Studying for Your Early Years Degree

Jackie Musgrave is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Early Childhood at the University of Worcester. She qualified as a sick children’s nurse and then taught early childhood care and education at a college of Further Education. She has taught Higher Education students for the past 10 years. Jackie has a Masters degree from the University of Sheffield, where her research focused on an aspect of practice-based learning for level 3 students. Her doctorate research examined the effect of chronic health conditions on young children’s inclusion in their early education and she has just been awarded her PhD.Nicola Stobbs initially trained as a primary school teacher, and worked as a class teacher for 5 years. She worked at a pre-school and was promoted to the manager’s position, running the setting for another 12 years. She has an MA in Early Childhood and also gained Early Years Professional Status. During her time as a setting manager Nicola was a mentor for many students on placement. She is committed to providing excellent care for children and supporting students to become the excellent practitioners that children deserve. She now works at the University of Worcester supporting student practitioners.Maggi Savin-Baden is Professor of Education at the University of Worcester. She has researched and evaluated staff and student experiences of learning for over 20 years. Maggi has a strong publication record of over 40 research publications and 13 books, 6 in the field of problem-based learning. She is currently completing a book on Researching Education for a Digital Age,. In her spare time she bakes, runs, rock climbs and is about to undertake her first Olympic distance triathlon.

• Part 1: Learning in higher education 1. Preparing for university and making effective use of induction 2. How to become competent and confident in your learning 3. Becoming a critically reflective thinker and learner 4. Critical reading, critical writing and referencing 5. Assessment and feedback 6. Understanding and using policy and legislation 7. Learning in a digital age 8. Exploring creativity 9. Working with others at university Part 2: Applying learning to the workplace 10. Learning in the workplace 11. Becoming a reflective practitioner 12. Safeguarding: understanding your responsibilities 13. Learning to be an ethical practitioner 14. Doing your research project 15. What next?