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Course Outline

EDU738 Teaching Senior Secondary English

Course Coordinator:Megan Schroder (mschroder@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

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

In this course, you will develop specialised knowledge and skills for implementing the Queensland Senior Secondary English curriculum. You will learn how to design lesson plans and learning sequences that will engage diverse learners. You will explore and evaluate a range of pedagogy, assessment and reporting strategies that maximise learning outcomes for senior students, including developing strategies for supporting literacy, numeracy and ICT learning within English.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with asynchronous learning materials - lecture videos, websites and activities - accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required texts. 2hrs Week 1 9 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – A blended learning approach is used to deliver the workshop component of the course. The workshop is synchronous and involves on-campus engagement and application of learning materials. 2hrs Week 1 10 times

Course Topics

Queensland Senior Secondary Curriculum

Cognitive verbs (QCAA and Marzano & Kendall)

Catering for student diversity

Teaching for 21st century skills

Assessment, feedback, moderation and reporting processes

Critical analysis of curriculum documents

Teaching Senior English

Teaching persuasive, narrative, informative, analytical and reflective writing and speaking

Teaching strategies, including non-verbal and ICT based strategies, that support the application and utilisation of knowledge (rich investigative tasks, inquiry learning, independent problem solving) and why independent problem solving is effective once a student approaches proficiency and why independent problem-solving should not represent a large proportion of teaching and learning time. 

Unit plans, teaching sequences and lesson plans

Why it is important to select appropriate teaching strategies for the students' familiarity with the knowledge of the subject. How to plan a sequence of lessons that incorporate spacing and retrieval practice, build upon each other, meet students where they are in their learning and help students retrieve past learning and consolidate it in long- term memory. 

Developing knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander history in texts

Organising and integrating lesson content, learning activities, resources, assessment, skills and pedagogical strategies including ICT

Literacy and numeracy demands in English subjects

Constructive alignment between objectives, learning activities and assessment tasks

 

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 deep knowledge of Senior Secondary English curriculum through the incorporation of relevant pedagogy to design learning sequences and programs that will advance students' knowledge and skills. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker 
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
2 Employ a student-centred and aligned approach to evaluate assessment practices, reporting and student achievement. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Ethical 
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
3 Demonstrate the use of explicit English teaching strategies and pedagogy that engages students in quality learning in Senior Secondary English. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Engaged 
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
4 Critically reflect on the role of literary and non-literary texts in Senior Secondary English. Creative and critical thinker
Sustainability-focussed 
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5

* 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.
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.
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
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.
3.1 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.
3.3 Use teaching strategies: Include a range of 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
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs: Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
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
4.5 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.
5.1 Assess student learning: Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning: Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning
5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements: Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
5.4 Interpret student data: Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
5.5 Report on student achievement: Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/ carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement

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 ED706 and an English Teaching area or ED508 or ED705

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

It is expected that students engaging in this course have undertaken tertiary English content courses that will be drawn upon to complete this course

Microcredential Information

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

Task 1 is due in Weeks 3-5. Students will have access to formative feedback in tutorials from Weeks 1 onwards.

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 Examination - not Centrally Scheduled Individual 30% 
1200-1700 words
 Week 4 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Artefact - Professional Individual 45% 
2600-3000 words
 Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Artefact - Creative, and Oral Individual 25% 
10-12 minute presentation
 Refer to Format In Class
All - Assessment Task 1:Evaluation of the Queensland General Senior English Syllabus
Goal: 
The goal of this task is for you to investigate and evaluate the General Senior Secondary English syllabus (QCAA)
Product: Examination - not Centrally Scheduled
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Referring to the Queensland General English syllabus (QCAA) and the associated list of prescribed texts, provide responses to the items on the examination paper. This is an open book exam that is to be completed in the tutorial.

Due in class,  Week 4.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Critical analysis of syllabus design and how it contributes to student learning in the 2st century, making provisions for student diversity
 1
2 
Reflection on the roles of texts in Senior English
 4
3 
Evaluation of assessment task design and grading processes
 2
4 
Written communication skills and academic literacies including grammar, English expression, APA referencing conventions, and technical accuracy.
 1
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Unit of work outline and accompanying lesson plan
Goal: 
Individually, students will interrogate a provided unit of work. Then, working as a professional learning team (PLT) of three, students will individually, and then collectively, evaluate the provided unit outline and co-produce a sequence of three lessons for the first half of Unit 2 in the QCAA General English Syllabus 2025. Students will give and receive written feedback on each other’s individual lesson plans, provide a justification for their pedagogical and assessment decisions, and after reflection, refine the sequence through collective professional wisdom
Product: Artefact - Professional
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Working in a professional learning team (PLT) of three, you will evaluate a provided unit outline and co-produce a sequence of three lessons for Unit 2 (Year 11) in the QCAA General English Syllabus 2025. You will individually draft one lesson plan that includes a diagnostic opening to identify where your students are in their learning before new content is introduced, and a sequence of activities designed to increase in cognitive demand with spacing and retrieval practice embedded throughout. You will exchange written peer feedback with your team before assembling a single co-produced lesson sequence. 

You will submit the following: 
1.	Your pre collaboration evaluation of the unit outline (300 – 400 words).
2.   Your individual lesson plan (pre collaboration) (800 – 1000 words).
3.  Annotated drafts of your two colleagues’ lesson plans, with your written feedback (250 – 300 words each).
3.  Your revised individual lesson plan (post-feedback)
4.  The co-produced lesson sequence (one shared document, submitted by all three team members)
5.  Your individual pedagogical justification (900–1000 words)
6.   A short reflection on the peer feedback of your lesson plan (250 – 300 words)
A detailed guide to completing the task is available on the course Canvas site.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Knowledge and understanding of English texts and curriculum documents to design and create an aligned unit of work outline including one lesson plan with appropriate cognitive verbs.
 1 3
2 
Implementation of pedagogy for student-centred learning (including ICT, literacy and numeracy opportunities, and provisions for cultural diversity where appropriate).
 1
3 
Development of formative and summative assessment processes.
 2
4 
Written communication skills and academic literacies including grammar, English expression, APA referencing conventions, and technical accuracy.
 3
5 
Justification of pedagogical and assessment decision making using literature, curriculum, and policy documents.
 1 2 3 4
6 
Knowledge of and skill in planning and sequencing content and tasks so that they become increasingly challenging and incorporate spacing and retrieval practice (in task and in assessment criteria)
 1 2 3 4
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Introduction to a text with accompanying multi-modal resource
Goal: 
The goal of this task is for you to demonstrate your capacity to introduce a prescribed text for
study in Senior Secondary English. Design and create a digital resource to engage students with
this text.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Submission: In Weeks 8-10 according to schedule.
You are to make a 10-12 minute presentation to introduce senior secondary students to a new text. The text must be chosen from a QCAA prescribed text list. You must demonstrate:
• Teaching practices for student engagement
• Knowledge of how the text will contribute to student learning and assessment
• An understanding of its stylistic devices and aesthetic features.
To support your presentation, design and create a multi-modal resource to introduce the text to students.
Purpose: To introduce a text, to inform and educate.
Audience: Senior secondary General English students.
Mode: Oral with multi-modal support.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Choice and justification of the value of the text.
 4
2 
Evaluation of how the text aligns with the Senior Secondary English Curriculum.
 1 4
3 
Creation of a digital multi-modal education resource to introduce a text to senior English
students.
 3
4 
Written communication skills and academic literacies including grammar, English expression, APA referencing conventions, and technical accuracy.
 4
5 
Oral presentation skills for an audience of senior secondary students.
 4
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Organisation, Applying technologies

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

Nil

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:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

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

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: 

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