Students

EDST8290 – Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning

2025 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Poulomee Datta
Contact via Contact via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MSpecEd or GradDipSpecEd or MInc&SpecEd or GradDipInc&SpecEd or GradCertInc&SpecEd or MEd or GradCertEd or GradDipEdStud or GradCertEdStud
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will develop an advanced understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework through which to approach differentiated instruction, assessment and participation opportunities for all learners. This includes the development and application of techniques and strategies for engaging in flexible and responsive approaches to effective pedagogy for all. This unit will also investigate theoretical perspectives, including critiques of and evidence for differentiated practice and UDL to develop knowledge of effective, proactive, flexible, and responsive strategies for addressing the needs of a diverse range of learners. This unit will explore current research on inclusive approaches to learning in schools as well as the broader socio-cultural context of communities. This unit includes mandatory professional experience.

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: Summarise universal approaches to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and apply this learning to the practice of teaching.
  • ULO2: Analyse advanced knowledge and application of differentiated practice consistent with current research and policy.
  • ULO3: Evaluate assessment, instructional strategies and curriculum in light of effective teaching strategies.
  • ULO4: Identify the legal and human rights basis for differentiated and universal approaches to learning.
  • ULO5: Articulate key concepts and practices relevant to the application of universal design for learning and differentiated teaching.
  • ULO6: Application of relevant principles of instruction during professional experience placement.

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
Assignment 50% No 23:55 07/09/2025
Assignment 50% No 23:55 26/10/2025
Professional Experience/Practicum 0% Yes Week 13

Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Design Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 23:55 07/09/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

This assessment will present a plan for the implementation of a problem solution, focusing on the reasoning behind the implementation, how it meets a set of requirements and how it accommodates the necessary constraints. It may also include the development and examining of skills and practice related knowledge and application of relevant content from the unit addressing specific conceptual and theoretical issues of differentiated instruction and universal design for learning (Approximately 2000 words).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Summarise universal approaches to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and apply this learning to the practice of teaching.
  • Analyse advanced knowledge and application of differentiated practice consistent with current research and policy.
  • Identify the legal and human rights basis for differentiated and universal approaches to learning.

Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 23:55 26/10/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

This assessment will include a range of questions with a focus on integrating and examining practice-related application of knowledge of relevant content from the unit. These questions may involve analysis of assessment results, curriculum analysis, short critical review of research, short essay, case studies, scenario-based development of intervention strategies, addressing specific conceptual and theoretical issues in supporting differentiated instruction and universal design for learning (Approximately 2000 words).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Summarise universal approaches to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and apply this learning to the practice of teaching.
  • Evaluate assessment, instructional strategies and curriculum in light of effective teaching strategies.
  • Articulate key concepts and practices relevant to the application of universal design for learning and differentiated teaching.

Professional Experience/Practicum

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Supervised professional experience practicum allows for systematic and first-hand observation of teaching competencies.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Application of relevant principles of instruction during professional experience placement.

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

Recommended texts

Hyde, M., & Dole, S., & Tait, K.(Eds.) (2021). Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press. 

Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lesson from research and practice (7th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Thomas Social Science Press/Cengage.com

Information about the unit iLearn site   

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn.   

Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit.  

Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted here, as will other relevant unit notices and materials. 

Various activities and materials for discussion and critical reflection are included and students enrolled in online mode are especially encouraged to use this web component. Electronic links and suggested references will be included in the Resources section. Please check the iLearn unit regularly.  

Weekly lectures are available on the iLearn site of the unit. You must listen to all lectures. 

PowerPoint slides are available in iLearn in advance of the weekly lecture and/or are available in the Active Learning Tool.  

Access and technical assistance  

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  

Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357  

Log a request: help.mq.edu.au

On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk 

General organisation of the unit

The unit is organised in external mode only, and in a flexible delivery format. 

Delivery is designed such that students may seek as much or as little assistance as required in completing the unit. In flexible delivery units, it is critical that students are organised and disciplined. If you get significantly behind in your topic coverage, it may be impossible to catch up. Please start your study as soon as possible. Students are expected to access the iLearn site and engage with unit materials regularly during the teaching weeks of the semester.

Unit Schedule

Please check the iLearn site for the unit weekly schedule

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.

School of Education Procedures

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

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

Professional Experience Unit Expectations

● 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.

● 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.

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.


Unit information based on version 2025.01R of the Handbook