Course Title: Diagnosis and Intervention in Mathematics

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Diagnosis and Intervention in Mathematics

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Coordinator: Dr Rebecca Seah

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6632

Course Coordinator Email: rebecca.seah@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.03.07


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

This course will allow you to diagnose children with special needs in mathematics, and to design and develop a course of intervention to scaffold their learning. You will examine formal and informal techniques for diagnosis of specific mathematical errors and misconceptions and show how programs can be designed to minimise their occurrence. You will gain a strong basis for competent initial teaching of mathematics to children with special needs as well as a background in diagnosis and intervention for remedial and resource teachers at both the primary and secondary levels.

As part of this course you will work with a child or adolescent to diagnose, identify and develop strategies to improve their mathematics capacity. Please note this will not be undertaken as part of your placement.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Your learning in this course is focused on development of the following program level capabilities:

  • Determine and apply the specialist knowledge and professional skills required to creatively solve problems, demonstrating expert judgment and ethical responsibility relating to your professional practice
  • Critically analyse, synthesize and reflect on complex theories and recent developments, both local and international, to extend and challenge knowledge and practice in education
  • Professionally communicate with specialist and non-specialist audiences, as producers and consumers of knowledge, about philosophical and pedagogical propositions, processes and outcomes
  • Engage with complex bodies of knowledge and multiple professional skills in order to contribute to your professional identity and career within contemporary contexts


At the conclusion of this course you will be assessed on the following learning outcomes:

 

  • Critically examine contemporary theories of mathematics education and demonstrate understanding of how they account for students learning;
  • Implement diagnostic assessment of concepts, strategies and processes in numeration and computation for whole numbers and elementary problem solving;
  • Describe, justify, plan and implement effective intervention for the development of concepts, strategies and processes in numeration and computation for whole numbers and fraction ideas;
  • Successfully complete and document a program of diagnosis and intervention for a child or adolescent with mathematics learning needs;
  • Develop conceptual overviews for the teaching of numeration and computation;
  • Organise and prepare appropriately focussed resources for use in intervention across a range of likely difficulties that may be encountered in the classroom.


Overview of Learning Activities

Classes will involve a mixture of lectures and workshops to provide the necessary background for diagnosis and intervention with individuals. You will be required to find an individual who is at risk of failing mathematics and spent one hour a week during the second and third weeks of semester to assess the strengths and weaknesses of his/her mathematical needs. Based on this information, a program of intervention will be drawn up for the child or adolescent and implemented over 6 or more sessions.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. A list of key texts will also be provided.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include:

Assessment task 1: Folio (50%, equivalent to 2000 words)
You will develop a folio of resources for overcoming mathematical learning disabilities.
(Learning outcomes 2,3,5)

Assessment task 2: Case study (50%, equivalent to 2000 words)
You will produce a case study that draws on the contemporary theories you have learned. It should include interactions in a remedial context, where work is conducted with the individual child.
(Learning outcomes 1,2,3,4)

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 the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: http://www.rmit.edu.au/policies/academic#assessment