Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Experience: Connecting Theory to Practice A

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2733	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Allison Byth

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7807

Course Coordinator Email: Allison.byth@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora

Course Coordinator Availability: By Appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course will introduce you to theories, principles and practices of education and learning.  You will be challenged to consider a range of theoretical perspectives of learning and development of children from birth to 12 years within social, cultural and environmental contexts.   

Key topics will include the identification and debunking of common education neuromyths, such as those surrounding multiple intelligences, left versus right brain dominance, and learning styles. Additionally, you will examine theoretical understandings of knowledge acquisition, social and emotional development, sociocultural influences, and motivation in the learning process.  

The course is designed for you to link theory to your teaching practice through a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience. The WIL experience will be scheduled as a block of five days. The learning focus of this WIL will be getting to know the students, classroom routines and the teachers. You will conduct focused observations to build on your theoretical learning and to develop skills of reflective practice. You will teach and engage in learning activities planned by your mentor teacher, review your first teaching practices, and develop goals linked to the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers. 

This course includes a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) professional experience (PX) in which your 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. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

In course you will develop the following program learning outcomes: 

This course contributes to the following BP320P24 Bachelor of Education (Primary) and BP320PEC24 Bachelor of Education (Primary and Early Childhood Education) Program Learning Outcomes:  

• Develop and demonstrate broad and coherent theoretical and practical knowledge through one or more of the following practices: planning using data; teaching and learning; assessing; feedback and professional judgement; and appraising impact of teaching across a range of disciplines.
• Apply initiative, judgement, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which may include the use of new technologies and teaching tools, to enhance your practice and  provide growth opportunities for students.
• Engage with school communities and professional networks and communicate with diverse stakeholders in a range of contexts.  
• Draw on evidence-based theory and reflective practice to adapt to the changing needs of the profession and to identify professional learning needs to improve student learning outcomes.  

Course Learning Outcomes 

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

No.	Course Learning Outcome	Graduate APST
1.	Identify, discuss and reflect on theoretical underpinnings of children's social, emotional and cognitive development and learning	1.1, 1.2
2.	Review contemporary theories of learning and pedagogical approaches and identify how these are applied in classroom practice	1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 4.1
3.	Identify common neuromyths that are related to education. For example, multiple intelligences, left vs right brain, and learning styles. Describe the evidence that disproves them.	1.2, 1.4.1
4.	Identify the difference in the process of knowledge acquisition in the brain of a novice v's the expert (mental modes and schemas)	1.2, 1.1.1
5.	Engage professional ethics and responsibilities in an education setting with students, colleagues and peers	3.5, 7.1
6.	Implement aspects of lessons that are planned by your mentor teacher.  Reflect on your teaching practice to identify strengths, areas for improvement and professional learning needs	3.3, 4.1. 6.1

Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities for this course include the following components. 

Weekly Pre-Learning Tasks: You will need to dedicate two hours each week to independent pre-learning activities. These tasks will involve online activities, reading broadly, analysing video material and hypothetical case studies. 

Weekly On-Campus Workshops: As a WIL course, attendance at the on-campus workshops is mandatory.  During workshop learning you will apply your pre-learning knowledge, reflect and report critically on set questions, research topics, and complete other activities. Active participation in collaborative problem-solving with peers is essential during these workshops. 

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Experience: A core element of this course is the WIL component, where you will gain practical experience in an allocated school setting. You will be required to conduct yourself in an ethical and professional manner. This includes punctuality, appropriate dress, and maintaining professional interactions as a preservice teacher. 

Proactive and Self-Directed Learning: You are required to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer, mentor teacher and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course Site. 

Overview of Learning Resources

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

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 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	Professional Ethics Quiz	15%	5	7.1
AT 2	Educational Neuromyths Group Presentation	35%	3, 4	1.1, 1.2
AT 3	Teaching and Learning Guided Reflection	50%	1, 2, 6	1.4, 3.3, 3.5

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.