Module

Content

Syllabus Focus

Module 1: Understanding and conceptualising curriculum and pedagogy (duration 3 weeks)

Lecture 1: Understanding and conceptualising curriculum

This lecture focuses on the nature, purpose, differences and similarities between curriculum and syllabus across Australia and with priority given to the NSW context. The lecture then focuses on how to interpret NESA syllabus documents across Key Learning Areas together with the related support materials. Attention is also given to conceptualising and developing a learning, teaching and assessment program from a syllabus document.

Tutorial 1: Understanding and conceptualising curriculum

The tutorials in this module focus on a syndicate task where students will work towards the development of a multimodal report to be submitted as a formative assessment task before the commencement of Module 2. In this tutorial, students will research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about a relevant syllabus and support materials to conceptualise their own work within a given subject in a secondary classroom together with identification of factors which might enable and/or constrain practice and resource selection.

Lecture 2: Understanding and conceptualising pedagogy (i)

This lecture focuses on the importance of providing clear directions to students and within lesson plans. Focus is also given to the nature, purpose and complexities associated with inquiry-based learning and explicit instruction as key pedagogical approaches suitable for implementation across subjects and stages of schooling

Tutorial 2: Understanding and conceptualising pedagogy (i)

The tutorials in this module focus on a syndicate task where students will work towards the development of a multimodal report to be submitted as a formative assessment task before the commencement of Module 2. In this tutorial, teacher education students will scope out ideas for lesson plan with clear directions for student instruction and lesson operation. In this tutorial, students will research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about inquiry-based learning and explicit instruction to conceptualise their own work within a given subject in a secondary classroom together with identification of factors which might enable and/or constrain practice and resource selection.

Lecture 3: Understanding and conceptualising pedagogy (ii)

This lecture focuses on the nature, importance and enactment of culturally responsive pedagogies which are suitable for implementation across subjects and stages of schooling.

Tutorial 3: Understanding and conceptualising pedagogy (ii)

The tutorials in this module focus on a syndicate task where students will work towards the development of a multimodal report to be submitted as a formative assessment task before the commencement of Module 2. In this tutorial, students will research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about culturally responsive pedagogies to conceptualise their own work within a given subject in a secondary classroom together with identification of factors which might enable and/or constraint practice and resource selection.

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority documents for an Australian Curriculum

New South Wales Education Standards Authority syllabus documents across Key Learning Areas

Module 2: Understanding and conceptualising the nature, purpose and enactment of assessment (duration 2 weeks)

Lecture 4: Understanding and conceptualising assessment (i)

This lecture focuses on technical dimensions of assessment (reliability and validity), and the uses

and purposes of assessment within a standards-based curriculum. The lecture also introduces educational data, its specific types and forms (such as qualitative vs. quantitative, input data, learning process data, and output data) and how such data is used for assessment, evaluation, and measurement purposes within learning programs. Attention is given to understanding how both quantitative and qualitative assessment data can be used to inform student learning, teaching, and planning requirements.

Tutorial 4: Understanding and conceptualising assessment (i)

The tutorials in this module focus on students completing a series of individual and collaborative tasks before the commencement of Module 3. In this tutorial, students will firstly complete an online task which focuses on purpose, reliability and validity in and of assessment tasks. The online task will involve the presentation of authentic school assessments as exemplars of types of assessments (formal, informal, diagnostic, summative, formative) and written discussion about task categorisation and description. The second task will be collaborative. Students will be provided with exemplars of authentic school data and descriptions of how data has been collected, stored, interpreted (i.e., measured) and analysed. Students will critically engage with research-informed discussion about the categorization and description of school data exemplars, the presentation of a case study on

learning goals for a fictional class, and construction of appropriate evidence-based assessment tasks which identify the types of required data, and strategies for data collection, storage, and analysis.

Lecture 5: Understanding and conceptualising assessment (ii)

This lecture focuses on understanding how to attain more reliable tests using item analysis (for example through Item Response Theory). The lecture will examine types of tests (such as normative vs criterion referenced), standardised tests, and concepts such as raw scores, standard scores, z scores, linear transformation to a standard score, percentiles, stanines, grade equivalents, the Gaussian curve, and standard error of measurement. The lecture will also focus on frameworks and models of learning program evaluation (ie., the Logic Model) and will present strategies for determining effective learning interventions in the classroom. The emphasis will be on using both quantitative and qualitative assessment data to evaluate learning programs to inform pedagogy and program planning. The lecture also focuses on marking criteria and moderation of results together with weighting of marks for different assessment components. Implications for teacher practice and student learning will also be addressed.

Tutorial 5: Understanding and conceptualising assessment (ii)

The tutorials in this module focus on students completing a series of individual and collaborative tasks before the commencement of Module 3. The tasks demonstrate how to apply technical concepts to facilitate the understanding and interpretation of NAPLAN data and how to report NAPLAN performance to parents/guardians. Prior to the tutorial, students will complete an online quiz to test knowledge from the lectures. In this tutorial, students will have access to current NAPLAN data to identify emerging needs, gaps, priorities or specific areas of improvement. Students will then provide a brief description of these emerging needs, gaps, priorities or specific areas of improvement and propose an initiative to address these concerns using the Logic Model. The description and proposal will be posted in the learning portal discussion forum; each student will critically engage with research and readings to provide a response to at least one post from their peers. During the tutorial there will be opportunities to design and share multiple-choice items, short-response questions, and extended response questions together with interpreting marking criteria through annotation. The tutorial concludes with a practice pilot marking activity where moderation of results can be practised

Module 3: Understanding and conceptualising strategies to support literacy and numeracy (duration 2 weeks)

Lecture 6: ALARM as a strategy of support for developing literacy

This lecture focuses on the concept of literacy and distinguishes between literacy and English with reference to NSW syllabus documents. The lecture draws on the ‘A Learning And Responding Matrix’ (ALARM) to provide a backdrop for exploring the importance and obligation of teachers to develop literacy skills across all subjects, together with highlighting strategies for developing competency in building and assessing literary skills in secondary teaching and learning practices. The lecture also addresses implications for literacy skills in classrooms with diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Tutorial 6: ALARM as a strategy of support for developing literacy

The tutorials in this module focus on a syndicate task where students will work towards the development of a portfolio to be submitted as a formative assessment task before the commencement of Module 4. In this tutorial, students will develop the literacy section of the portfolio by exploring the literacy demands of a given subject (e.g., numeracy demands of English, Science, History) contextualised around students from diverse backgrounds. Students will include in the portfolio an identification, evaluation and design of strategies to embed and differentiate literacy into their teaching and learning practices. Students will also include an evaluation of a range of ICT resources for their usefulness in developing literacy skills and in meeting the demands of diverse learners. Further, students will justify and design a suitable assessment task for meeting literacy demands for their given subject.

Lecture 7: Years 3 – 8 Numeracy as a strategy of support for developing numeracy and for understanding its application into a secondary education context

This lecture focuses on the concept of numeracy and distinguishes between numeracy and Mathematics with reference to NSW syllabus documents. The lecture draws on the Years 3 – 8 Numeracy document to provide a backdrop for exploring the importance and obligation of teachers to develop numeracy skills across all subjects, together with highlighting strategies for developing competency in building and assessing numeracy skills in secondary teaching and learning practices. The lecture also addresses implications for numeracy skills in classrooms with diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Tutorial 7: Years 3 – 8 Numeracy as a strategy of support for developing numeracy and for understanding its application into a secondary education context

The tutorials in this module focus on a syndicate task where students will work towards the development of a portfolio to be submitted as a formative assessment task before the commencement of Module 4. In this tutorial, students will develop the numeracy section of the portfolio by exploring the numeracy demands of a given subject (e.g., numeracy demands of English, Science, History) contextualised around students from diverse backgrounds. Students will include in the portfolio an identification, evaluation and design of strategies to embed and differentiate numeracy into their teaching and learning practices (e.g., effective numeracy modelling). Students will also include an evaluation of a range of ICT resources for their usefulness in developing numeracy skills and in meeting the demands of diverse learners. Further, students will justify and design a suitable assessment task for meeting numeracy demands for their given subject.

Module 4: Understanding and conceptualising out of field teaching as a reality of transitioning into the profession (duration 2 weeks)

Lecture 9: Understanding and conceptualising out of field teaching as a reality of transitioning into the teaching profession

This lecture focuses on the nature, causes of, and implications arising from teachers being required to teach beyond their subject specialisation, otherwise known as out-of-field teaching. 

Tutorial 9: Understanding and conceptualising out of field teaching as a reality of transitioning into the teaching profession

The tutorials in this module focus on development of a blog in the learning portal discussion forum where students will share ideas and readings as part of their individual posts and critically engage with research and reason to posts from their peers, by the conclusion of Module 4. In this tutorial, students will research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about the likelihood of teaching out-of-field in relation to subject, location, and stage of schooling. Students will also research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about implications for self as a teacher who is required to teach out-of-field, and conceptualise possible strategies for managing and responding to such a phenomenon.

Lecture 10: Managing and responding to out of field teaching as a reality of transitioning into the teaching profession

This lecture focuses on research about how pre-service and early-career teachers navigate, manage and respond to the circumstance of being required to teach out-of-field as they enter and transition into the teaching profession

Tutorial 10: Managing and responding to out of field teaching as a reality of transitioning into the teaching profession

The tutorials in this module focus on development of a blog in the learning portal discussion forum where students will share ideas and readings as part of their individual posts and critically engage with research and reason in responses to posts from their peers, by the conclusion of Module 4. In this tutorial, students will research, reflect on, and formulate ideas about adjusting and enacting the previously articulated conceptualised  strategies for managing and responding to such a phenomenon. Students will conceptualise their own work within a given subject in a secondary classroom together with identification of factors which might enable and/or constrain practice and a further plan for action.