ECE 215 Quality Learning Environments
(Contact Hours: 3) This course explores the impact of early childhood environments on the learning and development of children aged birth to 8 years. Students will examine how physical spaces, along with their social and temporal elements, can support growth across all developmental domains. Students will learn how to introduce the scientific method to children; exploring the world around them, children can ask questions, form hypotheses, test their ideas, and observe the results in order to build understanding. Through field experiences and real-world applications, learners will discover how to design and maintain developmentally appropriate environments for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Students will reflect on learning environments using tools and resources such as child care licensing standards, the Environment Rating Scale (ERS), the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and other evaluative measures. Emphasis will also be placed on evaluating a range of curriculum models to understand their influence on environmental design and on creating inclusive, equitable, and accessible spaces that meet the diverse needs of all children. PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of ECE 101 is REQUIRED.