TEA 5101 Exploring Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Contexts: A Critical Self Analysis

STAFFING:

RATIONALE:

Tertiary teaching is a highly complex, problematic, and context-specific activity. The difference between the contexts is vitally important. It requires a personally meaningful professional knowledge base for teaching and cognitive skills for effective teaching. Effective educators at all levels question, criticise and reformulate their assumptions about teaching and learning. However, this is only possible if one takes time to understand and appreciate the nature of these complex activities. The challenge for tertiary teachers is to develop an inclination and capacity to engage in the sort of intellectual dialogue and action for effective teaching. This knowledge base is dynamic and incomplete and is constantly being constructed and reconstructed. It develops via integration of a range of learning including knowledge about self, the context, and subject matter knowledge. The components of the professional knowledge base of teaching include content knowledge, knowledge of teaching and learning, curriculum knowledge, knowledge of learners and their characteristics, knowledge of educational contexts, and knowledge of educational ends, purposes, and values, and their philosophical and historical grounds. Tertiary educators with an understanding and appreciation of the complexities of teaching and learning in tertiary contexts, and who take responsibility for their own professional development, establish a solid foundation for enhancing their capacities in teaching and learning.

SYNOPSIS:

This course enables tertiary educators to explore teaching and learning in tertiary environments. In doing so, they will focus on their own context and anticipated teaching roles. Through the process of critical self-analysis with reference to the qualities of effective tertiary educators, participants will produce a 'teaching capacity enhancement plan' (TCEP). This plan should be developed in collaboration with professional colleagues who are prepared to work alongside you as members of a focused professional learning community. A key outcome of this course will be the 'teaching capacity enhancement plan'. This plan will allow you to incorporate relevant professional development and staff development activities, including work-based projects. The TCEP developed in this course will be evaluated in the final course (FET5302) of the Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning. NOTE: Learners undertaking this course are required to have access to teaching and learning environments in a tertiary education setting. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the State of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the State of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant teaching and learning theories;
2. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the nature of tertiary teaching and learning;
3. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of essential characteristics of highly successful tertiary educators and their impact on student learning;
4. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of essential characteristics of highly effective learning environments and their impact on student learning;
5. demonstrate how an understanding of learners impacts on design, delivery and assessment in tertiary environments;
6. be responsive to context through adaptation of teaching and learning approaches to maximise learning according to context;
7. develop and justify a 'teaching capacity enhancement plan' appropriate to own needs.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   Participants in this course will be required to satisfactorily complete 3 full days of workshop activities. Workshop activities will take place at the Toowoomba campus on December 7 and 8, 2005 and February 20, 2006.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   This course has an extension policy which enables students to be within two weeks of the due date for assignments before they need to contact the course examiner. If more than two weeks late with submission of assignments, students must contact the course examiner to negotiate a further extension.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of a passing grade, students must demonstrate, via the summative assessment items, that they have achieved the required minimum standards in relation to the objectives of the course by satisfactorily* completing all summative assessment items. *As stated in Assessment 2.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   There is no examination in this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Not applicable.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html. *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the state of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.
2. Students enrolling in this course MUST have ongoing convenient and reliable access to the Internet in order to access course materials and participate in activities that will affect assessment. The levels of equipment required may change from time to time, with the most recent specification listed at http://www.usq.edu.au/currentstudents/computingstandards/default.htm. You can check whether your computer system meets these requirements from USQAssist (http://usqassist.usq.edu.au/).