Regularly updated, SECD online resources bring research and concepts to life with hundreds of readings, videos, links, reflect questions and interactive activities. SECD’s core online learning packages consist of five modules that provide an overview, examples of research and links to practice:

• SECD Canada
• SECD Canada (en Français)
• SECD Canada Introductory Edition
• SECD Canada Édition d’introduction
• SECD International

Five core modules:

Brain Development
Compelling research about early brain development has reshaped the way we think about early child development. During the prenatal period and the first few years of life, the brain is exquisitely sensitive to external influence. The Brain Development module provides basic understanding of the interplay of genes and early environments which shape children’s development and influences them throughout life.

Coping and Competence
This module is about how children develop from complete dependency to being able to cope with the world around them, relate to others, manage life’s challenges and regulate their behaviour. The importance of social interactions with adults and children around them, as well as internal forces, are themes throughout.

Communicating and Learning
Learning doesn’t start when children begin school. From birth, and even pre-birth, babies are learning constantly about the world around them and also becoming ready for communication. This module explores exciting research into memory, early language development, the development of mathematical understanding and the important role of play in learning. It also focuses on ways to capitalize on everyday learning opportunities with young children.

The Ecology of Childhood
Children do not exist in isolation. From conception on, a child’s world is shaped by other individuals, community organizations, available resources, opportunities, and cultural patterns. This module focuses on the interplay of the many contexts that influence child development.

Developmental Health
This module is about the ‘big picture’. Early childhood is a period of astonishing cognitive, social, emotional and physical growth that launches developmental trajectories into the years ahead. Gain insight into why early years have such a long-term impact on both individuals and societies; learn how to use this information to advocate for children and families.

Additional SECD online learning packages include:

• SECD International Introductory Edition
• Child Development Primer/Introduction au développement de l'enfant
• Prenatal Development Module
• SECD Workshops

SECD offline resources are flexible, interactive multimedia learning packages developed in response to meeting the needs of different audiences particularly where computer access or online learning is less accessible or not the best fit for the learning context.

The SECD Seminar Series is designed for professionals and policy-makers. It includes multi-media summary slide presentations of the five modules from SECD International Edition, a facilitator guide and support materials for participants. The seminars are designed to be highly interactive and can be delivered individually as full-day sessions or together as a week-long training. The Seminar Series is being has been translated into Arabic, French, Kiswahili, Mandarin, Portuguese, Bangla, Russian, Tajik and other languages.

The SECD Resource Kit is designed to support workshops or training for parents/caregivers, front-line ECD staff and anyone directly engaged with young children and families. The Resource Kit is a flexible resource that consists of a manual with accompanying USB drive that contains media, including video and slides, that enables facilitators to either develop workshops or use the ready-made workshop with facilitator support materials that are included. Topics in the Kit are: Early Brain Development; Nurturing Care; Positive Guidance; Play; and Language & Literacy with a focus on 0–6.

The SECD learning packages are used in different ways:

1. Colleges and universities use SECD resources as an online “textbook” for pre-entry, diploma, undergraduate, and graduate level courses in child development, psychology, nursing and other courses. Each student has an individual license and covers the content as required for a particular course.
2. Instructors/professors use it as a tool to enhance classroom instruction. With a projection license the instructor can, for example, show students the recorded interviews and use the reflect questions to stimulate class discussion, distribute readings and scenarios for discussion hand out examples as well as play the review games.
3. Community organizations and NGOs use SECD materials to enhance the training they provide to others, including parent education, staff training, and professional development. For example, a newcomer family drop-in program might use SECD for a parent session on supporting pre-literacy through play; a funder might convene program leaders for a one-week workshop using the Seminar Series; or a provincial childcare association may offer online workshops on topics such as early brain development, positive guidance, or risky play.
4. Professionals use the resource to keep current and enhance their own knowledge base.
   
   Emis Akbari is a Professor at George Brown College in the School of Early Childhood and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at OISE at the University of Toronto. In this video, she describes the value of using SECD resources, the range of learning opportunities, and student engagement.

SECD learning packages have been adopted as part of many educational institutions’ ECE curriculum, making it available to instructors and students alike.

Projection License

A projection license is required for institutions using SECD learning packages in their curricula.

• Two-year renewable subscription
• Accessible with username and password
• Instructor use only; allows for projection of the resource in face-to-face and online settings
• Can be shared amongst colleagues in the same institution, but only allows for one instructor to be logged in at a time
• Depending on the size of the program, one or multiple projection licenses may be required

For students to access the chosen SECD resource (as in cases of a required text), student licenses must be obtained.

Student License

• Two-year subscription (can be renewed if student wishes)
• Accessible with username and password
• Single user per student license
• Contact us at: sales@scienceofecd.com for further information on making student licenses available to your students and we will get in touch with you promptly
• If 20 or more student licenses are purchased, instructor is provided with a projection license at no cost

It is important to note:

• students should not purchase general SECD resources from the SECD website. We will set up student licenses specific to your institution.

Please contact sales@scienceofecd.com with any questions.

If you are teaching in a college or university and are interested in considering adopting SECD for students or teams, and want to discuss wish to request a 1-week guest access, please contact us at sales@scienceofecd.com. Please send your name, email address, organization and indicate the learning package you would like to review.