Leading and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities PG (9096.3)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Leading and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Intensive
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Academic Program Area - Education Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
In this unit students will critically analyse the different theories and practices that enable team-based and organisation-wide professional learning to occur. They will develop a theoretical and practical understanding of strategies for creating and sustaining professional learning communities. They will develop the knowledge and skills to re-culture educational contexts so learning, collaboration and student improvement can occur. The unit provides an opportunity to investigate how educational leaders design, implement and sustain successful learning cultures which result in improved teacher practice and student achievement.
In the delivery of this unit opportunities will include on-campus and off-campus options.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of professional learning community (PLC) and the use of PLC process in schools and other educational settings;
2. Investigate the dimensions and critical attributes of PLCs;
3. Implement formal and informal tools and strategies to assess the educational culture in relation to the PLC process; and
4. Prepare professional development plans that implement the PLC process at the institutional or system level.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Intensive Mrs Joanne Keens
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Intensive Mrs Joanne Keens
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Required readings and additional resources will be made available on the unit Canvas site.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

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

Special assessment requirements

An aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit.

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.

Note that the University supported text matching software is URKUND, which is now available to all units via Canvas. For further information, please see the description of how to use the Turnitin tool in the UCLearn (Canvas) Staff Support site.

The use of Turnitin is the default position of the university. Should a reason be put forward for deviation from this position, please discuss with ADE.

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

The workload for this unit is expected to be 150 hours: 
1. Online reflections and engagement                10 hours
2. Attendance and engagement in workshops    20 hours
3. Prescribed readings and private study            60 hours 
4. Research and assignment preparation            60 hours 

Participation requirements

Participation in the face-to-face intensive classes is required in order to complete Assessment 2 - Group Presentation (25%). Refer to Assessment 2 on the Canvas site for further details.

Your participation in both class and online activities will enhance your understanding of the unit content and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items.

Required IT skills

Canvas is the learning management system for this unit. Basic computer literacy is assumed, and students should be able to perform the following before commencing the unit:

  • Use a standard word processing package
  • Use a standard spreadsheet package
  • Manage files
  • Access the Internet and use an email package

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

None

Work placement, internships or practicums

Not applicable

Additional information

Active Research in the Field

The convenor teaching the unit is an active researcher in the field of System-wide PLCs as a mechanism for school improvement, and is able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.

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.

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