This course incorporates insights from neuroscience, cross-cultural psychology, and education.

During the course we will:

i) explore the development of cognition from birth through the pre-school years;

ii) focus on how children acquire knowledge about the world, focusing on objects, caregivers, and causality (the relationships that bind agents and objects);

iii) study language development – how language is acquired, and how it influences children’s thinking;

iv) examine how children’s knowledge is organised, stored, enhanced, and modified.

The main objective of the current course is promoting cognitive development through everyday educational practice.

The course will assume a practical approach in studying children’s cognitive development. Students will work with research data excerpts, and visual/video materials.

The course will also introduce students to doing research with children. While providing scientific data about different domains of cognitive development throughout childhood, the course will enable students to learn about a range of cognitive developmental theories, themes and concepts, and about the methods involved in research with children.

The course will also address critical issues and frameworks that shape how we study cognitive development, such as the influence of the context, the role of biological factors during development, and the interaction of the social, cognitive and genetic domains.

Finally, we will devote some lectures to exploring innovative teaching activities aimed at promoting language and cognitive development in the 0-3 and 3-6 age group.

None.

• Knowledge and understanding: The student should demonstrate adequate mastery of the basic knowledge related to the development of cognitive and linguistic processes in the early years of life.
• Applying knowledge and understanding: The student will have to show the ability to translate the models presented into daily teaching practice, constructing teaching materials and activities aimed at children in the 0-3 range.
• Making judgements: he/she will have to be able to critically evaluate a targeted educational intervention aimed at promoting a specific cognitive and/or linguistic area, possibly identifying the most critical aspects in the childare context.
• Communication skills: The student will be able to explain the content of the most relevant topics of the course; he/she will have to be able to critically argue the reasons for the most important psychological approaches and will have to master the language of the discipline.
• Learning skills: Upon completion of the course, the student will show autonomy in the critical understanding of developmental processes targeting preschool children within the 0-3 range.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Optional assessment tests, intended as a tool for self-assessment by the student, will be proposed around the mid of first semenster. These tests will target both attending and non-attending students, and will take place online.

Teaching

Classes of 2 hours.

Innovative teaching methods

Students will be involved in activities such as discussion and creation of online teaching activities. The content produced will be shared with colleagues.

Attendance

Attendance is optional but is highly recommended.

Course books

Required Reading:

• Guasti, M.T., Silleresi, S., Vernice, M. (2019). Imparare la lingua giocando. L'educazione multilingue da 0 a 6 anni. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.
• Vernice, M., Berardi E. (in press). Lo sviluppo psicologico da 0 a 6 anni. (chapter available on the blended website).

Suggested Reading:

• Valenza, E., Turati, C. (2019). Promuovere lo sviluppo della mente. Un approccio neurocostruttivista. Bologna: Il Mulino (chapter. 1, paragraphs 1-2-3; chap. 3; chap. 5, paragraphs 5-6-7-9; chap. 6, paragraphs 1-2-5-6).

Assessment

A written test consisting of three open questions. Additionally, students will have to create a didactic activity aimed at promoting child's cognitive development, inspired to the cognitive tasks and materials presented during classes.

The test will last 25 minutes.

The evaluation criteria are the following: 1) relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the contents of the program; 2) degree of articulation of the answer; 3) adequacy of the language used. 

The final evaluation will range from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude.

On the exam date, all students must upload the teaching activity (in word, pdf, ppt or video) to the course blended learning site. Further guidance regarding the writing of the teaching activity will be made available on the course blended learning site. Specific moments will also be devoted during the lectures to explain how to create it.

The evaluation of the teaching activity will contribute a maximum of 2 points to the final grade.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students must refer exclusively to the books listed in the bibliography as well as to the slides available on the blended learning page of the course. Non-attending students will have the same requirements as attending students.

Attendance

Attendance is optional.

Course books

Non-attending students must refer exclusively to the books and chapters listed in the course books section.

Required Reading:

• Guasti, M.T., Silleresi, S., Vernice, M. (2019). Imparare la lingua giocando. L'educazione multilingue da 0 a 6 anni. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.

• Vernice, M., Berardi E. (in press). Lo sviluppo psicologico da 0 a 6 anni. (available on the blended learning website).

Suggested Reading:

• Valenza, E., Turati, C. (2019). Promuovere lo sviluppo della mente. Un approccio neurocostruttivista. Bologna: Il Mulino (chapter. 1, paragraphs 1-2-3; chap. 3; chap. 5, paragraphs 5-6-7-9; chap. 6, paragraphs 1-2-5-6).

Assessment

There are no differences with respect to the requirements for attending students.

A written test consisting of three open questions. Additionally, students will have to create a didactic activity aimed at promoting child's cognitive development, inspired to the cognitive tasks and materials presented during classes.

On the exam date, all students must upload the teaching activity (in word, pdf, ppt or video) to the course blended learning site. Further guidance regarding the writing of the teaching activity will be made available on the course blended learning site. Specific moments will also be devoted during the lectures to explain how to create it.

The evaluation of the teaching activity will contribute a maximum of 2 points to the final grade.

The test will last 25 minutes.

The evaluation criteria are the following: 1) relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the contents of the program; 2) degree of articulation of the answer; 3) adequacy of the language used. 

The final evaluation will range from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.