Early childhood art education (4 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

In-person teaching on campus from September to October 2025.
Project implementation in pairs at a daycare center in October 2025.
Completion and submission of pair and individual assignments from September to November. The course ends in November 2025

Objective

The aim of the course is building up your understanding of the significance that art education has for the child's holistic development. It will also provide you with information and practical skills for using art-based methods in early childhood education and care.

Competences:

Competence in social client work

Intended learning outcomes:

You know how to support children's development, learning and self-expression through art education as well as visual and musical expression, taking into account children’s typical way of learning through play. You are able to define your personal pedagogical guidance principles and plan, guide and evaluate children's art and music education activities in a goal-oriented manner and in line with the objectives of the National core curriculum for early childhood education and care. You are able to use and adapt methods and tools of visual and musical expression in children's art education. You are able to assess and develop your theoretical and practical competence, guidance skills and skills in integrating art education methods.

Content

The core content of the course includes the theoretical foundations related to development and guidance of children's art education as well as creative visual and musical thinking and expression. Students will also get to know the objectives, guidance principles, methods and tools of visual and musical expression set out in the National core curriculum for early childhood education and care. They will also explore integrated and process-like art work with children under school age.

Location and time

The course is offered only once during the academic year. It will be conducted from August to November.
Contact teaching will be provided exclusively in-person, either at the Dynamo or Rajakatu campus.

Materials

Rusanen, S.; Kuusela, M. & Rintakorpi, K. 2014. Musta tuntuu punaiselta. Kuvataiteellinen toiminta varhaisiässä. Helsinki: Lasten keskus.

Lindeberg-Piiroinen, A. & Ruokonen, I. 2017. Musiikki varhaiskasvatuksessa - käsikirja. Helsinki: Classicus.

Teaching methods

In-person teaching at the campus
Individual assignments
Pair/group work

The use of artificial intelligence is permitted in this course to support learning and assignments, but it must be disclosed in the assignments and comply with JAMK and Arene guidelines.

Employer connections

A three-session art education project will be carried out in a daycare center during the course. Students will independently find a daycare center or another supervised group of children where the project will be implemented.

Exam schedules

The submission date for the learning assignment will be available on Moodle at the beginning of September 2025. The submission date is in November 2025.

International connections

International sources or studies have been utilized as references for teachers' lecture materials, supporting Finnish sources and studies.

Completion alternatives

The course can be credited based on previous higher education studies in early childhood art education (visual and musical expression) of at least 5 studypoints.

Partial credit for the course can be obtained based on previous vocational-level studies in art education.

Work experience cannot be used to obtain credit for the course.

Credit transfer applications should be submitted via Peppi to Anniina Berg

Student workload

108 hours, of which:
In-person teaching: 23 hours
Planning, implementation, and reporting of guidance: 50 hours
Individual assignments: 35 hours

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

You are able to describe how the methods of art education support children's development, learning and self-expression in early childhood education and care. You recognise the significance of play and name ways of acting typical of children. You are able to describe your personal pedagogical guidance principles and key factors related to the planning, guidance and evaluation of art education. You are able to name methods and tools of visual and musical expression in children's art education. You recognise your theoretical and practical competence related to integrating art education methods.