children and will provide an overview of physical, cognitive and social/emotional development at the infant, toddler, preschool and early primary levels. It will critically evaluate the different models of teaching, consider various methods of guiding young children's behaviour, and focus on how to create and maintain a positive learning environment. The significance and effects of play in the early childhood curriculum and ways of facilitating play will be emphasized. Methods of fostering social competence, self-esteem and self-control in the preschool environment will also be addressed.
Timetable: January 12 – February 23, 2010, every Tuesday and Friday, 10:40 am - 12:40 pm

EDUC8002 Planning, Managing and Assessing Services for Young Children (6 credits)

This course will first consider how theoretical approaches have shaped early childhood education and contemporary curriculum models. It will then address planning and implementing the curriculum/programme. Finally, it will consider assessment and evaluation in early childhood programmes. This part will address ways of assessing, recording and reporting children's progress, and ways of evaluating the different components of early childhood programmes such as the theoretical foundations, goals, physical environment, curriculum, teaching practices, social interaction and parental involvement.
Timetable: February 26 – April 23, 2010, every Tuesday and Friday, 10:40 am – 12:40 pm

Year 3, Semesters 1 and 2 (6 credits)

PSYC0057: Internship with concurrent seminar. (6 credits)

The internship will provide first-hand experience working with young children as teachers' aides and opportunities for observing children. In addition, you are to enrol concurrently in a seminar programme focusing on your ongoing field experiences, Educational/Social/Legal Policy, and Advocacy.
Timetable: every Tuesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Enrolment and application procedures for BSc (Exercise&Health) and Science (BSc) students:

1. Year 1- Enrol in Year 1 compulsory courses.

2. Year 2- Enrol in PSYC0009, EDUC8001 and EDUC8002 during August on-line course selection
    period.

3. Complete the application form, together with a copy of your results, and return them to the Main office
    of Faculty of Education (Room G03, Hui Oi Chow Science Building) by November 28, 2009.

4. Applicants will be invited for an interview in December 2009.

5. Admission decisions will be announced in early January, 2010.

6. Unsuccessful applications will have to drop the courses as listed in (2) during second semester  
    ADD/DROP period.

Modes of Instruction and Assessment

A learner-centred approach to instruction will be adopted throughout the programme. A strong emphasis will be placed on active student participation through problem-solving, presentations and participation in small group discussions. Students will also be encouraged to access to the most recent international knowledge through web-based resources and interacting with classmates in web-based forums. A variety of assessment approaches including term papers, portfolios, presentations and case-studies will be deployed. A problem-based learning approach will be incorporated into this programme.

Application Form

Application form for Faculty of Arts (BA) and Faculty of Social Sciences (BSocSc) students (Not Ready)
Application form for BSc (Exercise&Health) students and Faculty of Science (BSc) students (Not Ready)

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