- An undergraduate course
in
Childhood and Youth
and
Health and Social Care.
Working together for children
- On this page
Working with children requires the development of the knowledge, skills, and values associated with topics including communication; transitions; relationships; health; play; participation; working with parents; early intervention; and safeguarding. All these subjects and more are taught in the context of current law and social policy, with an emphasis on the need for different agencies and practitioners to work together. Using a blend of text and online study materials, you will explore working with children aged 0–12. Studying this practice-focused course will help you to meet the professional and occupational standards required in childcare, health, social care and educational children’s services.
Modules at Level 3 assume that you are suitably prepared for study at this level. If you want to take a single module to satisfy your career development needs or pursue particular interests, you don’t need to start at Level 1 but you do need to have adequately prepared yourself for OU study in some other way. Check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | KE312 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
This course is suitable for a wide range of people working with children aged 0–12 in child care, health and social care and educational settings; in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors. It will also appeal to those with a general interest in the field of childhood studies.
The course:
- supports the development of a skilled, effective, integrated workforce for children’s services
- develops the knowledge and skills needed to work collaboratively, effectively and equitably within an integrated interdisciplinary workforce for children
- develops your critical understanding of the ethical, social, legal, political and practice factors and frameworks as applied to work with children
- explores interdisciplinarity as it relates to work with and for children
- develops the knowledge and skills required to improve children’s wellbeing and outcomes for children.
Study will be directed using an online learning guide, which takes students through three course textbooks: Connecting with children: developing working relationships; Promoting children’s wellbeing: policy and practice and Changing children’s services: working and learning together. The course will make substantial use of online resources and aims to develop your skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Other teaching materials include a specially made DVD.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU.
The Open University courses Working with children, young people and families (K218), Childhood (E212), Child development (ED209) or a relevant foundation degree would be suitable prior study.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
You will receive guidance of how to get started online in your first course mailing. This will provide you with information on using your computer for OU study and working with the Computing Guide. For example, it explains how to access and use your website and online discussion forums. If you have time before the course starts, you can work through this and explore all the online services available to you.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
A course guide, three course textbooks and a DVD. You will also have access to a website through which details of assessment, teaching and library resources are available. An online learning guide will lead you through the different components of the course. Electronic versions of most of the printed study materials are provided on the website.
You will need
As well as being available from the online learning guides, the majority of the audio-visual components of this course are also delivered on a DVD that will play on a standard DVD player and television. If you want to view this on a computer, it will need a DVD-ROM drive and software for viewing DVDs.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course which includes online activities. You can only access these using a web browser with Flash and Java.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2006 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.5 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Part of your tuition is delivered online so some of the contact with your tutor will be through email online discussion forums and tutorials, although phone communication may also be used. We will also be able to offer group tutorials that you are encouraged to attend. Where these are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. We expect it to be available again in October 2013. We then expect it to be available once a year, in October.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Student Reviews
“Studying KE312 was an eye opener on who children are, how they have voice and how people from different cultures ...”
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“Absolutely loved this course, it related well to my job as an Outreach Worker and the tutor was brilliant. I ...”
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | KE312 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
Undergraduate
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
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