Pre-requisites

ED6040 Curriculum and Assessment

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and for the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement.

• Demonstrates an ability to integrate Biblical principles when designing programs including content, resources and assessment.

• Apply understanding of the purpose for providing timely and appropriate feedback to students and the use developmental rubrics; interpret students’ assessment data and demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation to make consistent and comparable judgements of students learning for feedback, recording and reporting purposes in the area of chosen VCE Specialisation.

• Investigate the structures of knowledge and the perspectives of their specialisation area including the challenges of teaching this area, particularly from a Christian foundation.

• Apply knowledge of learning theory, student learning, the concepts, substance and structure of the content, and standards of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE and VCE VM) curriculum, and the teaching strategies appropriate to your area of specialisation, to organise content into effective and appropriate teaching and learning sequences for VCE.

• Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities, use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to engage students and provide clear directions, select appropriate resources, and plan strategies for using ICT, to expand learning opportunities and support students’ participation and engagement; and provide feedback as learning is taking place using explicit teaching strategies to re-teach concepts, scaffold, or correct misconceptions.

• Plan differentiated learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students with varying abilities and characteristics, and develop a range of differentiated teaching strategies that respond to the learning strengths and needs of students with additional needs, including gifted students, and students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, including students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, applying understanding and respect for their histories, cultures and languages

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of contemporary effective assessment theory, research and strategies, relevant to the area of specialisation for students in VCE/VCE VM.

Unit Description

This unit covers the content, structure and substance of the Victorian and Australian Curriculum VCE and builds on previous studies in the preservice teacher’s major and minor, Christian Foundations and Education Studies units. The unit will engage with current knowledge and understanding about the various strategies and features for developing effective lessons to engage a diverse range of students in the senior secondary years in their specialist area. Preservice Teachers will incorporate appropriate use of ICT processes for enhancing learning experiences in their discipline. Preservice teachers will develop a critical understanding from a Christian perspective of the various frameworks that have driven and shaped the teaching of their specialist area.

This unit will explore various strategies that a teacher can use to sample thinking, understanding and skill competence of students on the topics being taught as part of the specialised learning area. The unit will explore various strategies for interpreting data and importantly how to provide effective (formative) feedback for promoting further learning in the teaching/learning cycle and modify teaching practices. The unit will also cover diagnostic, formative and summative assessment used in your specialist area and how to report achievements in reports to parents/carers.

The Preservice teachers will attend 2 workshops (one at the start of semester and one at the end of semester) during these workshops they will collaborate with their peers to investigate the application of topics covered in both of their teaching areas. They will also meet with Teaching Area Mentors who are experienced in their areas of specialisation at VCE, exposing students to those with recent senior school classroom experience. These mentor teachers will focus on relevant teaching strategies for their specialisations.

The Teaching Area Mentors will provide specific teaching area interpretation of the material studied in the workshops, major and minor areas of study and Education Studies units.

Topics

1. Getting to know the VCE Curriculum in your area of specialisation: terms, content, and structure. Include worldview, perspectives and history of the discipline.
2. Sequencing the VCE curriculum areas of study in your area of specialisation; including unit plans and scope and sequence as per the accredited VCE Study Designs and assessment advice.
3. Lesson planning in your area of specialisation – sequencing a regular lesson and using VCE resources.
   a) The significance of developing and delivering challenging recall practice to promote retention.
   b) The significance of practice opportunities within and between lessons.
4. Pedagogical content knowledge of your discipline including teaching strategies and learning activities in your area of specialisation; including chunking information and clear goal-setting, explicit instruction to limit cognitive overload.
5. Strategies for preparing for SACS (and other assessments) and differentiated tasks such as essay writing, reports, posters and digital presentations.
6. Differentiation and support in the VCE classroom including individual learning plans and special consideration applications in your area of specialisation. cc: Including understanding a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) and how to promote inclusion of all students in the class.
7. Introduction to the VCE Vocational Major – its purpose, structure, assessment and certification.
8. Assessment in VCE – School Assessed coursework, school assessed tasks and examinations in your area of specialisation including working with VCAA advice to construct a VCE SAC.
9. VCE Year 12 examinations – structure, types of questions, using VCAA assessment reports in your area of specialisation – common mistakes and using such reports to inform and modify practice for improved student outcomes.
10. Designing VCE SACS, SATS and practice exams; use of differentiated assessment to cater for students with neuro diverse learning needs; and accessing legitimate commercially produced VCE tests, essays and reports in your area of specialisation.
11. Grading Coursework and Assessment tasks through the use of criteria, rubrics and internal and external moderation of school partnership arrangements.
12. VCE Data analysis for your area of specialisation - participating in VCAA workshops and subscribing to the relevant professional association for the area of specialisation.
13. Use online learning management systems to record students’ achievements, incorporating strategies such as providing meaningful feedback through sample reports used by schools and for both continuous and summative reporting to students, parents/carers.

Learning Experiences

Assessment and Indicative Load

Assessment types include Curriculum Preparation and Minor Essay. Indicative study load is 140 hours.

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Unit offerings

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.