Course Outline
EDU700 Professional Learning
Course Coordinator:Alison Black (ablack1@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access
2024Semester 1
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
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
This course provides opportunities for you to reflect on yourself as a learner/leader of learning and consider adult learning/leadership in today's world. You will engage with ideas/theories/concepts about adult learning and use these as a lens for understanding your learning context, experiences, goals, questions, interests and ways of knowing. Embarking on a self-directed, self-selected inquiry/project of self-study, you will engage in deep reflection as you link theory and practice, creating a portfolio to document new understandings about yourself as a learner/leader of learning.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Learning materials offer options/opportunities for learner choice. You will engage and interact with an array of asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required texts. | 1hr | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – A blended learning approach is used to deliver this course, including a mix of scheduled interactive tutorials/workshops, and synchronous and asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas. This course will be supported by technology-enabled learning and teaching including Zoom. Additional modalities may support learning in this course. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 13 times |
| Online | |||
| Learning materials – Learning materials offer options/opportunities for learner choice. You will engage and interact with an array of asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required texts. | 1hr | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online only. The scheduled tutorials/workshops involve synchronous technology-enabled learning and teaching experiences via Zoom. A mix of synchronous and asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas support online tutorials/workshops. Additional modalities may support learning in this course. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 13 times |
Course Topics
- Personal and experiential orientations to Adult Learning/Leadership of Adult Learning
- Theoretical and philosophical orientations to Adult Learning/Leadership of Adult Learning
- Positioning self within the discourses of adult learning as a ‘learner’ and/or a ‘leader’ of Professional Learning
- Constructing and engaging in a personal/professional learning inquiry within an environment and field of Adult Learning/Professional Learning/Leadership
What level is this course?
700 Level (Specialised)
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 Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Locate, read, understand and evaluate educational research that supports reflection on and development of an inquiry/professional learning project. |
Empowered Sustainability-focussed |
| 2 | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of professional learning through discussion of current orientations/ perspectives/ theories/ concepts and their application. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
| 3 | Articulate how professional learning and reflection on professional learning supports development and change in thinking, knowledge, skills, approaches, and education practice. |
Ethical Sustainability-focussed |
| 4 | Effectively communicate knowledge and reflection on professional learning to colleagues through planning documents, literature reviews, artefact and portfolio development. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
| 5 | Demonstrate an ability to use and apply effective communication strategies in a variety of contexts to produce and present quality and professional work. | Engaged |
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 Program ED703, ED704, ED705, ED501, ED508 or any postgraduate program
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Not applicable
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
Time and support will be given in tutorials to assist you in undertaking your assessment tasks. You will have an opportunity to share your Task 1 plan and reflections with peers and undertake peer review via the EDU700 Canvas site. Please note that whilst not weighted, Task 1 is due in week 3. This task supports early feedback.
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 | Plan | Individual | 0% | 500 words (or equivalent) |
Week 3 | Online Discussion Board |
| All | 2 | Literature Review (or component) | Individual | 40% | 2000 words |
Week 6 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 3 | Portfolio | Individual | 60% | 4000 words or equivalent |
Week 13 | Online Submission |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Professional Learning Project Plan | |
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to develop a plan for your inquiry/professional learning project that you will undertake across the semester. |
| Product: | Plan |
| Format: | *Please refer to the Canvas site for this course for more detail. The focus of this task is to develop and outline a plan for the project you wish to undertake across the semester. Your professional learning plan will be shared with your peers to support peer review and feedback and the development of your ideas. Your plan will contain your planned inquiry focus, guiding questions or goals for your inquiry and offer some contextualisation for how your plan connects to your own professional learning or leadership journey. As part of your plan you will identify possible learning orientations / perspectives / theories / concepts that might frame your inquiry and identify some relevant literature that might support your project development and reflection. Your textbook will support these processes. |
| Criteria: |
|
| All - Assessment Task 2:Literature Review to Deepen Your Inquiry | |
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to generate a review of relevant contemporary literature which discusses current orientations/perspectives/theories/concepts of adult learning or leadership of adult learning and communicates your knowledge and application of these in terms of how they pertain to your particular professional learning inquiry. |
| Product: | Literature Review (or component) |
| Format: | *Please refer to the Canvas site for this course for more detail. Use your literature review to show you understand the characteristics, qualities and importance of professional learning/adult learning/life-long learning/leadership. Use it to provide a background to your inquiry/professional learning project by identifying the key ideas/concepts/orientations/perspectives/theories/approaches to learning underpinning 'your' inquiry/professional learning project. The literature you review and critique will link to your particular inquiry focus and your inquiry questions/goals. Your review will highlight significant themes or issues emerging from readings and research and you will discuss what these might mean in the context of your inquiry/project and your own professional learning or leadership. |
| Criteria: |
|
| All - Assessment Task 3:Professional Portfolio of Your Inquiry | |
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to compile a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to document and critically reflect on your own professional learning or your leadership of adult learning. |
| Product: | Portfolio |
| Format: | *Please refer to the Canvas site for this course for more detail. Use your portfolio to evidence how you have engaged in professional learning and to document the enactment and outcomes of your learning inquiry/project. Use your portfolio to describe and document the developmental processes and learning that have taken place as your inquiry/project has unfolded (such as changes in thinking, knowledge, skills or approaches). HIghlight your personal/professional reflection and learning in your portfolio through the use of a range of artefacts (such as images, story maps, concept maps, time-scapes, multi-media, tables, diagrams, logs, journaling, creative outputs, responses to readings or chapter activities, conversation transcripts, other). Use your portfolio to share the professional learning approaches and concepts/theories/perspectives etc you have explored, found meaningful and applied; and the personal/professional learning that has resulted. Highlight 'aha moments' and potential implications for your practice, participation in, and leadership of, professional learning in future educational contexts. You will have an opportunity to present and share highlights of your completed folio with your peers. |
| Criteria: |
|
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.
Schedule
| Period and Topic | Activities |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
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
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Required | Sharan B. Merriam,Laura L. Bierema | 2013 | Adult Learning | n/a | John Wiley & Sons |
Specific requirements
Not applicable
How are risks managed in this course?
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
All assessment extension requests must be made prior to the assessment submission deadline using the online EDU700 Extension Request Form. Evidence must be provided and be in one of the recognized forms as per clause 7.9.2 of the USC Assessment Policies and Procedures document. Late submission of assessment tasks may 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 after 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 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
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
- UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
- Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
- Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au