R-DL/143/4/0119(MQA/FA7916)09/28
Diploma in Early Childhood Education
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Offered in line with the government’s policy to equip preschool teachers with a minimum diploma qualification, the programme provides professional upgrading to existing teachers. It equips you with a solid foundation in knowledge and skills needed to become an effective nursery or kindergarten educator, handle diverse groups of children and plan activities accordingly.
Considered among the most affordable diplomas in the country, the programme trains you to apply problem-solving, self-reflection, scientific skills and creative thinking in the care and education of young children below six years old in Malaysia.
It combines understanding the relevant theories and their applications so that you will have good subject knowledge and sound professional skills to be an efficient educator.
You will be able to create, provide and maintain a safe, healthy and nurturing environment where the children can learn and develop. You will learn to resource, select and apply information to enhance early learning and self-development, and be able to communicate effectively with children, colleagues, family and the community. You will gain related basic managerial and entrepreneurial skills.
Non-Compulsory SPM BM
Can Be Replaced with WOU BM Course
Teaching Practicum
Can Be Done At Own ECE Centre
Classes and Exams
Conducted on Weekends
No Exam Component
For More Than Half of the Courses
Masters Programme
Can Be Taken After Graduation with Sufficient Work Experience
“The expert in anything was once a beginner.”
Helen Hayes
Top Core Courses
Fundamentals that will build you up to stay relevant and excellent today, tomorrow and beyond.
Introduction to Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education
This course equips students with the skills and knowledge of effective early childhood education pedagogical practices through the integration of theory and practical experience. It facilitates students in evaluating a variety of instructional approaches, identifying lesson objectives and learning outcomes, selecting and developing appropriate learning activities and assessment tools, as well as critiquing and documenting the effectiveness of their teaching.
Technology in Early Childhood Education
This course exposes students to the types of technology that are suitable for early childhood classrooms and gives information that is highly useful in current times as online learning and teaching are now more necessary than ever. This course prepares students to effectively engage children to use and integrate current technology to reinforce children's IT skills.
Young Children with Special Needs
This course provides students with an understanding of the major concepts and issues in the area of young children with special needs, thus enabling them to identify the signs and symptoms of children who may have special needs based on developmental delays. Students will learn how to provide an inclusive learning environment with adaptations for these children.
Management and Administration in Early Childhood Education
This course is designed for teachers who have plans to be involved in the management and administration of early childhood programmes and centres. It provides students with useful working knowledge of roles and procedures which they can apply in their practice.
Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education
This course fosters an understanding of the concept of assessment in early childhood education, its importance and how it is carried out for various learning domains. It covers the types of assessment tools and techniques, along with the recording, documentation and reporting of children’s growth and development.
Learning Path
Students will be introduced to the main theories and concepts that all early childhood educators should know, understand and apply in their practices. This year includes courses covering child psychology and development, play as a pedagogical tool, as well as other teaching strategies, health and safety, home and community partnerships. In order to support those who have left academic studies for some time, there is a course in the first semester that equips them with imperative learning and writing skills in an open distance learning environment.
Students will delve into the main learning areas found in early childhood curricula and programmes, encapsulating courses on early literacy, numeracy, art and craft, music and movement and physical education. These will also contain technology in early childhood education that will show them how to engage children using various technological tools, both software and hardware.
Students will enter the realm of gaining knowledge related to setting up early childhood centres that will entail courses on administration, management, programme planning, special needs children, law and social policies, as well as assessment and evaluation.
This final year comprises only one semester in which students will conduct their teaching practicum for 14 weeks. One half is dedicated to serving in a nursery, and the other half to serving in a kindergarten. Students with more than five years of related experience can choose to be exempted from the teaching practicum. As a replacement, they will conduct action research in the two different settings while being mentored by a research supervisor.
You will be playing a key role in the development of future generations as a professional teacher or administrator in childcare setting or preschool. Setting up your own early childhood education centre will also let you join the company of entrepreneurs.
DIPLOMA IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours | ||||
COMPULSORY MODULES (MPU GENERAL & HEP MODULES) | |||||||
1. | MPU2193/03 | Philosophy and Current Issues (for Malaysian and international students) | 3 | ||||
2. | MPU2133/03 | Bahasa Melayu Komunikasi 1 (for international students) | 3 | ||||
3. | MPU2213/03 MPU2233/03 | Bahasa Kebangsaan A (for students without SPM credit in BM) OR Interpersonal Communication (for students with SPM credit in BM and international students) | 3 | ||||
4. | MPU2412/02 | Co-curriculum | 2 | ||||
5. | WUC002/03 | Study Skills for Open Distance Learning | 3 | ||||
6. | BBM001/03 | Entrepreneurship Development (for Malaysian students only) | 3 | ||||
Subtotal Credit Hours | 14 | ||||||
CORE MODULES (COMMON & DISCIPLINE) | Credit Hours | ||||||
1. | EEC001/03 | Introduction to Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
2. | EEC002/03 | Principles of Child Guidance (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
3. | EEC003/03 | Development and Play in Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
4. | EEC005/03 | Technology in Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
5. | EEC006/03 | Psychology of Child Development | 3 | ||||
6. | EEC007/03 | Health, Safety, Hygiene and Nutrition | 3 | ||||
7. | EEC008/03 | Nature and Environmental Awareness (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
8. | EEC009/03 | Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
9. | EEC010/03 | Language and Literacy in Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
10. | EEC011/03 | Numeracy Skills for Young Children | 3 | ||||
11. | EEC012/03 | Physical Education for Young Children (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
12. | EEC013/03 | Art and Craft for Young Children | 3 | ||||
13. | EEC014/03 | Creative Expression through Music, Movement and Drama (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
14. | EEC016/03 | English Language Pedagogy | 3 | ||||
15. | EEC019/03 | Management and Administration in Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
16. | EEC021/03 | Curriculum Planning for Early Childhood Education | 3 | ||||
17. | EEC022/03 | Young Children with Special Needs | 3 | ||||
18. | EEC023/03 | Law and Social Policies for Early Childhood Education (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
19. | EEC024/03 | Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
20. | EEC027/03 | Project Paper for Early Childhood Education I (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
21. | EEC028/03 | Project Paper for Early Childhood Education II | 3 | ||||
22. | EEC031/03 | Social Studies in Early Childhood Education (APEL.C) | 3 | ||||
Subtotal Credit Hours | 66 | ||||||
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE | Credit Hours | ||||||
1. | EEC026/07 EEC029/07 | Teaching Practicum (APEL.C) or Action Research in Early Childhood Education | 7 | ||||
Subtotal Credit Hours | 7 | ||||||
ELECTIVE MODULES (Choose any 1 of the Following) | Credit Hours | ||||||
1. | EEC015/03 | Malay Language Pedagogy | 3 | ||||
2. | EEC017/03 | Mandarin Language Pedagogy | 3 | ||||
3. | EEC018/03 | Tamil Language Pedagogy | 3 | ||||
4. | EEC030/03 | Practices of Language Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education (foreign students only) | 3 | ||||
Subtotal Credit Hours | 3 | ||||||
Total Credit Hours | 90 | ||||||
APEL.C Courses
The maximum credit transfer through APEL.C is 30% of the total graduating credits for a specific programme of study.
For courses that you intend to apply for APEL.C but are not listed above, please contact Ms. Quah Phaik Luan at plquah@wou.edu.my.
Kindly contact your nearest Regional Centre if you need further clarification.
Candidates with the following criteria will be eligible to be considered for admission into the undergraduate programme:
1. Regular Entry
Candidates must possess a minimum of:
- A pass in SPM or its equivalent, with a minimum of 3 credits in any subjects; or
- A pass in Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) or its equivalent, with a minimum of Grade C (GP 2.0) in any subject or its equivalent; or
- A pass in Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) with a minimum grade of Maqbul; or
- A pass in SKM level 3 in Early Child Care / Preschool and pass SPM with a minimum of 1 credit in any subject; or
- A Certificate in Early Childhood Education or its equivalent; or
- A Certificate in any field or its equivalent
2. Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) provides an opportunity for individuals with working experience but lack of formal academic qualifications to pursue their tertiary studies. APEL involves the identification, documentation and assessment of prior experiential learning to determine the extent to which an individual has achieved the desired learning outcomes, for access to a programme of study.
Applicants should comply with the following admission criteria stipulated by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA):
- The candidate should be at least 20 years of age in the year of application and possess relevant work experience.
Fee Schedule
(Effective May 2022 Semester)
Wawasan Open University uses a unique model of delivering education to both Open Distance Learning (ODL) and On-Campus Learning (OCL) students with tuition fees for the following level of programmes that can be worked out as follows:
Level | Total Number of Courses | Total Number of Credits | Tuition Fees (RM) |
Undergraduate | |||
Diploma | 29 | 90 | 12,250 – 13,950 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 26 – 39 | 120 – 126 | 27,880 – 43,520 |
Post-Graduate | |||
Postgraduate Diploma | 7 | 33 | 9,888 |
Master’s Programme | 8 – 13 | 41 – 46 | 25,800 – 29,700 |
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) | 10 | 80 | 47,350 |
Notes:
- A one-off payment Processing and Administration fee is chargeable for new students and varies according to programme.
- Open Distance Learning Study Resource and Services fee is chargeable every semester and varies according to programme.
- On Campus Learning Study Resource and Services fee is chargeable every semester and varies according to programme.
- All totals are merely indicative and fees are subject to change without notice.
All of the University’s courses are classified into three categories, i.e., lower level, middle level or higher level. Lower-level courses are basic, introductory or foundation courses designed for freshmen. Middle-level courses may require some knowledge of previous study or a certain amount of intellectual maturity. Higher level courses are specialised courses usually designed for those majoring in a particular discipline. The level of a course is indicated by the first digit of the course code, i.e., lower level courses are indicated by the code 1XX/XX, middle level courses by 2XX/XX and higher level courses by 3XX/XX or 4XX/XX. The 2 digits after the slash indicate the credit value of the course. i.e., WLA101/03 is a lower level course of 3 credits while BBM203/05 is a middle level course of 5 credits and TEC305/10 is a higher level course of 10 credits.
Please click on the below links to download the courses: