EDEC4012: Semester 2, 2025

Units EDEC4012 Semester 2 2025 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

EDEC4012: Early Childhood Internship

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit is the final professional experience unit students undertake before embarking on their teaching careers. Students apply their knowledge, skills and understandings of early childhood teaching and learning, assuming substantive teaching responsibilities and demonstrating consolidation of outcomes achieved in previous professional experience units. During the extended 30-day placement students will further refine their pedagogical practice through a concurrent practitioner-enquiry research project undertaken in the co-requisite Capstone Unit.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Education
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	18 credit points in 4000-level EDEC coded units
Corequisites ?	EDEC4010 and (EDUF3050 or EDEC4011)
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Erin Harper, erin.harper@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Wilma Murdoch, wilma.murdoch@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Peer or expert observation or supervision	Supervising Teacher Report Supervising Teacher Report on 1 visit and 30 days of placement	0%	Formal exam period	30 days attendance plus one day lead-up	AI limited - refer to Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
Portfolio or journal	Professional Experience Documentation Daily documentation of practice	0%	Formal exam period	6000wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance - accreditation or faculty requirement	Placement completion Attendance record (30 days + 1 visit), verified by the Supervising Teacher	0%	Formal exam period	30 days + 1 visit	Not applicable
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Internship placement:

A 30-day internship plus a one-day lead-up visit to be completed Monday to Friday over six weeks. Assessment components of the placement include 100% attendance, supervising teacher’s report and portfolio

Assessment criteria

Internship placement:

A 30-day internship plus one-day lead-up visit to be completed Monday to Friday over 6 weeks. Assessment components of the placement include 100% attendance, supervising teacher’s report and portfolio

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 02	Communities of practice	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Specialist teaching techniques	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Assessment and planning	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Professional identity and pedagogical leadership	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Professional challenges	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Reflective practice scenarios	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Reflective practice scenarios & solution focus	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Individual or small group consultations	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library Reading List available on Canvas

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Take increasing leadership responsibility for planning, implementing and assessing quality early childhood curriculum in collaboration with other educators
LO2. Take increasing leadership responsibility for communicating and collaborating professionally and respectfully with staff, families, children and community
LO3. Critically reflect on practice and exercise professional judgement, making links between theory, philosophy, child development and practice
LO4. Clearly articulate a professional identity and philosophy informed by theory and contemporary practice

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority - 1.1. Learning, development and care 2.4. Teaching methods and strategies 3.1. Early Years Learning Framework 3.9. Curriculum planning, programming and evaluation 6.1. Leadership
	Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority - 4.1. Developing family and community partnerships 6.3. Professional identity and development
	Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority - 2.4. Teaching methods and strategies 3.9. Curriculum planning, programming and evaluation
	Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority - 5.2. Contemporary theories and practice 5.3. Ethics and professional practice 6.3. Professional identity and development

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes made to practice/written assessment tasks in Pebble Pad

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Please make yourself familiar with the inherent requirements for this course: https://sydney.edu.au/students/student-responsibilities/inherent-requirements.html

Please make yourself familiar with the professional experience handbook: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/13426/pages/professional-experience-in-education including information on Working With Children Check, workplace health and safety induction, infectious diseases and pregnancy.

You may wish to discuss your immunisation status with your doctor prior the professional experience placement, particularly when working with infants and toddlers.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

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