Professional Educational Contexts (11779.1)

Required texts

The required textbook for this unit of study is:

Allen, J., & White, S. (2021). Learning to teach in a new era 2nd ed. Cambridge

e-copies of this book will be available through your Canvas reading list.

If you wish to purchase a hard copy, you can do so through Booktopia website https://www.booktopia.com.au/learning-to-teach-in-a-new-era-jeanne-allen/book/9781108985789.html

Highly recommended textbook for this unit of study is:

Sharp, H., Hudson, S.,  & Walsh, M. (2021). Introduction to Education: Knowledge, Practice and Engagement. Cambridge.

Available through Booktopia website https://www.booktopia.com.au/introduction-to-education-heather-sharp/book/9781108900188.html

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment tasks must be submitted on UCLearn (Canvas) via the appropriate dropbox. Where this is not possible, exceptions may be sought from the Faculty Associate Dean (ADE). It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct corresponding draft or assessment item, to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted by the student in a format accessible to the assessor(s) - as stated on the relevant Canvas site.  Please do not submit zip files or documents created in 'Pages': Microsoft Word or PDF documents are best. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, a standard late penalty of 5% of the total marks possible for the tasks may be applied until the student makes their submission accessible.

In all cases of absence, sickness or personal problems it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the unit Convener is informed. The minimum participation requirement must be met in order to pass the unit (regardless of supporting documentation). 

Special assessment requirements

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, a standard late penalty of 5% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day until the assignment is made accessible.

Normally an aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit as well as the satisfactory completion of Professional Experience. 

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

This unit involves a 10 day placement in addition to the following semester workload.

An approximate breakdown of the workload is:

Weekly Lectures and Tutorials        40 hrs

Weekly Readings and Activities      50 hrs

Assessment Preparation                 60 hrs

Total hours                                      150 hrs

Professional Experience                 10 days

Participation requirements

For the first twelve weeks of this unit: 

Active engagement in all online modules enhances your learning and is strongly advised. Unless specifically stated in the unit outline, there is no mandatory attendance requirement. However, you may elect to attend timetabled activities, as they allow you to ask 'real time' questions to develop your understanding for the relevant assessment tasks.

Professional Placement: 

Successful completion of the professional experience component is critical to success in the whole unit.  Refer to assessment (5a) on the Canvas site for further details. Students must make themselves familiar with the processes and policies of professional experience.

Required IT skills

General knowledge of Microsoft suite, Google classroom and Canvas.

Artificial intelligence services must not to be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an artificial intelligence services may only be used if:

• its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of a specified assessment task, and
• it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline, and
• its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.

In-unit costs

The textbook is supplied as an e-book, free of charge.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves work integrated learning (WIL): Placement. Students must adhere to University policy during WIL activities, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL policy and WIL procedure, and the Assessment policy, and Assessment procedure. For teaching degrees, students need to ensure they have their WWVP or for NSW, their Working with Children, COVID vaccination status and evidence of PSTR uploaded to InPlace.

This unit involves professional practicum and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in section 6. Workplace learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. School student and staff confidentiality must always be maintained (refer policies on ATES - Professional Experience Handbook, ACT ED Teachers' Code of Professional Practice (or equivalent) and Student Conduct Rules), including for assessment items such as reports or essays. This applies to staff and patrons of any outside agency where an internship or other WIL activity is taking place. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, workshops, tutorial, practicals etc. as scheduled – see section 3) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c). If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g., timetable clash), it is recommended that you contact the Academic Programs Team to discuss re-scheduling this unit.

Students who are in placement units are also required to complete an Acceptable use of ICT resources form in order to access ICT resources in their placement school. A hardcopy of the form will be distributed and collected by your tutor early in your first Placement unit.

Students are required to complete and submit a 'UC Student Placement/ Internship Agreement Form' before undertaking their first Professional Experience. A link to this form is available on your canvas site.

Additional information

In all cases of absence, sickness or personal problems it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the unit Convener is informed. The minimum participation requirement must be met in order to pass the unit (regardless of supporting documentation). 

Provision of information to the group

Notifications through the Canvas Announcements Forum or the Canvas Discussion Forums are deemed to be made to the whole class.  It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they check for announcements on the Unit's Canvas website (forum messages are also emailed to student email addresses only).  Students should ensure they check their student email regularly.  The Canvas discussion forums will be checked by staff regularly.

Use of student email account

The University Email policy states that "students wishing to contact the University via email regarding administrative or academic matters need to send the email from the University account for identity verification purposes".  Therefore all unit enquiries should be emailed using a student university email account. Students should contact servicedesk@canberra.edu.au if they have any issues accessing their university email account.

Theoretical foundations 

This unit introduces students to some of the theoretical positions underpinning education for preparation of teaching. 

Research-led education

This unit involves research-led education and learning. Active researchers deliver this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.

• Semester 1, 2025, Placement, UC - Canberra, Bruce (228495)
• Semester 1, 2024, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (217189)
• Semester 1, 2023, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (211623)