Coral Wilkins

BA Education and Childhood Studies

“I am currently studying Education and Childhood Studies at Anglia Ruskin University, on the Cambridge campus. I am really enjoying the course which is broken down into four modules per semester. All modules are assessed through a range of methods including presentations, patchworks and essay; however there are no exams within the course.

The course itself is based on the sociological and psychological aspects of education and children's experiences of home and school life. It allows us as undergraduate students to question the purpose of education. The lecturers are enthusiastic about the modules and often give personal experiences when they can relate to a topic which helps us as students.

I am thoroughly enjoying the course and campus in which the course is situated. In year 2 we have a chance to choose one of our modules. These choices are; special needs module, a virtual learning module, a modern foreign language module or a chance to study education abroad. I have chosen the modern foreign language course and I have decided to study French. The Education and Childhood Studies course does not include school placements that are organised by the University; instead we are expected to volunteer within the local community in our own time. In my spare time I volunteer at a local primary school which allows me to convert what I have learnt in lectures and seminars to practice within a school setting. I look forward to my lectures and I know that if I am struggling I can approach my lecturers, personal tutor or the student services at the Cambridge campus.

Each year consists of two 12 week semesters. At the end of each semester we hand in our assignments for all four modules that we have been working on throughout the twelve weeks. Towards the end of the semester some of the lectures and seminars are scheduled as workshops or tutorials which allow us to bring our assignments in thus far and create peer reviews. Lecturers can also look at 20% of our assignments and can give us a small amount of feedback on how we can improve.

I have enjoyed meeting new people on the course and working within groups whilst helping each other. In my first year of the course I studied eight different modules. In the first semester the four modules I studied were; Specialist Key Issues, Human Development, Understanding Learning and Schooling, Families and Identity. The module specialist key issues taught us about education past and present and the effects media can have on education. Human development essentially taught us the life span of humans and the development at different stages in life, we also had to write an essay on whether nature or nurture had the biggest effect on a human's development . In Understanding Learning, we learnt about different theorists and their theories on how we learn and ways in which children can be encouraged to behave well with positive reinforcements. Schooling, families and identity, was based on how family life and different schools can affect the identity of a child and the effects the governors of a school can have on a child's education.

During my first year I learnt how to use the library search effectively, how to give an engaging presentation, and how to review peers' work in a helpful but critical manner. These skills have helped me enormously throughout the year and I will continue to use them throughout my time at University and even in my plans for the future.

Ideally once I have graduated I would like to study for a PGCE which will allow me to teach children in a primary school. Once I have completed my PGCE I plan to complete my Masters. My future plans are all based on my ambition of becoming a teacher, and this course is helping me achieve this ambition.
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