Students

EDST8500 – Reimagining Indigenous Education: Strategies and Research

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Dakota Smith
dakota.smith@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MTeach(Prim) or MTeach(Sec) or MEd or MEdLead or MEChild or MInc&SpecEd
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will deepen students’ understandings of the practices of settler colonial education and the impact of colonialism in mainstream schooling. Students will engage with Indigenous research methodologies and Indigenous scholarship to rethink deficit perspectives and develop an understanding of the complexities involved in ‘Indigenous education’ in relation to policies, curriculum, resources, research, and pedagogies. Lectures and tutorials discuss research-informed and relational approaches to effectively teach Indigenous students, embed Indigenous perspectives and build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities. At its core, this unit will require students to critically reflect on their own positionality and knowledges to overturn the harm of schooling for many Indigenous students.

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: Use research-informed pedagogical approaches to embed Indigenous perspectives.
  • ULO2: Engage with Indigenous research methodologies and Indigenous scholarship to challenge deficit perspectives that are present in policies, curriculum and practices.
  • ULO3: Understand the ongoing impacts of colonialism in schooling and the importance of teachers’ critical self-awareness in order to build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities.
  • ULO4: Critically reflect on own bias, positionality and knowledges in the context of colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty.
  • ULO5: Explain the contested scope of understanding about sustainability across contexts.

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). 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

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends) (see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration). Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect. 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. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessments (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

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. 

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
Standpoint statement 50% No 06/04/2025
Lesson plan 50% No 08/06/2025

Standpoint statement

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 06/04/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

Students present an individual standpoint statement supported by academic research, outlining who they are and why critical self-awareness and reflection are integral in Indigenous education

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the ongoing impacts of colonialism in schooling and the importance of teachers’ critical self-awareness in order to build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities.
  • Critically reflect on own bias, positionality and knowledges in the context of colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty.
  • Explain the contested scope of understanding about sustainability across contexts.

Lesson plan

Assessment Type 1: Lesson plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 60 hours
Due: 08/06/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

Students design a lesson plan with appropriate resources and justification applicable to relevant education setting 

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use research-informed pedagogical approaches to embed Indigenous perspectives.
  • Engage with Indigenous research methodologies and Indigenous scholarship to challenge deficit perspectives that are present in policies, curriculum and practices.

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

Delivery

EDST8500 is divided into modules and delivered through the following items:

  • a weekly, one-hour pre-recorded lecture. Please note: it is a requirement that students watch the assigned lecture prior to attending tutorials each week.
  • a weekly 1.5 hour tutorial. Please note: it is important for students to check whether they are enrolled in a face-to-face or online tutorial.
  • weekly prescribed readings
  • supplementary learning activities on iLearn

Further information about the nature and content of unit delivery is available on ilearn.

Resources

Prescribed readings, as well as a curated list of scholarly publications authored (or co-authored) by Indigenous academics will be available on Leganto via a link on iLearn.

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

In addition, the following policies and procedures for the Macquarie School of Education apply to this unit.

Academic Progression Policy

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.

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.

Attendance at all synchronous activities, completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is expected as the Degree is a professional qualification. Activities completed during weekly tutorials (DAY or ONLINE DAY mode) or on campus days (INFQ 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/or on campus days 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.

 

Changes since First Published

Date Description
13/02/2025 I have removed text titled "Professional Experience Unit Expectations” at the end of the Policies and Procedures section (This unit is not a PEx unit).

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook