Course Title: Professional Experience: Thinking about Learning: Towards praxis

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Experience: Thinking about Learning: Towards praxis

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2406	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 1 2016, Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2018
TCHE2679	City Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023

Course Coordinator: Michael Crowhurst

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6625

Course Coordinator Email: michael.crowhurst@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course aims to introduce and explore ways of thinking around schooling, learning and teaching by drawing on social theories that explore how educative experiences are constructed within cultural contexts and mediated by cultural factors. You will identify the influences that have shaped your understandings and draw out the implications that these might hold for your work as a teacher using reflective practitioner methodologies. This course will also consider social theories of education to critique current teaching practices and generate innovative pedagogies. You will also consider differentiation, design for learning principles, and the place of enhancing positive relationships across the whole school community in order to enhance learning and teaching in the present and into the future. Arts-based techniques and theories will assist you by supporting learning, thinking in new ways and promoting educative innovation across whole school contexts. 

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 15 days. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

This course contributes to the following program learning outcomes:  

PLO2 Create learning environments that articulate a broad and holistic understanding of the needs of learners and society based on evidence-informed practices and theoretical perspectives. 

PLO3 Critically analyse relevant evidence-based disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and experience to plan, implement and assess student learning, social and intellectual development. 

PLO5 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.	Identify and critically discuss some of the ways that schooling, teaching and learning are understood in literature, popular discourse, policy and the community.	1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.	Apply reflective practitioner theory to recognize and explain some of the key influences that have shaped your current views in relation to schooling, teaching and learning	6.2
3.	Analyse and critique current policy and practice relating to schooling, teaching and learning	6.2
4.	Analyse learning theories and describe how they relate to ethical learning and teaching in the past, present and future.	4.1, 4.3, 4.4
5.	Apply student learning, pedagogical content knowledge and curriculum, to design learning sequences and lesson plans, that use a range of teaching strategies including digital technologies.	2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

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. 

The overall purpose of learning activities is to help develop your critical skills and understandings in relation to teaching, learning and education and to your emerging professional identity. Activities will increase your skills in critically reading and engaging with academic literature, in reflective practice techniques, in applying theory and reflection in practice simulations, in analysing and imaginatively planning for the needs of another learner. Activities will also introduce you to various analytical methods that will be of general use in the field. The course will involve engagement with theory and linking this theory as much as possible to your professional interests as a teacher.

Overview of Learning Resources

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

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning.  

Prescribed Texts:  

● Davis, B., Sumara, D, & Luce-Kapler, R (2015). Engaging Minds: Changing Teaching in Complex Times. 3rd Ed.. New York and London, Routledge.  

This is available in the bookroom and as an online text through the library.  

● Dewey’s (1938) ‘Experience and Education’ – again available in the bookroom and you should be able to find a copy on-online (http://www.schoolofeducators.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/12/EXPERIENCE-EDUCATION-JOHN-DEWEY.pdf 

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 Tasks 

	Title	Weighting	CLOs	APSTs
AT 1	Delivery of a Mock Class Group task   (800 words)	20%	2, 3, 4	6.2, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4
AT 2	Professional Journal (1200 words)	30%	1, 2	1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 6.2
AT 3	Option A  Case Study (2000 words)   Option B  Imaginary ethical educative landscape   (2000 words)	50%	1, 2, 4, 5	1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 6.2

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.