Year
2022Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
EDEN299 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in English Education 1 OR EDLA278 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in English Education 1
Incompatible
EDLA439 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in English Education 2
Unit rationale, description and aim
Intending secondary teachers need an understanding of the senior secondary curriculum in order to plan lessons that promote learner engagement and enhance student learning, with attention to the high-stakes assessment that is a common feature of the end of secondary schooling.
In this unit, pre-service teachers will consider the place of English education in contemporary Australian society. 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 and providing constructive feedback and reporting. They will engage in self-reflection on their familiarity with the concepts and substance of English curriculum and consider their responsibilities as an English teacher. They will identify and practice pedagogical approaches emblematic of English teaching. Pre-service teachers will formulate unit and assessment plans in order to demonstrate a knowledge of curriculum, learning and assessment theory.
The aim of this unit is for the pre-service teacher to become familiar with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for teaching English at a senior secondary level and to promote the development of pedagogical content knowledge.
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 - Explain the principles of curriculum design and the inherent knowledge, skills and understandings that students require to achieve the outcomes of the senior secondary English curriculum (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.1, 1.2, 2.1)
LO2 - Identify and describe research-informed teaching and learning strategies that support student academic growth across the full range of abilities and diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 3.3)
LO3 - Develop a range of engaging and challenging activities incorporating a range of resources including ICT to meet the specific learning needs of all students (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 4.5, 5.2, 5.5)
LO4 - Develop a range of assessment strategies to support student learning and the evaluation of teaching and curriculum (GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9; APST 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
LO5 - Identify professional learning needs and appropriate sources of professional learning for improved student learning (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 6.1, 6.2, 6.4)
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
GA7 - Work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - Locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
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:
1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning. |
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. |
1.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. |
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
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. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
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. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
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. |
5.3 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning. |
5.4 Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice. |
5.5 Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement. |
6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs. |
6.2 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers. |
6.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learnings. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Factors in the educational context (international, national, state, territory and local levels) including curriculum policies and perspectives that shape the identity of English in Years 11-12, including the various courses offered across states and territories.
- Effective senior English teaching and learning including the teaching of analytical and creative writing, the teaching of critical literacy and critical analysis of film and other multimodal texts.
- General capabilities and cross curriculum priorities including the integration of literacy, and local, state, territory and national perspectives in the English classroom.
- Alignment and coherence in content, learning outcomes, pedagogy in curriculum programming in English.
- Pedagogical strategies that promote problem solving and critical thinking.
- The relationship between reflexive learning and effective concept formation to build higher order thinking in English.
- Catering for a diverse range of learners in English, including English language learners and Extension students.
- Discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Indigenous students in English, including incorporating Indigenous texts into the curriculum.
- Effective use of resources for teaching, including digital resources and approaches specific to teaching English.
- Pedagogical strategies to promote problem solving and critical thinking in English.
- Digital resources and approaches for senior English education.
- Conversational, questioning and scaffolding techniques to shape dialogic classroom talk in senior English education.
- Assessing student learning, providing feedback and reporting achievement in senior English education.
- High-stakes assessment in senior secondary English education, including the specific moderation process, student data interpretation and using data to inform teaching.
- Professional responsibilities and relationships.
- Professional associations and continued professional learning.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop understanding of planning and assessment and skills in applying effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. The pre-service teacher will have the opportunity to build 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 activities and culminating in micro-teaching opportunities. The pre-service teacher’s teaching skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing curriculum appropriate for a English 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 strategies may include:
- 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.
Technology Enhanced Learning
The unit will include a Learning Management System site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between on campus content and school experiences. It may include:
- Online review exercises.
- Discussion board to exchange ideas and refine learning.
- Video illustrations of teaching practice and focussed readings addressing a wide spectrum of teaching contexts, practices and competencies.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow the pre-service teacher to progressively demonstrate achievement against the course learning outcomes by demonstrating attainment of academic and professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on developing understanding of, and skills across the professional knowledge, practice and engagement domains needed to meet expectations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
The three assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. Through completing Task 1, pre-service teachers gain an indepth understanding of the senior curriculum and identify areas of the curriculum students find challenging and research strategies to facilitate learning. Through completing Task 2, pre-service teachers will create a folio of learning activities for the senior curriculum which meets the needs of a diverse range of learners. In Task 3 the pre-service teachers pre-service teacher will develop her/his communication and teamwork skills and apply knowledge of curriculum planning and teaching and assessment strategies in the development of assessments for a range of content. These tasks reflect the ‘real world’ of school contexts, teaching responsibilities and collaborative nature of the teaching profession, thereby preparing the pre-service teacher for professional experience placement and one’s role as a teacher.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks and obtaining a combined score of at least 50% and meet the requirements of the Critical Tasks which are core to the demonstration of a number of Australian Professional Teacher Standards:
- Assessment Task 2: Folio of Learning Activities
- Assessment Task 3: Formative and Summative Assessment
Pre-service teachers must demonstrate mastery of every summative standard listed in the learning outcomes and attain a score of at least 50% in each of the critical tasks in order to pass this unit.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Assessment task submission and return of marked assessment will be done through the Learning Management System. Tasks will be marked and returned three weeks after the assessment is completed.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Curriculum Review and Research Report Compile a research report that make evidence-based recommendations on approaches to teaching, learning and assessing students in a particular topics/areas of English in senior secondary English that would be considered complex and typically difficult for students to grasp. The report should include:
Present a professional learning plan to address potential gaps or weaknesses in personal knowledge for teaching English. Identify relevant professional learning opportunities. | 30% | LO1, LO2 | GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9 |
Assessment Task 2: Folio of learning activities Critical Task Create a folio of 6 – 10 engaging learning activities across a range of curriculum topics and skills relevant to senior secondary English education. The following requirements need to be addressed across multiple learning activities:
Critically reflect on the theories and pedagogical strategies of teaching English integrated into this folio, and the adaptation of resources from professional learning sources to improve your practice. | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Assessment Task 3: Formative and Summative Assessment (Group task) Critical Task Choose 3 – 4 activities developed in Assessment Task 2. Develop a range of quality teaching resources to extend each activity including formative and summative assessments. The teaching resources for each activity will include:
| 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA1, GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Artefacts and reflections may provide evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate and can be included in the ePortfolio.
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au.
Relevant State and territory curriculum and syllabus documents
Australian Capital Territory Senior Secondary http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/asset_lists/atmcv_courses
New South Wales K – 10 Syllabuses https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/syllabuses-a-z
New South Wales Stage 6 Syllabuses https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/Understanding-the-curriculum/syllabuses-a-z
Queensland Senior subjects https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects
The Victorian Curriculum F-10 https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
Victoria Senior Curriculum: VCE Study Designs https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx
Relevant State and Territory Curriculum Authority
ACT Education Directorate: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/Our-Curriculum
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/HomePage.aspx
Recommended references
Bibbens, T. (2018). Learning-driven data: Tracking improvement within a formative assessment cycle in English. English in Australia, 53(1), 33–41.
Kalantzis, M. (2012). Literacies as multimodal designs for meaning in Kalantzis, M. Cope, B. Literacies, Cambridge University Press: Port Melbourne, pp. 173-205.
Locke, T. (2015), Paradigms in English in Brindley, S., MasterClass in English Education: Transforming teaching and learning, Bloomsbury Academic, London, pp. 16-28.