Curriculum, Pedagogy and Practice 2 (Science) (8853.2)

Required texts

There is no set text book.  There will be five compulsory e-Reserve readings (one each cycle) and five readings from e-Reserve that students will choose from an extensive list (one each cycle). The assessments require demonstrated engagement with relevant reading.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Assignment cover sheet

Assignment cover sheets will no longer be required.  Instead, students will be asked to confirm the following online declaration (from the old cover sheet) at the point of submission.

I certify that:

• the attached assignment is my own work and no part of this work has been written for me by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/s concerned;

• material drawn from other sources has been fully acknowledged as to author/creator, source and other bibliographic details according to unit-specific requirements for referencing; and

• no part of this work has been submitted for assessment in any other unit in this or another Faculty except where authorised by the lecturer/s concerned. 

Special assessment requirements

Pass Grade

An aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the assignment components of the unit. In addition, a successful placement report is required to pass the unit overall.

Late submission of assignments

Late submission of assignments without an approved extension will result in a penalty of 5% reduced marks from the total available, per calendar day late. An assignment submitted over 7 days late will not be accepted.  Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

Extensions: Extensions must be applied for before the due date 

Students can apply for an extension to the submission due date for an assessment item on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances. Documentary evidence will be expected for an extension to be granted.

It should be noted that such documentation will be considered but will not guarantee that the application will be successful. The Unit Convener will decide whether to grant an extension and the length of the extension.

Responsibility for understanding

If there is any doubt with regard to the requirements of any particular assignments or assessment procedure, the onus for clarifying the issue rests with the student who should contact the unit Convener or tutor. Further, it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are correctly enrolled in the unit and that the tutor and Student Administration have their correct contact details.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Learner engagement

Lectures – 5hrs (1 hr per fortnight)

Workshops – 10 hrs (2 hrs per fortnight)

Online – 15 hrs (3 hrs per fortnight)

Assessment preparation - 45 hrs

Professional Placement - 20 days (15 days for Grad Entry)

Participation requirements

Attendance at all scheduled sessions in this unit is compulsory. Successful engagement with all learning activities in this accredited Initial Teacher Education course is necessary to demonstrate that you have met the Graduate career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

More than two undocumented absences from this unit could result in a fail. In the case of medical reasons or other extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death in the family) medical certificates or equivalent documentation will need to be provided.

Successful completion of the professional experience placement is critical to success in the whole unit. Students must make themselves familiar with the processes and policies of professional experience. 

Required IT skills

Students will need to become familiar with how to use Mahara. Links to training videos and other information will be available on our Moodle page.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves a professional practicum and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in section 6. Work-place learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. Student and school confidentiality must always be maintained , including for assessment items such as reports or essays. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, practicals etc if 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 meet with your Course Convener to schedule this unit for a future teaching period.

Students are required to undergo a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) background check to undertake a placement for the unit. Students are responsible for arranging their own checks through the ACT Office of Regulatory Services (pre-service teachers are volunteers in schools, and therefore their WWVP is free): https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/1804 

Additional information

Theoretical foundations

This unit is built along constructivist principles (Piaget 1937, Glaserfeld 2005, Dykstra 2005), on the assumption that students learn best when encouraged to actively create meaning from practical and theoretical experience (Perkins 1992). It has at its core a provocation to be explored by a community of learners (Harpaz 2005) by means of an action research project.

Research led units

This unit involves research-led education and work-integrated learning. There are active practising teachers involved in this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the teaching they are carrying out.

• Semester 1, 2017, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (165983)
• Semester 1, 2016, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (154931)
• Semester 1, 2015, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (145661)