EUB323 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2: Geography

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit further develops your understanding and skill in regard to geography curriculum, pedagogy and assessment knowledge. Building upon your learning in EUB223 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 1: Geography and following your second professional experience, this unit will explore the subject-matter and summative assessment practices used in Years 11-12 geography syllabi in the Queensland context. The exploration of a selection of subject-matter from across Years 11-12 will provide the basis for you to extend your topic-specific pedagogical knowledge and to develop your ability to design and provide feedback on summative assessment tasks. You will apply your understanding of subject-matter and topic-specific pedagogical and assessment knowledge to the marking of a summative assessment task and associated teaching and learning plans suitable for use in a senior secondary classroom.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate theoretical/practical knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure for the effective teaching of geography in Years 11 and (Relates to CLO 2; APST 2.1)
2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about quality differentiated teaching practices that can be used in senior geography classrooms to meet the full range of students including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and those with a disability. (Relates to CLO 1, 4; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.4, 4.5)
3. Embed twenty-first century skills in the design of effective geographical learning and teaching sequences. (Relates to CLO 1; APST 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
4. Demonstrate an understanding of assessment strategies and practices including design of formative and summative assessments, providing feedback to students and reporting to parents/carers, keeping reliable records and quality assurance processes for making comparable judgements. (Relates to CLO 1; APST 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5)
5. Communicate effectively in both written and spoken language. (Relates to CLO 9)

Content

Learning Approaches

A range of blended learning approaches including lectures, tutorials, group work, outdoor and virtual field work, presentations, use of ICTs, research, discussions and self-directed, online learning activities where you will engage in collaborative activity with peers and tutors will be used in this unit. Geographical teaching strategies are modelled in weekly workshops providing examples of teaching and learning strategies for developing knowledgeable, confident and enthusiastic learners in geography (11-12).

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Generic comments via QUT Canvas will be given to the whole cohort. Formative activities such as in-class and/or online tasks, reflections and discussions will support and develop your understanding of key concepts and pedagogies to teach senior geography and scaffold your learning in preparation for summative assessment. Summative feedback is given via written comments on marking rubrics/criteria sheets.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessment tasks in this unit, including a professional unit plan outlining five hours of teaching a chosen subject from the senior syllabus, and marked response to a Data Report sample. You will moderate these marks with a group of colleagues, and submit minutes of this meeting alongside your marking. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Plan

You will select subject matter from any topic from the senior syllabus and plan for five hours of teaching and learning in which the activities:

• Develop the unit objectives and subject matter cognitions;
• Reflect underpinning factors such as 21st century skills, and
• Provide for differentiation.

Identify suitable resources to support the relevant teaching and learning activities.

This task will assess your:

1. Knowledge of geography curriculum documents.
2. Application of quality differentiated pedagogies that can be used in geography classrooms to meet the full range of student abilities.
3. Ability to sequence lessons and include pedagogies for teaching twenty first century skills.
4. Ability to sequence lessons and include pedagogies for teaching that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. 
5. Knowledge of assessment strategies.
6. Professional non-verbal communication.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
CLOs - 1, 2, 4, 9

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Quality Assurance Marking Meeting

This assessment task involves marking and a quality assurance exercise/meeting.

You will individually mark a response to a Data Report sample using the Instrument specific marking guides (ISMGs) for Unit 4 Topic 1 (Internal Assessment 3).

As part of the marking exercise, confer with colleagues to confirm the mark awarded. Keep minutes of this meeting. Reflect on the process and identify your own strengths and weaknesses and identify what aspect of your practice needs to be strengthened to use the ISMGs. How you keep accurate records of student achievement will be assessed.

This task will assess your:

1. Knowledge of geography curriculum documents.
2. Knowledge of assessment strategies.
3. Professional verbal and non-verbal communication.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
CLOs - 1, 2, 9

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

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.

Resources

Resource Materials

Other

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)
Links to suggested readings and resources will be published via Canvas and/or QUT Readings systems.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

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: Professional Plan
2. Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
   Relates to: Professional Plan
3. Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
   Relates to: Professional Plan
4. Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
   Relates to: Professional Plan
5. Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
   Relates to: Professional Plan

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

1. Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
   Relates to: Professional Plan, Quality Assurance Marking Meeting
2. Content selection and organisation
   Relates to: Professional Plan
3. Curriculum, assessment and reporting
   Relates to: Professional Plan
4. Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
   Relates to: Professional Plan
5. Literacy and numeracy strategies
   Relates to: Professional Plan
6. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
   Relates to: Professional Plan

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

1. Establish challenging learning goals
   Relates to: Professional Plan
2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
   Relates to: Professional Plan
3. Use teaching strategies
   Relates to: Professional Plan
4. Select and use resources
   Relates to: Professional Plan

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

1. Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
   Relates to: Professional Plan

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

1. Assess student learning
   Relates to: Professional Plan, Quality Assurance Marking Meeting
2. Provide feedback to students on their learning
   Relates to: Quality Assurance Marking Meeting
3. Make consistent and comparable judgements
   Relates to: Quality Assurance Marking Meeting
4. Report on student achievement
   Relates to: Quality Assurance Marking Meeting