Education and Training Science

Educational objectives

Name of the Course
History of Pedagogy

Educational Goals
Course's general goal is to learn the fundamentals about the history of educational ideas and practices, with a view on personal or group researches and analyses on specific themes. In order to achieve such a goal, will be used examples of the main methods typical of the history of contemporary ideas, attitudes, societies, and economies. A part of the course, equal to 1 ECTS, will be specifically dedicated to the discipline as for the history of educational practices toward the very early childhood.
The course is organised into three parts: antiquity, especially the classical one, the Middle Ages, and modern and postmodern age.
The first part includes the analysis of the great trends and ideas of ancient education and culture (for example, the virtues in the Homeric poems; the contribute of classical philosophies, especially Plato and Aristotle's, to the reflection on education; rhetoric and oratory; Hellenization of roman culture; Christianisation of classical culture).
The second part includes the analysis of the great trends and ideas of Medieval education and culture (for example, the education in Christian sacred texts; monastic culture and education; schools, cathedrals, and universities; scholasticism; social and heretical movements, etc.).
The third part includes the analysis of the great trends and ideas of modern and postmodern education and culture (for example, the scientific revolution; rationalism and empiricism; secularisation; the changes in modern ethics; industrialisation and capitalism; movements of contemporary society and culture).
At the end of the course, the student will be able to a) understand the main characteristics of pedagogy during the various ages; b) know the main characteristics of the historiographical research in the pedagogical area; c) analyse specific texts and ideas; d) contextualise in specific historical ages and in modern times old ideas and practices.

The specific goals will be: I) to know the main pedagogical theories that have characterised the history of education, with a special reference to the West, by means of the analysis of the various documentary sources (cf. the specific education goal No. 1 of the Programme and the Dublin Descriptor No.1); II) to be able to apply the acquired knowledge to specific analyses, also by means of the application to special researches of the main methods of history of ideas (cf. the specific educational goal No. 3 of the Programme and the Dublin Descriptor No. 2); III) to develop skills at making judgements and critical interpretation, applying the acquired knowledge to specific studies, by means of various compositions (essays, presentations in PowerPoint, etc.) on the main figures of history of thinking, literature, arts, that have a historical-educational value (cf. the specific educational goal No. 5 of the Programme and the Dublin Descriptor No.3); IV) to acquire skills in communicating the obtained results by discussing the compositions in group, with the teacher or other experts, and even during seminars (cf. the specific educational goal No. 12 of the Programme and the Dublin Descriptor No.4); V) to be able to pursue a further education in an independent way, by means of possible paths in order to carry on one's researches, according to the analysis models that are nowadays preferred in comparison with the plurality of sources and hermeneutic standpoints (cf. the specific educational goal No. 9 of the Programme and the Dublin Descriptor No.5).

Educational objectives

Name of the Course

Developmental Psychology

Educational Goals
Course's general goal is to analyse the changes taking place into a child from his/her birth to adolescence. The course is divided into three conceptually interconnected parts.
In the first part, will be first considered the traditional theories, and afterward the more recent theoretical contributes in developmental and educational psychology. It will analyse in depth child's social development and the construction of self-esteem; the effect of the style of parenting in the adaptation to a scholastic context; the role of school and culture in child's social and emotional developments; fears and anxieties in early childhood; emotional regulation and aggressive behaviour.
In the second part, it will be analysed child's development in the age 0-3, especially in connection to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments. It will be examined educator's role in nursery schools: child's integration into the school; a typical day in a nursery school; the organisation of spaces and activities; the relationships with child's family; the good procedures to be used or invented for the very first education.
During course's final part, there will be a workshop consisting of three different theoretical-practical activities: 1) participation to research projects within developmental psychology and short students' presentations in the classroom; 2) study and administration of Theory of Mind tests and Piagetian tests to children; 3) observation of children aged 0-3 and conduction of interviews to children in scholastic age aimed at understanding how thinking takes place (for example, the presence of animistic and egocentric thinking).
At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, linguistic, and social-cultural changes from birth to adolescence, through the main stages of development. Especially related to the stage of development 0-3, he/she will have a deep knowledge of child's skills divided into different abilities: motor, linguistic, cognitive, and relational. He/she will also have a basic knowledge about educator's role in nursery schools, the good procedures for child's integration into the school, a typical day in a nursery school, the organisation of spaces and activities, and the relationships with child's family.
The acquired skills will allow to better work with children in the zone of proximal development, promoting their independence and self-esteem. The student will also learn to positively interact with child's parents according to the different stages of development. More in detail, this study will allow to better understand child's development in his/her first years, the functioning of a nursery school, educator's role in such a context, and the good procedures in a nursery school.
The acquired cross skills at being critical and making judgements will be strengthened by participating to the theoretical-practical workshop activities. The administration of Theory of Mind tests and Piagetian tests, the observation of children aged 0-3, and the conduction of interviews to children in scholastic age will allow the student to empirically verify the psychological theories studied related to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments.
The conduction of interviews to children in scholastic age and the work in small groups aimed at creating short presentations will allow to improve students' communication skills. More in detail, the conduction of interviews to children will allow the student to understand the skills needed for an effective and suitable communication with a child according to his/her age and abilities, the respect of child's times, the emotional atmosphere where the communication takes place, and the more common mistakes that can be done in an interview to a child. The work in small groups is aimed at improving students' values, such as membership, sharing, skills in negotiating and solving conflicts, socialisation, and active participation.
By participating to research projects (critical analysis of bibliographical sources, administration of questionnaires, and data input) within developmental psychology, the student will be better prepared to pursue a further education in an independent way and to analyse in depth the themes of developmental psychology he/she will have to study.

Educational objectives

The internship experience allows the student to experience in the field what they have learned during their studies and to orient themselves to the world of work. Through the internship experience the student has the opportunity to learn and put into practice also the so-called transversal skills necessary to face the world of work (interpersonal, communication, instrumental skills).
For students who wish to specialize in the profile of "Educator in childcare services", a training internship is mandatory to be carried out at educational services for girls, boys and their families, in which professional profiles operate consistent. The services at which to carry out the internship services can be public or private, they must have an agreement with the University,

As an alternative or in addition to this type of internship path, it is possible to request recognition of the work activity consistent with the course of study and with the professional profile. For the recognition of the activity carried out, the student is required to submit a written report from which it is possible to detect the knowledge and skills learned during the experience and the links with the formal learning gained in the course of study.

Educational objectives

GENERAL PEDAGOGY L19
General Aims

The module in Psychology General illustrates the different theoretical approaches and methods of investigation designed to tackle the functioning of cognitive processes as well as the models that are used to interpret them. The understanding of the theories and the capacity to apply the methods of the psychological sciences is essential for educators, as it enables them to plan effective learning programs, following and measure the outcomes, by using the empirical knowledge about the core functioning of cognitive processes.
The program will discuss several human cognitive abilities among which are learning, attention, memory, language and emotion. All these cognitive skills are essential in the development of an individual, and so to be considered in the educational context. To understand these diverse abilities, we will take perspectives from different branches of the psychological sciences such as cognitive psychology, cognitive science, neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. Students will acquire foundation knowledge about psychology as the scientific endeavour examining mind and behaviour while developing the necessary skills to understand research in the psychological sciences, its empirical findings, its applications, and the lexicon relevant in the discipline.
At the end of the module of Psychology General, the student will have acquired conceptual tools and methodological skills to investigate cognitive processes throughout human development (infancy, adolescence and adult age) and across contexts (typical population, atypical and pathological populations). In this respect, the module is foundational for future educators, as it provides the basic concepts that can be used both to delve into the study of cognitive processes in more specific contexts and apply such knowledge in daily practice as teachers.

Specific objectives

At the end of the module, the student will be capable of:

1) Demonstrate knowledge about the main psychological theories and approaches to the study of the mind and behaviour covering the field in its diverse branches such as cognitive psychology or development as well as rudiments of psychobiology and research methods. [Knoweldge and understanding]

2) Apply the technical lexicon and the basic concepts in psychological sciences to different contexts of learning [Applying knowledge and understanding]

3) Make analytic and rigorous use of bibliographic sources about cognitive processes to be able to compare the different theoretical approaches. [Making judgements]

4) Understand the implications of the empirical results and theoretical models in educational practices in normal and pathological contexts. [Learning skills]

5) Learn basic notions of the scientific method, such as, for example, read scientific literature on timely topics in psychology by making use of specific online resources and databases (e.g., PubMed) as well as be able to perform critical analyses of such sources to communicate them clearly and synthetically [Communication skills]

Educational objectives

Course's general goal is to present the main themes of General Education with a special reference to their application to educational contexts toward children aged 0-3 and their families.

The topic is placed in a current context with reference both to research and action, and in a broader dimension the course is aimed at introducing general themes and problems of the discipline starting from its epistemological foundations, examining especially the relationship between didactics and other learning sciences.

The course begins with a short historical introduction of the discipline and continues with the analysis of the main problems of didactic research in its various contexts, and the relationship between theory and practice.

An important study field is theories and methods useful to organise, plan, and realise effective educational interventions in educational contexts, with a special reference to those directed to childhood (nursery schools, toy libraries, etc.). A part of the course will be dedicated to workshop activities aimed at creating an educational plan for nursery school or other educational services for children and their families (spazi insieme, centres for children and parents, etc.).

At the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge on the main themes of general didactics starting from its epistemological foundations and the relationship with other learning sciences. They will have also acquired knowledge on learning-teaching theories and models, especially in contexts of childhood and helping to individuals (group homes, minors' shelters, etc.). Students will acquire the basics of principles of educational communication and planning, with a special reference to the planning and documentation of activities to children aged 0-3; they will also get to know the various forms of educational documentation to be used in nursery schools. They will have also developed skills at understanding the action contexts of educators, at observing and evaluating the quality of the educational services to children and their families (Knowledge and understanding).

By attending the course, students will be able to create, plan, and evaluate educational interventions and projects directed to children aged 0-3 and, more in general, in contexts like centres and structures implying activities carried out by educators. They will also be able to apply the acquired knowledge and to put it into practice by creating and organising an educational documentation aimed at reporting the activities and the interpretation of the methods used by educators in order to share with the educational group and children's families (Applying knowledge and understanding).

Students can prove to have developed skills in making judgements, by being able to collect, interpret, and reflect on problems and data related to the study of didactics, proving to have a scientific aptitude and critical and self-critical abilities. More in detail, at the end of the course, they will be able to be critical toward the educational and didactic choices and the educational means, paying attention to the context of educational services for children aged 0-3 and their families (Making judgements).

Study, reflection, presentation, and planning activities will support students in acquiring a technical-specialised language of didactics. At the end of the course, students will have improved their skills in expressing clearly, taking into account the recipient, especially when the recipient is children and their families. They will also have improved their skills in writing and preparing educational documents and projects directed to children aged 0-3 (Communication skills).

All course's activities are aimed at improving one's learning skills, represented in this case not only by the ability to independently read texts and documents on didactics, but also to collect, interpret, and reflect on problems and data related to the study of didactics, proving to have a scientific aptitude and critical and self-critical abilities (Learning skills).

Educational objectives

General Aims

The module in Psychology General illustrates the different theoretical approaches and methods of investigation designed to tackle the functioning of cognitive processes as well as the models that are used to interpret them. The understanding of the theories and the capacity to apply the methods of the psychological sciences is essential for educators, as it enables them to plan effective learning programs, following and measure the outcomes, by using the empirical knowledge about the core functioning of cognitive processes.
The program will discuss several human cognitive abilities among which are learning, attention, memory, language and emotion. All these cognitive skills are essential in the development of an individual, and so to be considered in the educational context. To understand these diverse abilities, we will take perspectives from different branches of the psychological sciences such as cognitive psychology, cognitive science, neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. Students will acquire foundation knowledge about psychology as the scientific endeavour examining mind and behaviour while developing the necessary skills to understand research in the psychological sciences, its empirical findings, its applications, and the lexicon relevant in the discipline.
At the end of the module of Psychology General, the student will have acquired conceptual tools and methodological skills to investigate cognitive processes throughout human development (infancy, adolescence and adult age) and across contexts (typical population, atypical and pathological populations). In this respect, the module is foundational for future educators, as it provides the basic concepts that can be used both to delve into the study of cognitive processes in more specific contexts and apply such knowledge in daily practice as teachers.

Specific objectives

At the end of the module, the student will be capable of:

1) Demonstrate knowledge about the main psychological theories and approaches to the study of the mind and behaviour covering the field in its diverse branches such as cognitive psychology or development as well as rudiments of psychobiology and research methods. [Knoweldge and understanding]

2) Apply the technical lexicon and the basic concepts in psychological sciences to different contexts of learning [Applying knowledge and understanding]

3) Make analytic and rigorous use of bibliographic sources about cognitive processes to be able to compare the different theoretical approaches. [Making judgements]

4) Understand the implications of the empirical results and theoretical models in educational practices in normal and pathological contexts. [Learning skills]

5) Learn basic notions of the scientific method, such as, for example, read scientific literature on timely topics in psychology by making use of specific online resources and databases (e.g., PubMed) as well as be able to perform critical analyses of such sources to communicate them clearly and synthetically [Communication skills]

Educational objectives

The course aims to enable students to effectively use at least one of the languages of the European Union, and namely the English language, in both written and spoken forms. The focus is on acquiring the competence to exchange general information and on acquiring the necessary specific and professional lexis with particular reference to the education field.

Educational objectives

Descriptor 1 - Knowledge and Understanding

- Recall knowledge related to the field of intercultural pedagogy and related educational issues, taking into account the knowledge contained in the Encyclopedia of Educational Sciences.

- Explain the psychological, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms underlying the use of prejudice and stereotypes in heterogeneous contexts characterized by the presence of various types of differences (ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.) and the stages of prejudice and stereotype acquisition during development.

- Identify the main prejudice and stereotype reduction strategies that can be applied in educational contexts, particularly in preschool and primary school.

Descriptor 2 - Applying Knowledge and Understanding

- Conceive, plan, and evaluate educational interventions, taking into account the contextual elements of the situation (historical, political, cultural, social, economic, regulatory) and maintaining an interdisciplinary perspective.

- Apply prejudice reduction strategies learned in different educational contexts, with particular attention to preschool and primary school, promoting activities that foster empathetic attitudes and processes of inclusion and valorization of differences.

Descriptor 3 - Making judgments.

- Reflect independently on the issues and concepts specific to intercultural pedagogy and education.

- Reflect independently on differences by applying a scientific method and critical and self-critical skills, gathering data and information from reliable sources and logically combining them.

Descriptor 4 - Communication skills.

- Communicate information, ideas, problems, solutions, and projects to diverse audiences (children, students, families, colleagues, other users, and other professionals).

- Work in groups, even in heterogeneous contexts.

- Implement mediation and negotiation processes in conflict situations.

Descriptor 5 - Learning skills.

Undertake research and in-depth studies in the field of intercultural pedagogy to independently pursue study and cultivate and promote self-development throughout one's life and professional career.

Educational objectives

NAME OF THE COURSE

Quality Indicators of the Educational System

EDUCATIONAL AIMS

General Aims
Course's general goal is the knowledge of mass education processes, with the resulting progressive increase of the study titles obtained and the increasing need of an effective connection between education and society, as well as the dynamics of expenditure for education. These aspects will be considered by retracing the ways the main countries have elaborated the various systems of indicators in order to monitor the functioning of national educational systems, especially the most qualified model of the system of indicators created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCSE) by means of the programme INES (Indicators of Education Systems). During the course, it will be presented the evolution of the system of indicators and its current structure, with a special reference to the data concerning the scholastic results. For this purpose, will be taken into consideration the specific results of the most recent international investigations realised by OCSE and IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement). It will be especially examined the investigation PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) as for all theoretical and operational aspects of an educational investigation: reference frameworks, construction and testing of tools, administration on the field, analysis of results. A specific part of the course, equal to 1 ECTS, will be dedicated to an in-depth analysis on data and indicators concerning the level of childhood (ISCED classification 0, especially 01 and 02); it will also discuss both the international data (OCSE, UNESCO) and the national ones (ISTAT) with analyses on local realities (services available, demographical dynamics, funds).

Specific Aims
At the end of the course, the student must prove to:
know and understand the main general problems related to the use of statistical data in learning science;
be able to indicate purposes and opportunities of a system of indicators that takes into consideration the data of an educational system's functioning, including on a local scale;
know and indicate the various operational stages of an experimental research in an educational area;
use the results of an educational research in order to identify problems and improvement strategies about the educational processes;
be able to analyse information and to reflect on problems related to the study field, showing a scientific aptitude, and critical and self-critical skills;
possess instrumental abilities (writing, IT, and foreign languages) about the study of statistical data;
critically analyse the daily information presenting data and results about the educational system;
be able to interact with one's colleagues on the themes of the course applied to the information about education coming from the mass media.

Educational objectives

Course's general goal is to supply students with a theoretical knowledge and useful tools connected to the representation of data and to the pertaining psychometric analyses for educational research. The Programme includes theoretical lessons and workshop practical activities.
Theoretical lessons will be divided into lectures, dedicated to students' training, and a part dedicated to students' questions and reflections. Classes will be about the use of questionnaires, and the approach to empirical research with a reference to the theoretical bases of quantitative and psychometric research. During the course, will be explained the instructions related to the representation of data by means of charts and graphs, the input and the management of data by using the programme Excel and the software for statistical analyses Spss, and the psychometric theories needed for the use of these software.
During the practical classes, theory, previously learned, is applied by means of exercise and mid-term tests, both in the classroom and at home.
At the end of the course, the student will know the basics of quantitative research applied in the pedagogical and educational areas in all their forms, will know the theories at the base of psychometric analyses, will have the needed skills for the management and input of data and preliminary analyses, will understand the basic psychometric models and their application in the specific field of educational research [Dublin Descriptor No. 1].
The acquired skills will be about the ability at creating a window for data input; creating and reading graphs representing data after the importation; importing the dataset on Spss; carrying out statistical preliminary and basic analyses. The student will be able to apply these skills in educational research [Dublin Descriptor No. 2].
Cross skills will concern the ability at applying what the student has learned to his/her scientific context. Students will be able to interpret and apply in an independent way psychometric analyses, that is to transpose the acquired theoretical knowledge into an application context [Dublin Descriptor No. 3].
During the course, the student will participate to individual and group activities, and he/she will report the experience as a discussion into the classroom or a presentation with slides. Students will report their experiences also through exercises at home, in this case individually, through a written composition. This will allow the student to become competent in summarising with clarity the discussed topics [Dublin Descriptor No. 4].
The course is aimed at making the students independent concerning the basic psychometric analyses, a skill useful for the final thesis or for a detailed study on specific topics during one's career. The student should be able to autonomously use the software Spss concerning the first analyses, understanding the procedure and the theory at its base [Dublin Descriptor No. 5].

Educational objectives

Child Developmental Psychology
Course's general goal is to analyse the changes taking place in a child from his/her birth to the age of 3. The course is divided into two conceptually interconnected parts.
In the first part, will be first considered the traditional theories, and afterward the more recent theoretical contributes in developmental and educational psychology.
In the second part, it will be analysed child's development in the age 0-3, especially in connection to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments. It will be discussed educator’s role in nursery schools.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, linguistic, and social-cultural changes during the age 0-3. He/she will also acquire the basics of educator’s role in nursery schools and of the good procedures for child's integration into the school.
The acquired skills will allow to better work with children in the zone of proximal development. More in detail, such a study will allow to better understand child's development in his/her first years and educator’s role in nursery schools.
The acquired cross skills will be about the observation of children aged 0-3, that allows to empirically verify the psychological theories studied related to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments.
By attending this course, the student will be better prepared to pursue a further education in an independent way and to analyse in depth the themes of developmental psychology he/she will have to study.

Educational objectives

Child Clinical Psychology
Course's goal is to present the main clinical pictures that can manifest in early childhood, their relational matrix, their possible expression in institutional contexts, along to the main observational techniques of psychodynamic nature in the contexts of early childhood, to understand the interactive dynamics typical of the institutions of early childhood.
At the end of the course, the student will possess (Knowledge and Understanding):
- the basics for the diagnostic framework and the clinical treatments related to the developmental disorders
At the end of the course, the student will be able to (Acquired Skills):
- indicate the diagnostic classifications of DSM related to the developmental disorders and family relationships
- interpret the developmental disorders and family relationships from a psychodynamic point of view
- establish an assessment protocol related to the developmental disorders and family relationships

Educational objectives

Hygiene

The course is aimed at presenting the main principles about hygiene: definition of health and global health, determinants of health and of disease, and general principles on education to health, prevention (primary, secondary and tertiary) and health promotion.
The course includes measures of infectious risk prevention and control in childhood communities; kinds of microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, parasites); disinfection and sterilisation; principles of epidemiology of infectious diseases and their prevention and control; vaccines and vaccine policy; behaviour of teachers in the childhood services; child hygiene; hygiene of things the child uses; hygiene of environments; criteria of removal and readmission in childhood communities.
The course also includes themes on nutrition hygiene: the main nutrients and the food groups; recommendations for a healthy diet; eating at the nursery school: breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, complementary feeding, feeding for children aged 1-3 years, special diets; food hygiene and safety: food wholesomeness, foodborne diseases, food preservation and control methods.
The course also addresses themes on safety and exposition to passive smoking and to third-hand smoke, highlighting the risks for the associated diseases (SIDS, respiratory diseases, otitis, allergies); prevention of domestic accidents; first aid in childhood communities.
At the end of the course, the student will (Knowledge and understanding):
 understand the principles of health, prevention and health education;
 know the principles of epidemiology and prevention of the main infectious diseases typical of childhood;
 know the hygienic, sanitary and nutritional aspects of feeding in childhood.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to (Skills to acquire):
 evaluate the risk of infection in childhood communities and detect the pertaining measures of prevention and control;
 be aware of the teacher's role in promoting healthy life styles;
 apply the acquired knowledge to safeguard and promote child's health;
 analyse problems and data concerning the study field of the subject, proving to have a scientific attitude, and critical and auto-critical skills.