Students

EDST2501 – Practice of Teaching: Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Pedagogies

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Iliana Skrebneva
iliana.skrebneva@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via email
Meg Liang
meg.liang@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
80cp at 1000 level or above including (EDST2500 or admission to (BABEd(Prim) or BEd(Prim)BPsych or BABEd(Sec) or BScBEd(Sec) or BCommBEd(Sec)))
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students with an appreciation of the principles and practices of inclusive and special education. The unit develops students' understanding of current pedagogic trends, debates over inclusion and specialist provision and policy and legislation. Key competencies for working with children/primary and secondary students with special education and diverse learning needs will be developed and practiced. The pervasive influence of social constructions of disability and special needs and issues of ableism and disablism are addressed. The unit explores family perspectives, collaboration with professionals, and the lived experience of disability/impairment/difference of diverse learners. It covers inclusive curricular and evidence-based teaching practices, including universal design for learning and quality differentiated practices, to establish an inclusive classroom environment as well as pedagogy and practice in specialist provision.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Interrogate and evaluate current debates, pedagogic trends, policy and legislation, and forms of provision for learners with disabilities or special educational needs.
  • ULO2: Identify and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives concerning social constructions of disability and the pervasive nature of ableism and disablism in educational contexts.
  • ULO3: Identify strategies for engaging in meaningful collaboration with parents, caregivers and professionals that contribute to the development of an effective learning community.
  • ULO4: Apply appropriate processes and research-informed strategies to identify specific needs to support children and students with special needs, and engage in differentiated and inclusive practices that cater for all children and students in a diverse classroom.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate the capacity to work professionally in an early childhood setting or school.

General Assessment Information

General Submission Information

Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing.

All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor.

Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).

Unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence

occurs when a student uses material produced by a generative artificial intelligence in an academic exercise, without authorisation and submits it as their own work. Unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence may include using generative artificial intelligence to:

  • produce or retrieve information and then using that information in an academic exercise;
  • paraphrase text;
  • increase or enhance the quality of an academic exercise, beyond the purposes permitted within the academic exercise;
  • produce an answer for a task or quiz; and/or produce non-text-based work and then using that non-text-based work in an academic exercise.

Any student suspected of using unauthorised AI in an assignment will be referred to the Faculty of Arts Discipline Committee. Penalties can include reduced marks for an assessment, being awarded '0' for a task, failing an entire unit, being excluded from a course of study. Please see each assessment task description/rubric for expectations about AI.

Special Consideration / Late Penalties

Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect.

Late submission penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

Important to note:

  • Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.
  • Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor (or equivalent).
  • Where an application for Special Consideration is approved and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.

Marking

All assessments are marked using a rubric. Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.

University Policy on Grading

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy.

To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds.

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit Service Connect.

Withdrawing from this unit

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact your course progression.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Resource folder 50% No 23:55 22/09/2025;
Inclusion portfolio 50% No 23:55 05/11/2025; 23:55 12/11/2025
Professional Experience Evaluation Report 0% Yes 17/11/2015

Resource folder

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 33 hours
Due: 23:55 22/09/2025;
Weighting: 50%

 

Students will find three resources that support inclusion that relate to the Primary or Secondary school context. Students will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each resource using relevant literature to support their analysis.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Interrogate and evaluate current debates, pedagogic trends, policy and legislation, and forms of provision for learners with disabilities or special educational needs.
  • Identify and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives concerning social constructions of disability and the pervasive nature of ableism and disablism in educational contexts.
  • Apply appropriate processes and research-informed strategies to identify specific needs to support children and students with special needs, and engage in differentiated and inclusive practices that cater for all children and students in a diverse classroom.

Inclusion portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 33 hours
Due: 23:55 05/11/2025; 23:55 12/11/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

Whilst on Professional Experience placement students will complete a SWOT analysis of the classroom in relation to inclusion using the principles outlined in the weekly lectures. The analysis will include who is included and/or excluded and why. The analysis will be supported with evidence-based literature and links to relevant government reports, policies and legislation.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Interrogate and evaluate current debates, pedagogic trends, policy and legislation, and forms of provision for learners with disabilities or special educational needs.
  • Identify and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives concerning social constructions of disability and the pervasive nature of ableism and disablism in educational contexts.
  • Identify strategies for engaging in meaningful collaboration with parents, caregivers and professionals that contribute to the development of an effective learning community.
  • Apply appropriate processes and research-informed strategies to identify specific needs to support children and students with special needs, and engage in differentiated and inclusive practices that cater for all children and students in a diverse classroom.
  • Demonstrate the capacity to work professionally in an early childhood setting or school.

Professional Experience Evaluation Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: 17/11/2015
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Supervising teacher submits Evaluation Report.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Interrogate and evaluate current debates, pedagogic trends, policy and legislation, and forms of provision for learners with disabilities or special educational needs.
  • Identify and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives concerning social constructions of disability and the pervasive nature of ableism and disablism in educational contexts.
  • Identify strategies for engaging in meaningful collaboration with parents, caregivers and professionals that contribute to the development of an effective learning community.
  • Apply appropriate processes and research-informed strategies to identify specific needs to support children and students with special needs, and engage in differentiated and inclusive practices that cater for all children and students in a diverse classroom.
  • Demonstrate the capacity to work professionally in an early childhood setting or school.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Information about the unit iLearn site

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/index.php. You will need to enter your student username and password.

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help.

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

School of Education Procedures

This unit is a part of a professional course listed on Schedules 2 and 3 of the Academic Progression Policy. This course has additional requirements that are applicable for the full duration of the course, including course-specific Inherent Requirements, Fitness to Practice requirements and other compulsory course requirements. It also has rigorous academic progression standards. Inability to meet these requirements may result in a withdrawal of offer of admission and/or permanent exclusion from the course in accordance with the General Coursework Rules.

Fitness to practice in a Professional Experience unit

Macquarie University operates under a ‘Fitness to Practice’ model as specified in the University's Academic Progression Policy. For this unit, this means that, when undertaking a placement, a student is declaring that they are able to demonstrate professional competence, acceptable professional behaviour, freedom from impairment, and compliance with program specific requirements needed for a student to practice properly and safely throughout their Practical, Clinical or Professional program or unit. It is the responsibility of the student to determine whether they are fit to undertake a placement. Therefore, if a student is feeling unfit to undertake a placement, they should not do so. For more information Academic Progression Policy.

Communication

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis.

Communication may occur via:

  • Official MQ Student Email Address
  • The Dialogue function on iLearn
  • Other iLearn communication functions

Attendance and Participation

See the University timetable for information about when classes begin in this unit. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au)

Attendance at all synchronous activities, completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is expected as the Bachelor of Education is a professional qualification. Activities completed during weekly tutorials (DAY or ONLINE DAY mode) are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements. Attendance at all tutorials and is expected and will be recorded. Make up tasks may be given if attendance is missed to ensure all content is covered to meet accreditation requirements.

Students are required to attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. Any changes to tutorial enrolments must be completed officially through e-Student. Please do not contact the unit convenor to request a change.

Professional Experience Unit Expectations

  • Important Professional Experience information can be found on Education Commons – see iLearn for details of how to self-enrol in Education Commons
  • Students must be able to present evidence of completion of mandatory requirements prior to session census date (or as otherwise advised) to receive a placement for Professional Experience. Please check your email from the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Office. Requirements are outlined here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/pl-resources/pre-service-teacher-resources/induction-for-pre-service-teachers/mandatory-pre-requisites-for-pre-service-teachers-participating-
  • Students must have submitted all written assessment tasks and/or completed associated unit requirements scheduled prior to the commencement of the block.
  • Students who are completing a unit offered by another Department are expected to inform and negotiate with that unit convenor about their professional experience block dates and discuss how that unit's requirements can be met. For some situations it may mean that a student is enrolled externally for that unit so that attendance for tutorials for that unit is not impacted.
  • Feedback from Placement Support Team and/or Tertiary Supervisors and/or Supervising Teachers is of a general nature. It is incumbent on the student to check the requirements of any assessments or Professional Experience written tasks prior to submission.
  • Students may not be able to commence their placement until all alleged academic honesty breaches have been investigated and resolved.
  • The timing of placements can vary. For placements early in the session, fail grades may be approved by the university prior to the end of session for students who do not meet the placement expectations of the unit.
  • If a Student is identified as being In Need of Additional Support (INAS) for Professional Practice and/or Professional Experience written tasks, the Macquarie School of Education’s ‘Additional Support’ procedure will be activated.

 

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook