Course Outline

EDU784 Assessment Principles and Practice in Steiner Education

Course Coordinator:Shelley Davidow (sdavidow@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access

2026Trimester 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

In this course you will compare Steiner assessment, practices and approaches with current global and assessment trends and focus, critically analysing holistic assessment models in relation to mainstream standardised and competitive approaches. You will identify a particular curriculum area, and evaluate authentic assessment practice and its relationship to Steiner curriculum, programme development and improving student learning outcomes.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – You are required to engage with online pre-recorded presentations and asynchronous materials and activities prior to attending the workshop tutorial. 1hr Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – This will be run in dual mode with a live Zoom tutorial/workshop in real-time but will be recorded for those who cannot make the session. 2hrs Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – A weekend in either week 6 or 7 (depending on study break and holidays) will be delivered online synchronously and asynchronously supported by technology-enabled learning and teaching including zoom. 7hrs Week 6 2 times
Online
Learning materials – You are required to engage with online pre-recorded presentations and asynchronous materials and activities prior to attending the workshop tutorial. 1hr Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – This will be run in dual mode with a live Zoom tutorial/workshop in real-time but will be recorded for those who cannot make the session. 2hrs Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – A weekend either in week 6 or week 7 (depending on holidays) will be delivered online synchronously and asynchronously supported by technology-enabled learning and teaching including zoom. 7hrs Week 6 2 times

Course Topics

Assessment principles and practice

Assessment – purposes and definitions

Steiner Education and assessment

‘Authentic assessment’

Innovative approaches to ‘authentic assessment’

Formative assessment and human development

Key practices needed to utilise assessment as an indicator of human development 

16 principles of assessment based on Steiner’s indications

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 Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Critically evaluate Steiner philosophy and approaches regarding assessment in relation to global trends and practice. Creative and critical thinker
2 Develop and design innovative approaches to 'authentic assessment' Creative and critical thinker
Engaged
3 Demonstrate expert knowledge regarding assessment and human development Knowledgeable

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 ED510 or ED705

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

Standard Grading (GRD)

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

Details of early feedback on progress

Verbal feedback to group presentations and discussions weeks 1-5 

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 Oral and Written Piece Individual 50%
10 minute presentation with script
Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Portfolio Individual 50%
2,500 words
Week 12 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Assessment in Steiner Education
Goal:
The goal of this task is to develop an in-depth understanding of the principles of assessment in light of Steiner's pedagogical indications.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Oral presentation and script with references
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Presents a video that demonstrates foundational understanding of national and global trends and approaches in assessment
1
2
Presents a video on a national or global assessment trend in the context of Steiner’s pedagogy and course materials and discussions
2
3
Presents a video that demonstrates foundational oral presentation skills supported by relevant visuals
1 3
4
Presents a written script to support the video that demonstrates an understanding of academic literacies: grammar, spelling, punctuation, and APA referencing conventions
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Developing Authentic Assessment
Goal:
The goal of this task is to create a portfolio that reflects on the learning materials, readings and In-class discussions from the intensive. The portfolio will include an artefact - a rubric or learning progression - authentic to Steiner's pedagogical indications.
Product: Portfolio
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Portfolio
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Creates an assessment instrument that reflects a foundational understanding of Steiner's pedagogical indications
1
2
Discusses learning materials and presentations from the intensive responding with personal insights and reflection on the content
1 2
3
Demonstrates a competent grasp of academic literacies including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and APA referencing conventions​
3
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy

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

For online elements access to a computer and Internet is required.

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

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 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: