Course Title: Biology Method B

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Biology Method B

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
CUED1191	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2009, Sem 2 2010, Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: John Bold

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7806

Course Coordinator Email: john.bold@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.3.12

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Biology Method A

Course Description

This is a methods course that focuses on preparing students to teach Biology in secondary schools. This course concentrates on both the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching/learning Biology. Students are introduced to a variety of ideas, techniques and skills that will enable them to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching/learning strategies. This course will focus on pedagogy, assessment and reporting practices.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course is designed to assist students to:
• Design meaningful classroom Biology based units appropriate for senior secondary science.
• Critically reflect on their professional practice.
• Effectively communicate Biology concepts.
• Use a range of teaching strategies and resources to engage and extend students’ learning in Biology.
• Effectively assess the effectiveness of their teaching.
• Effectively assess and report on students’ learning in Biology.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
• Construct a course of study in VCE Biology using support materials.
• Develop a sound understanding of the processes relevant to teaching and learning in senior school Biology.
• Apply practical teaching skills for VCE Biology.
• Select and use a range of support resources for teaching Biology.

ICT Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, students will have demonstrated and/or acquired the following ICT capabilities:
• Understandings of the role of ICT in learning and implications for the classroom.
• Awareness of a range of contemporary ICT resources suitable for the classroom.
• Skills in using ICT for communication, presentation, work preparation and implementation.

VIT Standards
This course is aligned with the following standards:
• Teachers know how students learn and how to teach them effectively.
• Teachers know the content they teach.
• Teachers plan and assess for effective learning.
• Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments.
• Teachers use a range of teaching strategies and resources to engage students in effective learning.
• Teachers reflect on, evaluate and improve their professional knowledge and practice.
• Teachers are active members of their profession.

Overview of Learning Activities

Students’ learning in this course will involve a range of activities including lectures, tutorials, workshops, on-line discussions, curriculum design and readings in order to support the development of the learning outcomes of this course.

Overview of Learning Resources

Current VCE Biology texts, teacher resource boks and laboratory manuals.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority website: www.vcaa.vic.edu.gov.au 
Science Teachers Association of Victoria: www.stav.vic.edu.au

Overview of Assessment

Assessment tasks are directly linked to the stated objectives and outcomes. Assessment in the course will be both theoretical and practical in nature. A range of formative and summative assessment types will be incorporated into the course (for example, written, oral or performance based assessment).

Students should refer to Part B of the course guide for further information on assessment.