EUB235 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment: Junior Secondary Science

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit will extend upon foundational knowledge of Science curriculum and pedagogy. It will explore curriculum theory and design, subject matter and assessment intentions of the Australian Curriculum for junior secondary classrooms (Years 7-10). The unit develops skills in the design of sequences of engaging learning experiences in safe learning environments. It also develops skills in assessment (diagnostic, formative and summative, and informal and formal) and explores principles of authentic assessment.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Interpret discipline-specific curriculum and describe discipline-specific pedagogy and assessment approaches and practices.
2. Explain how theory and research into how students learn informs teaching plans and assessment design.
3. Plan ways to create safe and engaging learning and assessment that caters for a diversity of students in junior secondary contexts.
4. Design innovative classroom activities and learning sequences that incorporate sustainability principles and strategies for using digital technologies.
5. Compare expectations with experiences of delivering safe, engaging and positive learning experiences.
6. Design assessment that aligns with learning intentions and enables consistent and comparable judgements.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn through engaging in the following:

• Workshops (online and/or face-to-face);
• Online self-directed learning;
• Personal research and readings;
• Collaborative activities with peers

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessment tasks in this unit:

1. Assessment design - This assessment connects discipline-specific assessment approaches with the design of assessment and associated marking guidelines to enable learners to demonstrate their learning and teachers to make consistent and comparable judgements.
2. Lesson sequence - This assessment will draw on the curriculum and pedagogical approaches covered in this unit to plan and deliver a micro-teaching experience and plan a lesson sequence or sequence of lessons.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Assessment Design

You will design a discipline appropriate summative assessment task for a series of junior secondary lessons. You will provide the assessment task sheet and an associated marking guide. The assessment needs to be relevant, appropriate and adaptable to a diversity of learners.

You will explain how your design aligns with relevant curriculum, supports student learning and caters for a diversity of learners. You will also describe how the associated marking guide and assessment moderation practices will enable consistent and comparable judgements.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Lesson sequence

In this task you will organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence (including identified resources). You will show your capacity to design innovative learning experiences that are both aligned with official curriculum requirements and a cross-curriculum priority. Your planning will include use of pedagogical strategies, formative assessment, literacy and numeracy strategies, resources appropriate to your discipline area, and strategies for using ICTs to expand learning opportunities for students.

A rationale is required in this task, to explain and justify the teaching and learning approaches underpinning your planning. You will draw on research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. Your justification will outline the teaching and learning cycle in your planning, including the purpose of different forms of assessment - formal, informal, diagnostic, formative and summative.

You will also reflect on your experience of a micro-teaching episode during the unit. You will include reflection on your organisation of the classroom activities, provision of clear directions, and your use of a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support learner engagement. Your reflection will demonstrate your disciplinary knowledge, pedagogies and safe and effective classroom management.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit; however, you must be familiar with the procedures for the safe handling of science equipment and materials in the workshops that conducted in the science laboratories. To participate in these activities, you are required to follow the instructions of your lecturer/tutor and abide by the regulations set out in the Health and Safety Student Guide that will be provided to you during the Week 1 workshop. You are responsible for ensuring that you obtain a copy of the booklet and read the contents before beginning laboratory work. Enclosed footwear must be worn in the science laboratories.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

1. Understand how students learn
   Relates to: Lesson sequence

2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it

1. Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
   Relates to: Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
2. Content selection and organisation
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
3. Curriculum, assessment and reporting
   Relates to: Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
4. Literacy and numeracy strategies
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
5. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
   Relates to: Lesson sequence

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

1. Establish challenging learning goals
   Relates to: Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
3. Use teaching strategies
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
4. Select and use resources
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
5. Use effective classroom communication
   Relates to: Lesson sequence

4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

1. Support student participation
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
2. Manage classroom activities
   Relates to: Lesson sequence
3. Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
   Relates to: Lesson sequence

5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

1. Assess student learning
   Relates to: Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
2. Provide feedback to students on their learning
   Relates to: Assessment Design
3. Make consistent and comparable judgements
   Relates to: Assessment Design
4. Interpret student data
   Relates to: Assessment Design

Course Learning Outcomes

ED59 Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

1. Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge of learning areas, learning and learners.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO6, Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
2. Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
3. Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
   Relates to: ULO3, Assessment Design, Lesson sequence
4. Innovative: Create innovative future-focused learning.
   Relates to: ULO4, Lesson sequence
5. Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: ULO5, Lesson sequence