Children's Learning (Child Development Theory) OpenCourseWare: The Open University's Free Undergraduate Child Development Course

Published Feb 24, 2009

RSS Feed

Discover four varied theories of learning and how they are applied to child development. 'Exploring Children's Learning,' a free online course offered by The Open University, examines behaviorism, social learning, constructivism and social constructivism and how they relate to children's cognitive and social growth. This undergraduate course, which takes about 20 hours to complete, would be suitable for those studying child education.

Exploring Children's Learning: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
No Yes No

Exploring Children's Learning: Course Description

How children learn has long been debated and theorized. Through the years, four 'grand theories' have emerged: behaviorism (learning as a discipline), social learning (learning by observation), constructivism (learning through action) and social constructivism (learning through social interaction). Exploring Children's Learning, an OpenCourseWare from The Open University, examines each of the above theories. The course also looks at criticisms and potential flaws. Students are encouraged to make their own analyses of the four schools of thought and their practical use in studying child development.

This OpenCourseWare on early development offers study materials free online. If you are interested in taking the course, visit the childhood education course page.