Course Title: Middle Years Science: Creative Laboratories

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Middle Years Science: Creative Laboratories

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2349	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2010

Course Coordinator: Narelle Lemon

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7808

Course Coordinator Email: narelle.lemon@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None listed

Course Description

This is an elective course that focuses on challenging students to re-imagine science education for the middle years of schooling. Based on a model of productive pedagogies and built around rich tasks, this course responds to recent calls to develop science classroom strategies, and curriculum topics and activities, that are generated from and generative of students’ interests. This course explores the potential for creativity in science education, problem based learning and exploring creative ways of presenting science curriculum.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course is designed to assist students to:
• Apply principles of the middle years of schooling to creative approaches to science education.
• Challenge traditional approaches to science teaching and learning by drawing from contemporary research.
• Develop curriculum based around personal and community concerns and interests.
• Explore creative ways of presenting curriculum and engaging with ideas.
• Associate meaningful learning of science ideas and issues with investigative and authentic science experiences;
• Develop an attitude of inquiry, curiosity and confidence that leads to an enjoyment and enthusiasm for science.
• Develop through the exploration and experience a variety of learning and teaching strategies for teaching science.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
• Apply middle years of schooling principles to science learning.
• Associate authentic science experiences with deep learning.
• Build curriculum from student, teacher and community concerns and interests.
• Work in a collaborative environment to negotiate, participate in, and develop, meaningful science learning experiences.

ICT Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course students will have demonstrated and/or acquired the following ICT capabilities:
• Awareness of a range of contemporary ICT resources suitable for the classroom.
• Understandings of how ICT resources can be integrated in meaningful ways that take into account students’ existing and diverse technological skills and to produce engaging and challenging curriculum.
• Understandings of how to use ICT in the classroom to facilitate learning, in particular critical skills such as information skills, analysis, problem-solving and decision-making.

VIT Standards
This course is aligned with the following standards
• Teachers know the content they teach.
• Teachers reflect on, evaluate and improve their professional knowledge and practice.
• Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments.
• Teachers use a range of teaching practices and resources to engage students in effective learning.

Overview of Learning Activities

Students’ learning in this course will involve classroom learning activities built around rich tasks. During workshops, students will explore innovative teaching and learning approaches, conduct investigations, work collaboratively with peers, and negotiate their learning experiences.

Overview of Learning Resources

See part B

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, rich tasks, scientific investigation, reflection and report based assessment).

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