Unit rationale, description and aim
The Technologies curriculum is designed to provide learning opportunities for learners that facilitate the development of critical and creative thinking skills to solve real–world problems. Aligning with the education goals from UNESCO and the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, realisation of these mandates requires the adoption of constructivists principles to support ‘hands–on’, student–centred, play based, contemporary teaching and learning strategies.
In this unit, pre–service teachers will establish a knowledge base in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in F–6 Technologies national curriculum, and the Early Years Learning Framework. The understanding of curricula will be provided from a Catholic, State and Independent school and centre perspectives. More specifically, it will familiarise pre–service teachers with both the Design and Technologies and the Digital Technologies components of the Australian Curriculum, and Outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This will include syllabus content and requirements, approaches to lesson and experience planning and delivery, the use of project–based learning, and current and emerging digital technologies for resource development. Pre–service teachers will experiment and evaluate a range of digital technologies resources to support meaningful technology pedagogy, and will learn to differentiate between ICT capabilities and Digital Technologies.
The aim of this unit is to develop pre–service teacher’s awareness of the unique language and literacy, general capabilities and cross–curriculum priorities of technologies, and the EYLF Practices to meet the learning needs of a diverse range of students in prior to school, and school based settings.
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.
Apply relevant national/state and systemic policy ...
Learning Outcome 01
Describe a range of theoretical frameworks relatin...
Learning Outcome 02
Select, document, implement and evaluate, a range ...
Learning Outcome 03
Research, evaluate and develop learning resources ...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Study of relevant national, state and systemic policy and syllabus statements to set the context for the Australian Curriculum: Technologies and the Early Years Learning Framework
- Study of the aims, objectives, outcomes, content and assessment requirements of the relevant Australian Curriculum: Technologies syllabus or the Early Years Learning Framework
- Examination of a range of theoretical frameworks relating to teaching of and with technologies
- Approaches to planning and development of project-based teaching and learning strategies including Reggio Emilia problem-based learning approaches
- Teaching and learning strategies, that may include the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, or the Practices in the Early Years Learning Framework to meet a range of student learning styles and prior experiences
- Design and Technologies knowledge and understanding and processes and production skills - identify needs, opportunities or problems and use design process and design thinking to develop solution
- Digital Technologies knowledge and understanding and processes and production skills – defining and solving problems through digital systems, critical and creative thinking and applying computational thinking
- The language and literacy of the technologies
- Ethics, values and contemporary influences involved in the teaching of technologies.
- Professional learning and associations
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures include the development of a Design Technologies Project-based assessment task and a Digital Technologies project solution.
Minimum Achievement Standards
In order to pass this unit, participants are required to submit or participate in all assessment tasks. The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Assessment task submission and return of marked assessment will be done through Turnitin on Canvas. Tasks will be marked and returned three weeks after the assessment is completed.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 Design and Technologies Projec...
Assessment Task 1
Design and Technologies Project-based Site
50%
Assessment Task 2 Digital Technologies Contempor...
Assessment Task 2
Digital Technologies Contemporary Teaching
50%
Assessment Task 1: Design Technologies Project-based site
Task Requirements
Part A – Project-Based Learning
Participants are to design and develop an original 7-10 days (7-10 hour) project-based learning (PBL) experience, appropriate to a primary school year level of your choice, or in an early childhood setting 3-5 days. The problem and sustained inquiry sequence is to be derived from the Design and Technologies Australian Curriculum including ICT as a general capability, or the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) Outcomes and including EYLF Practices. The sequence should demonstrate evidence of cross-curricula integration. The PBL task must be underpinned by the learning theories addressed during lectures and tutorials, for example, project-based learning, SAMR, TIM, Digital Play Framework etc.
The PBL task will be presented as a website, and should be a minimum of four web pages:
- Challenging Problem or Question Statement – A real-world scenario needs to be presented that describes the nature and scope of the problem.
- Sustained Inquiry – include three innovative activities that will guide students to produce a well-considered judgment, to support their solution to the problem. Utilise a range of theories to ensure activities are scaffolded e.g. Bloom’s Taxonomy, Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences
- Assessment Strategy – guide for students to determine whether the learning outcomes of the task are met.
- Work Sample – ‘Above satisfactory’ work sample of each of the activities and problem solution for school age children, or an annotated work sample for children in prior to school settings.
Part B – Project-Based Learning Reflection
Write a critical reflection addressing how and where the project-based learning experience you have designed is underpinned by project-based learning and other theories. The critical reflection must be more than anecdotal; reference must be made to the unit literature, curriculum, and the theoretical content covered during the lectures and tutorials (approx. 400 words).
Assessment Task 2 – Digital Technologies Contemporary Teaching
Part A – Digital Technologies Lesson Plan
In groups of 3, develop a series of three sequential lessons /learning activities. Choose between the following two options:
For Primary School Settings
The lessons are to be based on the Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies Outcomes and Content for Years 1, 2 or 3. Using the ACU lesson plan template and the Digital Technologies Syllabus you are to create a sequence of three, contemporary and detailed 30-minute lessons. The lesson plans should specify clearly: the syllabus, year level, outcomes, cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities.
For Early Childhood Settings
The learning activities are to be based on the Early Years Learning Framework Outcomes 4 or 5 for Pre-school or Kindergarten. Using an approved learning experience template, and the Learning Outcomes you are to create a sequence of three, contemporary and detailed learning experiences. Learning experience plans should specify clearly: the outcome, age group, purpose, developmental domains, and completed planning cycle and incorporating the Practices in the EYLF.
Lessons/learning activities must integrate the meaningful use of at least one digital technological tool or application to support understanding of identified outcomes, and be innovative in approach. Lessons/learning activities should specify the development of literacy and numeracy, timed lesson/experience content, intentional teaching strategies, and resources required, including technological. Accompanying the lesson plan/learning experience should be an appendix including all the resources required to teach the lesson/learning activity. If resources have been taken from existing texts or URL’s, ensure they are clearly referenced.
Part B – Innovative Teaching Performance
In the same group of 3, students are to identify the most creative and engaging 15-minutes from the lessons/learning activities planned in Part A. Students are to teach the 15-minute lesson, with each group member participating equally to the lesson/learning activity delivery. The teaching performance must have the tutorial group actively participating in the lesson/learning activity.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit may be offered on-campus, online or in a multi-mode. 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 teaching period comprising of directed tasks and self-study.
An emphasis is placed on pre-service teachers as adult learners with responsibility for their own learning and who are capable of problem solving. The learning in this unit is enquiry-based, learner-focused and student centred. Teaching and learning strategies are designed to be flexible and promote self-regulated and guided learning, underpinned by adult learning principles and may include:
- Lectures face-to-face or online to enhance knowledge
- Seminars, tutorials or workshops; online activities to engage in active learning
- Reading guides which involve directed reading as well as self-directed online study materials
- Discussion Forum online postings and responses designed to encourage peer collaboration
- Webinars and podcasts for lecturer and student communication and for further information.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015). Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Canberra, ACT: Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.
Relevant State and Territory curriculum documents.
Recommended references
Albion, P., Campbell, C., & Jobling, W. (2018). Technologies education for the primary years. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Arthur, L, Beecher, B., Death, E., Docket, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Programming and planning in early childhood (8th ed). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Early Childhood Australia (ECA). (2018). Statement on young children and digital technologies. Canberra, ACT: ECA. http://dx.doi.org/10.23965/ECA.001
Ebbeck, M., & Waniganayake, M. (2017). Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford. http://search.proquest.com/docview/2228636436/
Edwards, S., & Bird, J. (2017). Observing and assessing young children’s digital play in the early years: Using the Digital Play Framework. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(2), 158–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X1557974
Henderson, M., & Romeo, G. (Eds). (2015). Teaching and digital technologies: Big issues and critical questions. Port Melbourne Vic: Cambridge University Press.
Howland, J.L., Jonassen, D.H., & Marra, R.M. (2012) Meaningful Learning with Technology (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Education.
Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Larmer, J., Ross, D., & Mergendoller, J.R. (2017). PBL starter kit: To-the-point advice, tools and tips for your first project in middle or high school. Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education.
Thompson, S., & Thompson, N. (2008). The critically reflective practitioner. Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education. (2010). Recognizing the potential of ICT in early childhood education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000190433
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Humphries, J., & Sinclair, C. (2016). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia