Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

This course focuses on the interactions between children and the different levels of the environments surrounding them, guiding students to understand the dynamic nature of such interactions, and how children may differ in their motivations and needs to function in these interactions. Thus, from an ecological point of view, students will gain advanced knowledge about how children interact with their social and physical environments, how the environments affect children’s development in various domains, and how to consider diversity and inclusion in an environment. Students will also be guided to critically examine existing literature and methodologies for studying children’s interaction behaviors. Furthermore, students will acquire hands-on experiences on how to communicate and apply scientific knowledge, as well as how to design a research plan to measure and analyze interaction dynamics

Results/Contributions

In this course, students not only present and discuss key literature related to children’s interactions with their environments, but also participate in a two-stage design activity titled “Unlocking Knowledge.” Through this process, they develop an understanding of the concept of “interaction” and the conditions required to create a friendly and inclusive environment for young children to learn and interact.


Students were highly engaged in class. As the course progressed, they increasingly took the initiative to raise questions and were able to discuss core issues more substantively. For example, in one session, students engaged in an in-depth discussion of the social needs of autistic children. It was evident that students had developed a different perspective, as they were able to consider environmental influences at different levels. In another session, there was a lively discussion about designing playgrounds for children with diverse needs. Moreover, students’ design project and case study also demonstrated their deeper understanding of the complexity of “interaction,” and their ability to design appropriate methods to assess and analyze it.



Keywords

child-environment interaction, interaction behaviors, individual differences, diversity and inclusion, social and physical environment

Contact Information

鄒詠婷
yt.tsou@mx.nthu.edu.tw