EDFD687 - Catering for Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

Pre-service teachers must be able to support all students as unique learners with diverse strengths, backgrounds, challenges, interests, and capabilities. For this, they must be flexible, open-minded and reflexive life-long learners with the ability to adapt and teach curricula effectively for all students, including students with disability, through inclusive practice. 

This unit is designed to provide pre-service teachers with knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusive frameworks for addressing the diverse learning needs of individuals. Pre-service teachers will investigate theoretical perspectives, and international, national and state policies and legislation to understand and implement specific inclusive teaching strategies for all students including students with disabilities, behaviour disorders and difficulties in learning, and students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or non-English speaking backgrounds, and students with gifted and talented abilities.

The aim of this unit is to develop pre-service teachers' knowledge, understanding, and skills in creating supportive classrooms and schools to meet the educational needs of all students effectively. Individual states will place particular emphasis on one or more of these areas to reflect employment requirements.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Illustrate an in-depth knowledge and appreciation of diversity and the implications for learning of students’ physical, cultural, social, linguistic and intellectual characteristics with particular reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, ESL and EAL/D learners (GA1, GA5; APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.4)

LO2 - Articulate and critically examine the principles and current international, national and state policies and legislation regarding inclusion and special education, including students with disability, with analysis of the indicators of successful inclusive practice in whole school communities (GA3, GA5; APST 1.6, 7.2)

LO3 - Evaluate, synthesise and apply a range of techniques to assess students’ progress, and to record, report and interpret assessment data, to inform instructional programming decisions for students with diverse learning needs (GA1, GA3; APST 5.1, 5.4, 5.5)

LO4 - Apply the concept of a differentiated curriculum in the Secondary teaching area or Primary specialisation, including content, resources (including assistive technologies) and teaching and assessment strategies that are responsive to learning strengths and needs to support diverse student engagement in order to achieve learning outcomes for all students (GA1, GA3, GA5; APST 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 5.1)

LO5 - Appraise and critique the characteristics and skills required for effective collaboration with colleagues, parents/carers and external professionals to facilitate the inclusion of students with diverse learning needs (GA5, GA7; APST 3.7, 7.3, 7.4)

LO6 - Interpret knowledge of school system, curriculum and legislative requirements to identify and develop practical strategies for building rapport with students, teaching strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety, and promote positive behaviour for all students, (GA1, GA5; APST 1.6, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4).

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

Content

Topics will include:

• The principles and current international, national and state legislative requirements and policies on inclusion, disabilities, values education and safe schools
• Legislation and the major outcomes of the broader social justice movement linked to the principles of equity, access, participation and rights
• The nature of diversity, including students with disabilities, behaviour disorders and difficulties in learning, and students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or non-English speaking backgrounds, and students with gifted and talented abilities.
• Student resilience through pro-social school and classroom practices and embedding the teaching of social-emotional skills within the curriculum
• Curriculum knowledge to program effectively for the diverse students in every classroom with discussion of case studies on literacy, numeracy, language development and behaviour and applications to the Secondary teaching area or Primary  specialisation,
• Adaptations to learning tasks/activities and assessment criteria, teaching strategies and the classroom environment to cater for all students, including students with disabilities
• Suitable class-based measurement and recording techniques to assess students’ progress and to guide appropriate instructional programming decisions for students with diverse learning needs
• Methods for interpreting student assessment data to evaluate student learning and to modify teaching practice
• Techniques for recording and reporting student assessment data for students with additional learning needs
• A range of diverse teaching and learning strategies and resources (including assistive technologies) to engage all students in learning, including verbal and non-verbal communication strategies
• Behaviour management strategies and  social skills development in conjunction with instructional programs
• Strategies for effective collaboration with colleagues and parents to facilitate the effective inclusion of students with diverse learning needs
• A range of support networks and services at a class, school, system and community level to support the inclusion of students with disability and/or special needs, and students from culturally diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-English speaking backgrounds
• The characteristics and skills required for effective collaborative consultation with a team of colleagues, support staff, external professionals and parents/carers to facilitate the effective inclusion of students with diverse learning needs, including those with disability and/or special needs.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The unit will be taught in a variety of teaching and learning modes during on campus weeks 1 – 12 or equivalent in intensive and online modes. Teaching and learning strategies may include:

• Lectures face-to-face or online/active learning activities
• Seminars, tutorials or workshops – which may include student-led discussion and group work
• Online discussion and activities
• Audio-visual presentations
• Reading guides which could involve students in both directed reading for the unit as well as self-directed online study materials

This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video, workshops, and assignments etc. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes and demonstrate attainment of professional standards. The assessment will relate directly to the achievement of the outcomes above. Assessment tasks will comprise two major pieces.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Ashman, A., & Elkins, J.R. (Eds.). (2012). Education for inclusion and diversity (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

Harrison, N. (2011). Teaching and learning in Aboriginal education (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (Eds.) (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Loreman, T., Deppler, J., &Harvey, D. (2011). Inclusive education: A practical guide to supporting diversity in the classroom (2nd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin.

McGrath, H., & Noble, T. (2010). HITS and HOTS. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education.

Mitchell, D. (2014). What really works in special and inclusive education: Using evidence-based teaching strategies (2nd ed.). London, England: Routledge.

Noble, T. (2004). Integrating the revised Bloom’s taxonomy with multiple intelligences: A planning tool for curriculum differentiation. Teachers College Record, 106 (1), 193–211.

Shaddock, A., Giocelli, L., & Smith, S. (2007). Students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms: A resource for teachers. Canberra: Australian Government.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Westwood, P. (2011). Common sense methods for children with special educational needs (6th ed.). London, England: Routledge.