Course Title: Professional Experience: Introduction to Teaching

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Experience: Introduction to Teaching

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2405	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 2 2015, Sem 1 2016, Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2018
TCHE2605	City Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2019, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Kathy Littlewood

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7806

Course Coordinator Email: kathy.littlewood@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.04.27

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

In this course, you will learn, practice and then be assessed on your capacity to set learning goals and plan teaching episodes (or lessons). You will be required to seek and apply constructive feedback from your peers and from your supervising teacher to improve both your teaching practice and student learning. You will develop an understanding of, and an ability to apply, the key principles described in the code of ethics and legislative frameworks that govern teaching practice in the Australian context. You will also begin to develop an evidentiary portfolio that will be revisited across the program. 

This course includes a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) professional experience (PX) in which your teaching knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/or community is integral to your experience. This PX is 10 days. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes:

This course contributes to the following program learning outcomes:  

• Critically analyse relevant evidence-based disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and experience to plan, implement and assess student learning, social and intellectual development.
• Apply professional knowledge, self-awareness, judgment and research skills to develop agile education solutions and make evidence-based decisions for application in specific teaching environments.
• Establish meaningful networks with professional, peer, government, industry, and/or community groups collaborating with diverse, interdisciplinary and cross-functional teams to resolve complex issues. 

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:  

		Graduate APST
1.	Apply knowledge of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students to set achievable, challenging learning goals for students of varying abilities and characteristics.	1.1, 3.1
2.	Research and apply appropriate teaching and learning strategies for a student cohort.	1.2, 3.3
3.	Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.	1.2, 4.2
4.	Seek and apply constructive feedback and evidence from supervisors and students to improve teaching practices.	6.3
5.	Apply knowledge of ethical and legal requirements for teachers including strategies to support safe, responsible use of learning and teaching resources.	6.1, 4.5, 7.1, 7.2
6.	Demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection on strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.	4.4

 

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as workshops, tutorials, seminars, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Teaching and learning may be face to face, online, or a combination of both.

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. 

Readings from current educational literature will be provided through your online course site and will be drawn from highly regarded academic journals, books, and conferences as well as reports, websites, and other online resources.   

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes (CLO) and on your development against the program learning outcomes. The assessment is also mapped against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).  

Assessment in this course is directly connected to your successful participation in professional experience. The end-of-placement report from your supervising teacher(s) on your professional development and participation in professional experience is a critical component of your assessment. It will provide evidence of your ability to demonstrate the relevant professional practices and course learning outcomes specifically associated with the assessment tasks in the course. 

To pass the course, you are required to receive a satisfactory assessment on your professional experience, in accordance with expectations outlined in the PX Handbook for the course. If you fail to meet this requirement, for reasons other than those approved by special considerations, you will not pass the course. If granted Special Consideration, you may become eligible to complete alternative professional experience to pass the course. 

Assessment Tasks 

	Title	Weighting	CLOs	APSTs
AT 1	Principles, ethics and policies   (800 words)	20%	5, 6	4.4, 4.5, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2
AT 2	Observation of practice and critical reflection  (1200 words)	30%	1, 2, 6	1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.4
AT 3	Lesson plan, peer feedback and critical reflection   (2000 words)	50%	2, 3, 4, 6	1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.2, 4.4 6.3

 

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.