Pre-requisites

Minor study in one of: Economics, Geography, History together with a Part in one of: Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geography, History, Indigenous Studies, Legal Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology as per VIT Specialist Area Guidelines

ED920 Developmental Learning and Pedagogy
ED930 Classroom Management

Co-requisites

ED960 Integrting ICT Across the Curriculum
ED900 First Nations Peoples and Culturally Responsive Teaching

Learning Outcomes

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

• Use advanced knowledge of the discipline and understanding of research into how students learn to critically analyse state and national curriculum to select and organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence, providing scope in the junior and middle years of secondary schooling to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities, including literacy and numeracy, for the development of the Humanities appreciation and skills.

• Apply expert understanding of how students learn the Humanities, curriculum, assessment, reporting, a range of teaching strategies, including differentiated, to design learning sequences and lesson plans incorporating a range of effective teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students across the full range of abilities from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Apply advanced knowledge to critically analyse the various theoretical frameworks that drive and shape the teaching of Humanities, including from a Christian perspective.

• Create and evaluate a variety of assessment strategies to meet the full range of diverse student needs and development in Humanities, undertake assessment of example tasks and apply assessment moderation procedures.

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of Humanities Years 7-10, including the organisation of classroom activities and provision of clear directions.

• Critically apply reflexive practice to their own learning process and ongoing development as a teacher including their understanding of the Christian faith in the context of Christian worldview, Scriptures and broader vocation.

• Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, and apply creativity and initiative in incorporating them into the planning and teaching of Humanities Years 7-10 appropriate to the learning and teaching context to engage students in their learning.

• Develop learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.

Unit Description

This unit covers the Humanities learning area of State and National Curriculum Yrs. 7-10. Students will engage with current knowledge and understanding about the various strategies and features for developing effective lessons and assessments to engage a diverse range of students in History and Geography and integrated units on the study of society. Students will incorporate appropriate use of ICT. Students will develop a critical understanding from a Christian perspective of the various frameworks that have driven the teaching of Humanities. Students will also engage in providing grading and feedback of various assessment tasks in line with proficient teaching and research so to maximise effectiveness and quality of learning in Humanities.

Topics

1. The Curriculum, its Frameworks and a Christian Perspective.
2. Students Learning the Curriculum.
3. Key features of planning and sequencing tasks and lessons that include progression and curriculum aligned learning objectives that allow students to show evidence of mastery.
   - Developing working examples - Problem solving activirties - Spacing and Retrieval practice: consolidation of long-term memory.
4. Techniques and Strategies for teaching Humanities, including the integration of ICT and other resources.
   - Explicit instruction: modelling and scaffolding.
5. Feedback and Assessment.
6. Data and Differentiation for Improvement.
   - Including using diagnostic data – beginning instruction where the students are at and limiting cognitive overload.
7. Research on Teacher Effectiveness

Learning Experience

Topic 3 Designing for Progression: Curriculum-Aligned Planning and Sequencing (cc 2.1.1, 2.1.2)

As a class, dissect a unit of work (provided by the lecturer).

Key things to look for:
- Progression from concrete to abstract understandings of the content.
- Learning objectives.
- Mastery criteria.
- Spacing and retrieval practice.

As individuals, Reflective Discussion prompt (in Canvas):

Think about a lesson or sequence you have observed or taught. How was it structured? Was it coherent and developmentally appropriate? What evidence did students use to show understanding or mastery?

(cc 2.1.3) In Groups: Design 3 lessons that include:
- Deliberate planning and sequencing of tasks.
- Spacing and Retrieval practice.
- Progression of learning.
- Clear learning objectives towards mastery.

Skills assessed: lesson sequencing, goal setting, understanding the brain, analysis and reflection

Topic 4 (cc 1.3.3)

PSTs choose a learning objective from an existing unit plan or from the general discipline area curriculum. They are to create 2 worked examples to meet that objective

Discussion:
How could you use these examples in a sequence of lessons? How might you phase them out to promote independent learning (eg developing problem-solving)?

Skills assessed: worked example development, lesson sequencing and understanding of novice to expert learning.

Topic 6 Starting points and managing cognitive overload (cc2.2.2)

Think-Pair-Share:
“What do you remember about a time when a teacher gave you unclear instructions? What was the impact on your learning?

In Groups:
Choose a learning task from your discipline area and a year level:
- Consider the expected prior knowledge of the cohort.
- Choose a starting place for the learning and clearly articulate what your expectations are regarding the students and their starting point.
- Write a learning intention and success criteria.
- Break task into 3-5 manageable chunks.
- Assign a clear instructional step and goal to each chunk.

Reflection Idea

“How will I use clarity and chunking to support future students?”

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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.