Undergraduate - UnitEDF4033 - Innovation in curriculum and pedagogy in schools

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Education
Offered	Not offered in 2015

Synopsis

This unit provides opportunities for students to further explore innovative curriculum, pedagogy and practice in schools that engages diverse student populations. The unit explores how teachers in schools implement innovation and bring curriculum 'to life' for their students though diverse pedagogies including inquiry learning and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). They also draw on research literature to investigate a range of issues including maximising student motivation in schools, engagement through curriculum development and innovative practice, and developing community-based curriculum and practices. Students understand how teachers are 'curriculum workers' constantly responding to change and the implications of this for their professional identity. Students then develop and demonstrate their use of practices that are inclusive, exciting and educational during their course and in their practicum experience.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

describe, evaluate and compare different theoretical and practical approaches to developing curriculum, including traditional and innovative practices
utilise research literature to examine contemporary curriculum issues and explore exemplars of innovative practice in response to these issues
articulate the connections between robust curriculum development and innovative practice
analyse key policies and documents relating to curriculum, including AusVELS and the Australian Curriculum, and show how they promote or constrain innovative practice
appreciate the importance of teachers as curriculum workers and explain how this is related to their professional identity
develop and demonstrate use of innovative practices including ICTs.

Assessment

Research essay on innovative practices (2000 words, 50%)
Innovative curriculum development task (2000 words equivalent, 50%)

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

2 contact hours per week

(b.) Additional requirements:

independent study to make up the minimum required hours per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Early years education
Early years and primary education