EDC2400 Diversity and Pedagogy
| Semester 1, 2013 On-campus Toowoomba | |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Education |
| School or Department : | Education |
| Version produced : | 11 April 2013 |
Staffing
Examiner: Nicole Todd
Moderator: Noah Mbano
Rationale
Modern learning communities and workplaces are becoming increasingly complex social environments as the forces of change impact on families, economics, technology, culture, roles of government and workplace reform. Influences such as globalisation, information technology development, increased social and cultural diversity, shifting patterns of wealth and disadvantage, and the ongoing explosion of knowledge demand a response from educational contexts. Children, young people and adults are being challenged to live with complexity, uncertainty and diversity more so in current times than ever before. Diversity in the student population comes in many forms and encompasses cultural and linguistic differences, varying abilities, aptitudes and interests, differences in social and economic resources, family structures, values and aspirations. Beginning career educators require engagement with learning contexts that promote diversity as a valuable resource for learning and that enable the development of process skills, attitudes and knowledge essential in the reflective and responsive practitioner.
Synopsis
This course is designed to assist educators to develop their pedagogical awareness and skills so that they are best placed to cater for the collective and individual educational needs of diverse learning communities. Students will participate in a broad range of learning contexts focusing on the exploration of best practice in quality teaching for diversity. The socio-cultural, legislative, policy and professional contexts that inform inclusive education will be explored along with their implications for teaching and learning. Students will be given the opportunity to access specialist knowledge and pedagogy associated with a range of issues in Diversity and Pedagogy. Students will be provided with core instructional material dealing with key concepts in the field. NOTE: Minimum enrolment numbers apply to this offering. Should enrolments not reach the minimum number required for on-campus study, students may be transferred to the ONLINE offering and advised of this change before semester commences.
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:
- critically discuss the rationale for and implementation of inclusive education, with particular reference to learners with a diverse range of learning needs (Quizzes)
- define and critically discuss the nature of student diversity and the implications for teaching and learning in all contexts. (Assignment 1)
- Identify barriers to access and participation for all learners (Assignment 1 and Assignment 2)
- demonstrate the ability to develop, modify and implement inclusive curriculum to meet the specific needs of individuals and groups of students (Assignment 1 and Assignment 2)
- demonstrate ability to search online and databases to find information and to critically reflect on issues that relate to diversity and inclusive education (Assignment 1)
- demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of course content using appropriate personal, professional and academic literacies (Quizzes, Assignment 1 and Assignment 2)
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Exploration of the socio-cultural, legislative, policy and professional contexts that inform the educational responses to diversity and inclusive education. | 20.00 |
| 2. | Barriers to access and participation for Indigenous peoples in Australia and globally. Strategies to reduce barriers of diverse cultural backgrounds, homelessness, mental health, disability, poverty and English as a second language will be addressed. | 20.00 |
| 3. | Relationships and collaboration in the inclusive setting. | 20.00 |
| 4. | Differentiating the curriculum and Universal Design principles. | 20.00 |
| 5. | Planning, implementation and assessment for diverse learning groups. | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2013&sem=01&subject1=EDC2400)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
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Ashman, A., & Elkins, J. (eds) (2012), Education for inclusion and diversity, 4th edn, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest.
Reference materials
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Carrington,S. & MacArthur, J 2013, Teaching in Inclusive School Communities, Milton: John Wiley & Sons, Australia.
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Foreman, P (ed) (2011), Inclusion in action, 3rd edn, Cengage, South Melbourne.
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Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (eds) (2010), Diversity and Inclusion in Australian Schools, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
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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://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/facultyguides/education/default.htm.
Student workload requirements
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Independent Study | 80.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUIZ 1 | 10 | 10 | 18 Mar 2013 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 40 | 40 | 06 May 2013 | |
| QUIZ 2 | 10 | 10 | 20 May 2013 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 40 | 40 | 03 Jun 2013 |
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. -
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:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.
Assessment notes
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APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/apa
Other requirements
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Students will require access to e-mail and have Internet access to UConnect for this course.