Course Outline

EDU423 Reflective Practices in Early Learning

Course Coordinator:Anne Drabble (adrabble@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access

2024Semester 2

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

In this course you strengthen your developing teacher identity through critical reflections of professional knowledge, practice, and engagement. Informed by the EYLF, QKLG and the Australian Curriculum you will use a reflection-for-action lens to analyse early reading instruction for young students across the full range of abilities. You will produce evidence-based practices using the elements of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language to share with parents and carers to further advance young students’ thinking, speaking, and reading in the  home.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Online
Learning materials – Learning materials are independently accessed in Canvas. They include course content, activities, readings and resources for active engagement and participation in the online tutorials. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Tutorial 1: Seven two hour weekly online tutorials scheduled via zoom, involving active participation. Additional modalities may be used to support learning in this course. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Tutorial 2: Three one hour online tutorials scheduled via zoom, involving active participation. Additional modalities may be used to support learning in this course. 1hr Week 1 3 times

Course Topics

Course topics:

  • Achievement of the APST
  • Australian Curriculum (English)
  • Australian Curriculum (Literacy Progressions)
  • Australian Curriculum (Technologies)
  • Developing teacher identity
  • Early reading approaches
  • EYLF and QKLG (early language and communication)
  • Language acquisition
  • Listening comprehension
  • Phonemic awareness
  • Phonics (synthetic phonics and analytic phonics)

 

What level is this course?

400 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
1 Demonstrate EYLF and QKLG knowledge of quality learning and teaching including advanced theoretical and philosophical perspectives of an early childhood teacher and the teaching profession. Knowledgeable
Empowered
Engaged
1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2
2 Evaluate and apply knowledge and understanding of the Australian curriculum (English) and the Australian curriculum (Technologies) for use in a Prep classroom. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
1.4, 2.1, 2.5, 2.6, 4.5
3 Evaluate and apply knowledge and understanding of early reading instruction including the elements of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and oral language. Knowledgeable
Empowered
Ethical
1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, 3.2
4 Engage ethically and sensitively with parents and carers to share, explain and respond to communication on the value of explicit teaching strategies used in early reading instruction. Knowledgeable
Ethical
Engaged
3.5, 3.7, 7.3
5 Communicate using clear and concise language in a range of genres for the field of education using appropriate conventions. Knowledgeable
Empowered
Engaged
2.5

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
1.2 Understand how students learn: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds: 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 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: 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 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities: 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 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.2 Content selection and organisation: Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies: Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs: Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
3.5 Use effective classroom communication: Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process: Describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process.
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically: 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.
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers: Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

enrolled in ED303

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

EDU409 Internship

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

You will draw on your prior knowledge from EDU109 Professional Experience: Play and Pedagogy in Early Learning (autobiographical reflections), EDU217 Professional Experience: Evidence Based Decision Making in Early Learning, EDU213 Teaching English: Curriculum and Pedagogy, EDU340 Teaching Reading and Writing, and EDU361 Teaching English: Language, Literature and Literacy.

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress


            

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Literature Review (or component) Individual 50%
2500-words or equivalent
Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual 50%
2500-words or equivalent
Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Literature Review (Information has value)
Goal:
The goal of Assignment1 is to demonstrate Information Literacy through annotations and cohesive summaries of scholarly articles.
Product: Literature Review (or component)
Format:
You will need to annotate five research/scholarly articles, and develop a cohesive summary for each scholarly article.

Each summary is submitted in Canvas and due midnight Friday Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Interpretation of theory and research through scholarly annotations
1
2
Application of research in the teaching cycle with a focus on planning, teaching and assessing.
2
3
Justification of key issues researched in developing teacher identity
1
4
Evaluation of research with a focus on early reading instruction
3
5
Written communication demonstrates meaning and cohesion using appropriate language conventions.
5
All - Assessment Task 2:Creative and Written Piece (using storybooks to support early reading instruction).
Goal:
The goal of Assignment 2 is to demonstrate knowledge of research in early reading instruction and reading practices during a storybook reading session undertaken in a Prep classroom with Prep students.

.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
Format:
You will create early reading experiences using storybooks for Prep students that involve parents in the educative process of young children's language development.

Assignment 2 is submitted in Canvas and due midnight Friday Week 7.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
1.	Innovative integration of research, for early reading instruction (including the elements of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and oral language);
2 3
2
Implementation of a range of teaching strategies to encourage student participation and language development
3
3
Collaboration with parents/caregivers in the educative process of early reading instruction
4
4
Evidence of a reflection-for -action responses to the artefact, including parent/carer feedback to improve practice and involve parents/carers in the educative process of early reading.
1

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Current Blue Card for place-based field trip.
It is expected that you will have access to the internet to access electronic material available online via the University Canvas and the library.

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct.

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate:

5% (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task
10% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day
20% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task
A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late.

To request an extension, you must contact your Course Coordinator and supply the required documentation to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
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  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au