The online format of the Science of Early Child Development (SECD) means we can regularly make updates to the content. Every license holder automatically has access to the new information.

Like most organizations around the world, the SECD team at Red River College Polytechnic has had to shift work priorities and activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While public health restrictions meant we were unable to conduct new interviews with experts or film in programs and communities, we focused our attention on the existing content in all of the SECD living textbooks and modules. This included some editing of video footage shot before the pandemic to add video content, doing formatting updates, implementing APA 7th edition citation changes on SECD webpages, and reviewing all SECD readings, consider examples, and Interacts. Work on these SECD elements is ongoing as is the inclusion of more material that discusses the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the lives of children and families around the world.

The SECD team has always been “virtual” so we are well versed in online learning and digital content. Since the spring of 2020, we increased our knowledge mobilization efforts by offering more sections of the Introduction to the Science of Early Child Development Online Course and by conducting SECD Online Professional Development Workshops in several provinces across Canada.

APA 7th ed. guideline changes

All SECD reference lists have been updated to APA 7. We have also updated the last page in each module (now called, Additional SECD information) to include suggestions for citing SECD based on APA 7th ed., as well as the reference list and interview transcript files for that resource. Note the change to Red River College Polytechnic as the organizational author.