Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
In order to plan and deliver lessons that promote learner engagement and enhance student learning, intending secondary teachers need knowledge and understanding of the senior secondary curriculum, along with theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches that are emblematic of teaching in their chosen teaching areas, including teaching/learning that responds to the high-stakes assessment that is a usual feature of senior secondary schooling.
In this unit, pre-service teachers will consider the place of Outdoor Education in contemporary Australian society, and the senior secondary Outdoor Education curriculum, in particular. They will explore a range of evidence-based approaches for curriculum development and alignment and to plan for effective teaching and learning, including formative and summative assessment. Pre-service teachers will learn approaches for building knowledge of Outdoor Education and how to provide constructive feedback and reporting. They will learn approaches for engaging senior secondary learners and to meet the learning needs of diverse students in the senior secondary years. They will further develop skills to shape the dialogic talk of the classroom. Pre-service teachers will formulate unit and assessment plans in order to demonstrate a knowledge of curriculum, learning and assessment theory. They will assemble a resource folio to demonstrate capacity to collect, create and critique resources for effective teaching and learning and to link with curriculum. They will investigate issues and considerations of curriculum implementation as found in the practical reality of schools.
The aim of this unit is for the pre-service teacher to develop their pedagogical content knowledge through becoming familiar with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for teaching Outdoor Education at a senior secondary level.
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 - demonstrate mastery of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of Outdoor Education, and an in-depth understanding of how students learn in Outdoor Education (GA5; APST 1.2, 2.1)
LO2 - critically analyse, synthesise, develop, and implement a range of Outdoor Education learning and teaching activities and sequences for junior students (7-10), which involve a variety of pedagogical approaches and resources (including safe and ethical use of ICT resources) appropriate to these year levels and curriculum content (GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10; APST 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.5)
LO3 - describe, design, evaluate and implement a variety of teaching strategies which cater for individual differences in student learning (e.g. cognitive, physical, social, cultural) and integrate general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities in Outdoor Education (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA9; APST 1.3, 2.5, 3.3, 4.1)
LO4 - analyse the relationships between learning task design, student learning and expertise, higher order thinking, assessment, feedback and reporting in Outdoor Education, and apply to the development and modification of own teaching practice (GA4, GA5, GA9; APST 2.3, 5.1, 5.2)
LO5 - theorise the important role that Outdoor Education can play in promoting environmental health and aiding in understanding cultural issues (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA9; APST 1.2, 2.1).
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. |
1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. |
2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
2.5 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. |
5.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. |
Content
This unit is designed to provide pre-service teachers with strategies for planning, implementing and monitoring learning experiences for students in Outdoor Education. Topics will be tailored to the needs of the group and may include:
- factors in the educational context (international, national, state, territory and local levels) including curriculum policies and perspectives that shape the identity of Outdoor Education in Years 7-10.
- the concepts, substance and structure of curriculum content in Outdoor Education
- contemporary understandings of the unique ways in which students learn in Outdoor Education
- specific professional practices and key pedagogical approaches related to teaching and learning in Outdoor Education contexts, and their theoretical underpinnings
- general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities including the integration of literacy and numeracy and local, state, territory and national perspectives in Outdoor Education
- planning, implementing and evaluating sequences of learning activities in Outdoor Education relative to specific school context and identified factors impacting teaching and learning
- the relationship between reflexive learning and effective concept formation to build higher order thinking in Outdoor Education
- catering for a diverse range of learners in Outdoor Education
- discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Indigenous students in Outdoor Education
- effective use of a range of resources for the teaching area, including ICT’s, technologies and equipment specific to Outdoor Education
- classroom management in Outdoor Education and the impact of curriculum rigour, engagement, participation and inclusion on learner behaviour
- pedagogical strategies to promote problem solving and critical thinking in Outdoor Education
- a range of approaches and strategies for assessment, feedback, and reporting in Outdoor Education
- strategies to develop students’ literacy and numeracy skills in the context of Outdoor Education
- ways to assess student learning, provide effective feedback, make consistent and comparable judgments, interpret student data and report on student achievement in Outdoor Education.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop the pre-service teacher’s understanding of effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. The pre-service teacher will build an understanding of teaching strategies through critical reading, lecturer modelling, discussion, and practice in tutorials. The pre-service teacher’s skills of professional communication and ability to work collaboratively will be practised through group work. The pre-service teacher’s teaching skills of planning and assessing, and their ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing curriculum appropriate for a Outdoor Education context. The pre-service teacher will continue to gather and reflect upon evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
Teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approach, including, for example:
- Weekly face-to-face lectures and / or online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)
- Hands-on tutorials and discussions that promote peer learning
- Microteaching opportunities
- Self-directed reading and research
- Collaborative learning opportunities
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that the pre-service teacher can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and the professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on pre-service teachers acquiring content knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge in order for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.
The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. By completing Task 1 the pre-service teacher will apply knowledge of assessment strategies. In Task 2 pre-service teachers develop a program of work for senior students over a period of time.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Lesson planning Develop a series of at least three sequential lessons / learning activities. These must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
| 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10 |
Assessment Task 2: Analysis of the Curriculum Analysis of Outdoor Education 7-10 curriculum content, skills and topics; and diagnostic test and/or self-audit to identify key gaps in pre-service teacher’s knowledge, understandings and skills. Undertake independent research and/or skill practice. Demonstrate mastery of key topics/gaps identified through:
| 30% | LO1, LO5 | GA4, GA5 |
Assessment Task 3: CHOICE - For the purposes of national moderation all campuses must select the same task. Option A: Teaching and Assessment Implementation and Critical Reflection Implementation and evaluation of a sequence of learning and teaching activities which will take place in microteaching small-group or similar settings and within which:
Critically evaluate the ways in which the above addresses identified syllabus content, promotes student higher order thinking, caters for the needs of diverse learners, and addresses the cross curricular priorities and General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. OR Option B: Resource Folio and Critical Reflection Create a folio of 6 – 10 practical activities that cover a range of curriculum topics and skills, within which:
Critically evaluate the ways in which the above addresses identified syllabus content, promotes student higher order thinking, caters for the needs of diverse learners, and addresses the cross curricular priorities and General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. OR Option C: Field Trip and Critical Reflection Students will participate in an Outdoor Education field trip and reflect on this experience. Students will critically evaluate their experience using current research on the benefits and outcomes of outdoor education and current syllabus documentation. They will rationalise the relevance of this in a school context critically evaluating how:
| 30% | LO1, LO4, LO5 | GA1, GA4, GA5 |
Representative texts and references
Wattchow, B., & Brown, M. (2011). A pedagogy of place: Outdoor education for a changing world. Clayton, Vic: Monash University Publishing.
Journals
Australian Geographic, Australian Geographic Society, Sydney NSW.
Australian Journal of Environmental Education, Australian Association for Environmental Education, Nathan Queensland.
Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, Outdoor Council of Australia, Milton Queensland.
Habitat, Australian Conservation Foundation, Carlton Victoria (www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2957)
Journeys, Victorian Outdoor Education Association, Carlton Victoria.