TEA5101 Exploring Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Contexts: A Critical Self-Analysis

TEA	5101	84252	3, 2008	WEB	Exploring Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Contexts: A Critical Self-Analysis	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE003
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070111

Staffing
Requisites
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Shirley Reushle
Moderator: Catherine Arden

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in the following Program: GCTT

OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html

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.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant teaching and learning theories; (Assignment 1 & Teaching Capacity Enhancement Plan)
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the nature of tertiary teaching and learning; (Assignment 1)
demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of essential characteristics of highly successful tertiary educators and their impact on student learning; (Assignment 1)
demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of essential characteristics of highly effective learning environments and their impact on student learning; (Assignment 1 & Teaching Capacity Enhancement Plan)
demonstrate how an understanding of learners impacts on design, delivery and assessment in tertiary environments; (Assignment 1)
be responsive to context through adaptation of teaching and learning approaches to maximise learning according to context; (Teaching Capacity Enhancement Plan)
develop and justify a 'teaching capacity enhancement plan' appropriate to own needs. (Teaching Capacity Enhancement Plan)
demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing including correct spelling, grammar, and bibliographic referencing. (Assignment 1 and Teaching Capacity Enhancement Plan)

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Exploring the work of tertiary educators	15.00
2.	Understanding learners and contexts	15.00
3.	Effective design, delivery and assessment of courses in tertiary contexts	20.00
4.	Critical self-evaluation	20.00
5.	Developing a 'teaching capacity enhancement plan'	30.00

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

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/. The gateway to education resources is here: http://use.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessment	50.00
Directed Study	110.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description		Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date
ASSIGNMENT		50.00	50.00	19 Dec 2008
TEACHING CAP ENHANCE'T PLAN		50.00	50.00	30 Jan 2009

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
2 full days of compulsory workshops (may be conducted using web conferencing software and/or video conferencing), 1 full day of optional workshops (may be conducted using web conferencing software and/or video conferencing).
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.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Not applicable.
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

1.	NB: Successful completion of this course requires participants to engage in some form of teaching experience in an approved tertiary educational setting (e.g. lecturing, tutoring, facilitating, marking).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

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.
Students enrolling in WEB courses 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/).

This version produced 16 Jun 2008.