Course Outline
EDU714 Professional Experience: Managing Learning Environments
Course Coordinator:Kristy Patton (kpatton@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access
2026Semester 2
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, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement. |
Please go to unisc.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
You will critically reflect on professional practice and the management of learning environments through a 20 day SPE placement. You will apply deep knowledge of preventative and intervention strategies to facilitate student learning. You will apply your creativity and skills to your professional practice to make judgments and develop lesson plans. You will adhere to workplace health and safety requirements, university and employer codes of conduct, and update your portfolio to reflect and demonstrate your autonomy and ongoing achievement of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required tests. | 1hr | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – A blended learning approach is used to deliver the workshop component of the course. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Placement – 20 days of School placement | 145hrs | Week 11 | Once Only |
| Seminar – Online | 1hr | Week 3 | 6 times |
| Online | |||
| Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required tests. | 1hr | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – The workshop component of the course will be delivered online via Zoom. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Placement – 20 days of School placement | 145hrs | Week 11 | Once Only |
| Seminar – Online | 1hr | Week 3 | 6 times |
Course Topics
Topics in this course include:
- Classroom Management
- Essential Skills of Classroom Management
- Schooling in Australia
- Classroom padagogical practices
- Teacher Ethics
- Student Protection Policy
- Preparation for Professional Experience.
What level is this course?
700 Level (Specialised)
Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.
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 | Apply knowledge and understanding of educational research that connects teaching strategies, behaviour management (both verbal and non-verbal) with learner engagement and inclusion. |
Empowered Engaged |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2 |
| 2 | Apply knowledge of teaching and learning, verbal and non-verbal behaviour management, and learner engagement to lesson planning and delivery; including beginning to make consistent judgements in assessment. |
Empowered Engaged |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2 |
| 3 | Demonstrate and critically reflect on professional ethical practice based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, Codes of Conduct and school-based policies and procedures, and WILS preplace tasks. Respond to mentor feedback to identify professional learning needs. |
Ethical Engaged |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2 |
| 4 | Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies and resources available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching, including parental/carer involvement where appropriate. |
Empowered Ethical |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 7.1, 7.2 |
* 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. |
| 1.6 | Strategies to support full participation of students with disability: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability. |
| 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. |
| 2.3 | Curriculum, assessment and reporting: Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
| 3.1 | Establish challenging learning goals: Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
| 3.2 | Plan, structure and sequence learning programs: Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
| 3.4 | Select and use resources: Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
| 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. |
| 4.1 | Support student participation: Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
| 4.2 | Manage classroom activities: Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions |
| 4.3 | Manage challenging behaviour: Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour. |
| 4.4 | Maintain student safety: Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. |
| 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. |
| 6.1 | Identify and plan professional learning needs: Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs. |
| 6.2 | Engage in professional learning and improve practice: Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers |
| 6.3 | Engage with colleagues and improve practice: Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices. |
| 6.4 | Apply professional learning and improve student learning: Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning. |
| 7.1 | Meet professional ethics and responsibilities: Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession. |
| 7.2 | Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage. |
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
EDU765 and enrolled in Program ED706
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Not applicable
Microcredential Information
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Limited Grading (PNP)
Pass (PU), Fail (UF). All assessment tasks are
required to be passed for successful completion of the course.
Details of early feedback on progress
Feedback will be provided to students in weeks two and three through tutorial discussions and reflections.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Oral | Individual | Lesson plan: 2000 words Lesson delivery:10 minutes |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
| All | 2 | Placement performance | Individual | 20 days |
Refer to Format | SONIA |
| All | 3 | Code of Conduct | Individual | The duration of the course |
Week 2 | Online Submission |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Managing the Learning Environment Lesson Plan and Teaching Segment | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to practise your teaching in relation to managing a diverse learning environment. You will implement your planning in a simulated classroom context. |
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| Product: | Oral | ||||||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Submit: Lesson Plan: Friday, 5 pm, Week 5. Teaching segment; Weeks 6 - 10. Prepare a 45 minute lesson plan for one of your teaching areas that includes strategies for managing the learning environment. You must demonstrate learning goals, differentiation strategies and resources for the full range of abilities, and use of formative feedback.Include safe and ethical use of ICT resources for students in your planning. Choose 10 minutes of your lesson and deliver the teaching segment. Reflexively managing the learning environment to support student learning, engagement and safety as appropriate for the phase of learning. During the lesson a variety of classroom management challenges may be encountered through roles played by class members. You as the teacher will need to manage the challenges as they occur. You may need to adapt your prepared lesson plan and teaching strategies in response to the needs presented by the students and the learning behaviours presented. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 2:Supervised Professional Experience SPE Report and ePortfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to engage in learning and teaching experiences in secondary schools related to one of your teaching areas. |
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| Product: | Placement performance | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Submit: SPE Report: automatically added to SONIA at the completion of the SPE Report Form. You will engage in 20 days of Supervised Professional Experience. During this time you will undertake teaching, observations and reflections of learning and engage with the school community to explore professional practice. During this professional experience you will be focussed on developing your ability to design learning experiences that support diverse learners and developing your skills at managing the learning of individuals, small groups and the class as a whole group. You will also develop strategies to involve parents and carers as appropriate. You will develop your capacity to use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically.Your reflections should also include how you have responded to supervisor feedback and how this impacts on your professional development. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 3:Code of Conduct | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to critically analyse the Code of Conduct for the School of Education and reflectively operate within its guidelines during a work integrated learning (WIL) experience. |
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| Product: | Code of Conduct | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | During your WIL experience you are required to complete 20 days of work experience. To be eligible to pass, you are required to complete the Supervised Professional Experience Placement satisfactorily according to the Criteria: below. See Canvas for your discipline specific Code of Conduct. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||
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
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Required | Sue Roffey | 2011 | The New Teacher's Survival Guide to Behaviour | n/a | SAGE Publications |
Specific requirements
You will need to have professional attire suitable to wear on 20 days of supervised professional experience. You need to access suitable transport to supervised professional experience venues for the duration of your supervised professional experience.
How are risks managed in this course?
Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risks concerns may include working in an unknown environment as well as slip and trip hazards. 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
Limited Graded Course: This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Institutional Operating Policy of the USC. In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.Assessment: Submission penalties
You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.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