Postgraduate - UnitEDF5678 - Leading learning communities

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.

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12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

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

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Education
Offered	City (Melbourne) Term 3 2015 (Flexible)
Coordinator(s)	Paul Forgasz

Synopsis

This unit prepares the aspiring school leader to facilitate substantive and sustainable change in a school in which they lead learning communities to improve the core work of teaching and learning. It addresses three themes. First, it examines the need to develop relationships with others in order to establish communities. It highlights the place of collaboration and interdependence in leading learning communities, within and beyond the school. Second, it examines theories of strategic change and the contexts for fostering learning and effecting change. Third, it explores critical areas of concern for school improvement and performance and the tensions around securing accountability and performance development.

Outcomes

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

understand the significance of interpersonal relationships in building communities of professional learners
identify the leadership qualities which promote individual and group development and the factors which influence and sustain learning communities
appreciate the centrality of learning and teaching to all educational leadership
develop approaches to initiating and supporting pedagogical change
identify the key dimensions of, and policy frameworks, for school accountability
engage in meaningful consideration of theories of change and assumptions that underlie change practices
use action research practices, development and performance principles, and organisational leadership to develop plans for facilitating strategic change.

Assessment

Reflective writing (individual and group) (2800 words, 35%)
Change plan (5200 words, 65%)

Workload requirements

Flexible mode offers a stand-alone online offering that allows students to learn and engage in content and assessment in a supported way. It also provides a face-to-face component of 12 hours over the semester to engage students with the online learning content, which students are encouraged to attend if they are able.

Minimum total expected workload equals 288 hours per semester comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for flexible students:

12 contact hours and 24 hours equivalent of online activities over the semester or
36 hours equivalent of online activities over the semester

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

independent study to meet the minimum required hours per semester

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Venesser Fernandes

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

Leadership