Información del Plan Docente

1.1. Aims of the course

Importance of learning outcomes obtained in the subject:

Nowadays the activity of the teacher in the classroom is developed in a context marked by diversity, and will be specified in regular classrooms with students with different learning paces and classrooms prepared to work with pupils with special educational needs.

Teacher training requires knowing the conditions that will produce different paces of learning and development, sometimes with important differences in relation to other students and to the typical patterns of development. Which makes these children recipients of additional support from the education system. An effective teacher performance requires maintaining a positive attitude towards the development of all pupils, regardless of the conditions that have generated such diversity. Equally important, teachers must be able to identify properly these conditions of diversity and should have sufficient knowledge about the factors that explain their emergence and evolution, so that they can know what interventions can encourage the development of these children as well as under what conditions of the educational system can be implemented. 

1.2. Context and importance of this course in the degree

Meaning , context , relevance and aims of the subject.

The subject and its expected results meet the following approaches and objectives:

The course was designed to enable the teacher to recognise the student diversity to be found at the stage of 6 to 12 years. Diversity in terms of personal characteristics and development: sensory, motor , behavioural , cognitive ; school learning, sociocultural and contextual also taking into account the consequences of this various development in school learning.

The teacher must be able to assess how to work with this different students , offsetting for their particular difficulties , by enabling and promoting optimal development and autonomy . Another important objective is to understand the strategies and techniques that allow working in the classroom, so that the role of the school and education professionals, as well as family and peers in the educational attention to diversity is integrated.

1.3. Recommendations to take this course

Considerations before taking this subject

It is recommended that the student, before starting the subject , know the contents of the subjects studied in 1st degree course in Teaching in Elementary Education. The student must maintain a regular activity in his or her performance in the subject and update the study together with scheduled activities. The class attendance should be useful as well as being in contact with their peers, to facilitate group and individual learning.

2.1. Competences

The ultimate goal of training a teacher is enabling him or her to design the processes of teaching and learning given in schools, taking them to practice in a multicultural context , considering the diversity present in the classroom, the different paces of learning and relationship with families to jointly contribute to the development of the pupil .

To accomplish this task , the teacher undergo basic training which includes , on the one hand , knowledge of educational and family context and, secondly , the psychological foundation of development and learning processes.

Using this knowledge the course provides an integrative and inclusive perspective that enables an appropriate response to the needs of each student, respecting their personality , fostering the development of their and individual, social, intellectual, cultural and emotional skills . Considering this optimal development from a holistic perspective in which attention to diversity is assumed as a common working tool.

The student, in order to pass the course, should gain…

1: Specific skills

( SS 4): Be able to identify learning difficulties, report them and assist in their treatment.

( SS 5 ): To know the current proposals and developments based on learning skills.

(SS 6 ): To identify and to plan the resolution of educational situations that affect students with different abilities and different learning paces .

( SS to 12 ) To address and solve problems of discipline.

2: General skills

 (GS 4). To design and to control learning spaces in a context of diversity and which attend to gender equality, equity and respect for human rights, which constitute the values ​​of citizenship education .

( CG 6 ). To be able to identify and support students who do not reach their learning potential, or those with behavioural, emotional or social problems, knowing the resources of the educational system and of the community.

( CG 13). To commit to motivate and enhance the academic progress of students in the framework of a comprehensive education, and to promote independent learning based on the goals and the contents typical for each education level, with positive expectations of student progress, eliminating stereotypes and developing strategies that avoid exclusion and discrimination.

3: Transversal skills

(TS 2). To understand learning as a global , complex and substantive fact, designing , planning , organizing and encouraging learning situations.

(TS 3). To manage and to self-regulate the progression of learning and adapting to new situations interrelating knowledge to develop new ones .

(TS 5). To involve students in their learning and their work.

 (TS 6). To work in team being able to exercise different roles within the group. 

2.2. Learning goals

To pass this subject, students should obtain the following results...

1

Describe child behaviour for the 0-12-year-old age group in all its different areas: physical, sensorial-motor, cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and personal.

2

Identify different development rates in specific areas: sensorial-motor, cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and personal.

3

Predict psychological development for a given case based on general theories and the information provided.

4

Evaluate the degree of normality or problems during development in specific cases.

5

Relate how various agents, the family, peers at school act with the optimisation process of development.

2.3. Importance of learning goals

This subject continues the psychological training of future teachers, which began during the previous 4-month period. In this case, from the Developmental Psychology vision, the characteristics of children aged 6-12 years are presented by examining sensorial, psychomotor, cognitive, linguistic and socio-personal aspects. This subject ensures that an overview of the child is obtained to reflect on the factors that influence him/her by analysing how school becomes a vitally important agent.

3.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

Assessment activities. The student must demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes provided by the following evaluation activities.

1: Student assessment is mixed with evaluative activities during the academic session and a final test.

1. Evaluative activities during the classes: Students will do throughout the semester:

1.1 Group Reports resolution of cases and other materials on various types of medium (cases , videos or records). They will be conducted two to five case reports of pupils with special educational needs, which in turn may be supplemented by parallel tasks of peer correction and / or group exhibition.

1.2 Individual and group self-assessments on the operation and organization of group work and learning achieved. In addition, a final self-assessment of the subject that can include the application of it together with the analysis of case studies prepared by students is incorporated.

2. Final exam: final individual written record based on a theoretical part with multiple-choice questions or essay questions and a practical part with brief cases. The exam takes place on the official date that each centre has been established for final exams.

Evaluation criteria related to reports of  case resolution ( Activity 1.1 ) Upon written report :

• The students have identified the main subject of the case.
• The students have used the theoretical knowledge presented by the teacher or included in the basic readings in order to respond to the specific questions.
• The students have identified the need for further information on the subject autonomously looking for and selecting the one that may be relevant and quoting it.
• The students have shown at least a level of functional understanding (Biggs´ taxonomy) of content, which should allow the identification of the type of educational need which occurs on the case, factors that have influenced the evolution of the case and establish justifiably some intervention actions.

• The students have prepared a written report on the basis of  minimum quality standards, establishing proper sequencing of ideas, presenting them in a clear and orderly manner , differentiating the data, the theoretical contributions and personal assessments. The language used should be clear and comprehensible.

On the tasks of establishment of common perspective and discussion:

• The performance of these tasks involves public presentation and discussion with peers by a group spokesperson (all students have to do at least one intervention throughout the course) of the most relevant aspects of cases and relevant observations. Issues assessed:
• The quality of the exhibition: clarity, relevance, consistency and analysis carried out.
•  Participation , dialogue established, responses to the ideas expressed by peers, especially  by extending their contributions , exemplifying or relativizing them.

On individual and group self-assessments ( Activity 1.2 )

• Analysis of the performance and organization of group work and learning achieved throughout and at the end of the semester.
• Self-assessment of learning carried out at different times including an analysis of the achievements, especially focusing on the student's ability to relate theory and practice.
• A proper resolution of this type of task requires students to reflect and assess the knowledge acquired and doubts that have arisen from the task and the process of individual and group learning.

On the final exam (Activity 2). A proper resolution of this type of task requires:

● The students should know at least one functional level ( Biggs )of the types of conditions that can arise in educational needs , their characteristics depending on the age of the child and his or her level of development  which constitute factors that contribute to the evolution of the case and raise some interventions consistent with previous assumptions.

 Should be able to describe and make comparisons between different cases of children with educational needs , identifying behaviours and their characteristics.

● The students are able to analyse specific cases identifying specific behaviours, areas of development affected depending on the age, adaptive impact , the factors accounting for the situation and some proposals for intervention.

● All of it should be done by students in an organised and orderly manner, creating a clear and comprehensible text.

Qualifying criteria and requirements to pass the course

 As for the final grade, it is determined by sum of scores obtained according to the following table

Activity %

Measurable activities during the course 35 %

Personal work and self-assessments to 5%

Final exam 60 %

Total 100%

Measurable activities during the course:

For the measurable activities activities during the course are qualified and computed in the final grade shall be delivered within the dates announced by teachers. The system is designed to encourage continuous learning and not only as a final grade.

For approving this section, a student must have completed at least 80 % of them.

Individual work and self-assessments :

As in the previous case , to be qualified , these tasks must be delivered within  the dates set by the teacher of the subject.

Final exam:

At all events , it will be necessary to pass the final exam for obtaining the status of approved in the subject. Since this test is final and individual, if a student gets on the same better rating than resulting from the total score (given by the weighted average according to table above) will be assigned the best rating of both parts.

Regarding the multiple – choice questions test – to minimise the effects due to chance, the failures will be deduced dividing them by the number of response options minus 1.

The final score of this test is the average of the theoretical and practical part, being necessary to obtain at least 4 in each of the parties to this average. If one of the parties is not reached 4 or the average mark of both is lower than 5, the course will not be approved.

Global test and second call

Students who have not completed or performed the measurable activities along the course and which have an important weight in grading, according to the regulation of assessment established by the University of Zaragoza , will be evaluated in a single final assessment test to be held on the official dates established by the centre. This unique, paper based test incorporates both theoretical and practical issues, in a way that together allow achieving similar note to students who have followed the main formative schedule.  

The second call has the format of the final overall assessment. In the case of those students who had approved measurable activities during classes, this part is being kept if it improves his or her final grade. If the student did not passed the written individual final test, this will be repeated as a whole, irrespective of whether they approved or not any of its parts.

Fifth and sixth call

Students in 5th and 6th call will be evaluated with the same assessment system as the rest of the students.

At all events, in order to develop the teaching of this subject and to demonstrate attainment of the skills the student may choose either of two following options:

1. To follow the teaching process in the class group in which will be enrolled being the teacher responsible for monitoring the evaluation process.

2. To specify with the teacher the type of evaluation to be performed (global or measurable activities along the course and final test) and the specific development of each condition. 

4.1. Methodological overview

The learning process that has been designed for this subject is based on the following:

Individual and autonomous management for one´s own learning , together with group work, carried out throughout the semester. The individual work will be done in small groups and class group and theoretical aspects in large group. Based on active learning work founded on cases which will shape in the reality theoretical aspects that will be present by a teacher and will be draw up with the relevant literature and finally, will result in the observation during internship I.

4.2. Learning tasks

Learning activities (programme included )

The programme is offered to help the students to achieve the expected results and includes the following activities…

1:

The work group is fostered to solve the cases presented and which after a prior individual reading is worked in  group. The peer review, discussion and debate are proposed as learning tools. Also observation / detection during internship.

They will be organised in the following activities :

Watching and discussion about videos showing pupils with various stages of developments.

Thoughtful working on analysis of guided cases. Group exposition, discussion, peer correction, self-assessment of learning.

Lectures and discussions with experts on issues related to the subject.

Visits to schools in order to make contact with students and professionals involved in the education of various children and detection of difficulties studied from the point of view of attention to diversity during the internship .

Tutorials

Time scheme teacher /student

* In those centres who do not offer an extra space, 25 hours of tutoring in groups will be held in classrooms and schedules established by the Centre for small group sessions . The five hours that fall outside of these hours are reserved for students and groups who did not attended class regularly .

4.3. Syllabus

Subject contents

Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology in children and adolescents in its main areas (physical, sensorial, motor, cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and personal) based on their maturity, adaptation and learning periods. The biological and environmental aspects that influence personality development.

4.4. Course planning and calendar

Schedule sessions and presentation of works

The sessions and presentation of works calendar will be announced by Moodle at the beginning of the academic year.

The subject is presented in a mixed development system, with assessable activities throughout the course and a final test on the official dates provided by the centre. Key activities and dates will be announced through Moodle at the beginning of the course or communicated through written document delivered by the teacher. Dates of final exams can be found on the website of the different faculties which provide the degree.