Learning objectives

By the end of this module, students that will have followed the proposed activities will be able of
- knowing and understanding the epistemological bases of instruction and its main parts (curriculum design, instructional strategies, classroom management, assessment and evaluation);
- knowing and understanding the Italian education law documents about preschool and primary education;
- knowing and using the main methodological approaches to competence-based in-structional design;
- analyze and differentiate the main instructional methods in preschool and primary school institutions, with particular attention to active methods and to the use of ICT in education;
- understanding the different approaches in learning assessment;
- identifying possible interventions for a positive classroom management;
- communicating clearly to different people learned knowledge and reflections;
- reflecting critically on the learned elements, also in relationship to the specificity of the characteristics and demands of children in preschool and in primary school;
- reflecting on the main empirical research methods to improve the quality of educa-tional processes, with particular attention to qualitative research;
- reflecting on the followed course and identifying strategies for improving their own learning on the topic.

The course will deal with the following topics.
Education
- definition,
- epistemological and methodological bases of education,
- the habit of a teacher and the attention deserved by the subjects with the greatest difficulties,
- expertise of the teacher, educational research and innovation processes,
- evidence based education,
- the research on the analysis of educational practices.
Educational design
- the different levels of design,
- the reference to the National Indications to plan,
- An operational model to plan the development of competences in early education.
Instructional strategies
- factors that influence learning,
- direct and active instructional strategies,
- competence didactics in preschool and primary education,
- instructional technologies to foster learning.
Classroom management
- the group,
- the climate,
- classroom management,
- the management of problematic situations.
Assessment
- assessment of learning outcomes, evaluation of processes and systems,
- formative and sommative assessment,
- assessment for learning and provision of feedback as formative strategy,
- assessment of competence development.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the history of the school and educational theories.



Educational goals

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students and students should know:
• knowing the theoretical constructs necessary to contextualize the meaning and function of teaching action
• teaching strategies with particular reference to the ones connected to the constructivist approach;
• methodologies and strategies for class management



Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students and students should know:
• how to present the acquired knowledge in an effective and organic way
• how to identify and organically present the acquired knowledge
• how to use the knowledge acquired within their professional action.


Making judgements
At the end of the course students and students should demonstrate reflective and critical thinking skills applied to the acquired knowledge in regard to the specific characteristics of the children enrolled in kindergarten and primary school.




Communication
At the end of the course students and students should to demonstrate to know the communication codes coherent with their professional practice in kindergarten and primary school.


Lifelong learning skills
At the end of the course students and students should demonstrate that they know how to update the acquired knowledge coherently with what is required in educational contexts.

Program

Contents
The contents on which the module is based are:
• theoretical constructs necessary to contextualize the meaning and function of teaching action
• teaching strategies with particular reference to the ones connected to the constructivist approach;
• methodologies for class management.


The exam program will be focused on some scientific articles that will be defined during the lessons.

Didactic methods

Lectures, cooperative teaching / learning. Use of tools and training devices with the support of technology: digital products, video projections of films regarding teaching in primary school and subsequent commentary / analysis work.

Learning assessment procedures

As output of the group work that will be carried out in the classroom, each student will be asked to produce a paper which, following the standards of scientific publications, presents one of the techniques and strategies in depth. Through a random destruction, each work will be sent (anonymously) to two students, who will be asked to draw up a peer review sheet on the received paper.

Evaluation criteria

At the final evaluation of each student will compete: a) the evaluation of the elaborate by the teacher; b) the evaluation of the peer review sheet that the student has drawn; c) the final feedback collected in a written form.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

More information will be provided during the lessons

Exam language

italiano