Scientific Principles (9899.3)

Please note these are the 2020 details for this unit
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Scientific Principles
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-Campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Academic Program Area - Education Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Students participating in Scientific Principles will examine their own perceptions of science and technology and broaden their understandings about how to plan for and teach in this area, utilising key national, state and territory syllabi and curriculum support documents. In particular students will explore different teaching and learning approaches to science and technology education. In workshops students will explore technological and scientific learning from the perspective of the environment, gender, information, systems, materials and designing, making and appraising. Interconnections between each of these will be emphasised.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Develop their own approach to, confidence and increased interest in teaching science and technology and will understand the implications of this approach for children's learning;
2. Understand the required teaching processes for science and technology as well as the concepts identified in particular syllabuses such as those in NSW, ACT and Australian Curriculums;
3. Appreciate the value of science and technology education and its relationship to other key learning areas, especially literacy;
4. Understand the nature of science and technology, and their relationships to everyday life and its social contexts; and
5. Recognise the aims, place and significance of science and technology education as part of an inclusive whole school curriculum.


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
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

This unit is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Primary Education, Bachelor of Primary Education (STeM), Bachelor of Primary Education (Creative Arts), Bachelor of Primary Education (Health and Physical Education) or Bachelor of Secondary Education (Health and Physical Education) courses.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

Year 10 Science
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2024 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 29 July 2024 On-Campus Mrs Lucy Bennett
Not available

Required texts

Required texts for all Scientific Principles students:

Skamp, K. & Preston, C., (2021) Teaching Primary Science Constructively (7th Edition) Cengage Learning, Australia

Please see the Canvas page for a discount code for purchase direct from Cengage Learning. 

Additional readings will be made available on the unit Canvas site.

Students must complete all the required reading in advance to the tutorial workshops.

Recommended texts for all Scientific Principles students:

Devereux. J., (2007) Science for Primary and Early Childhood – Developing Subject Knowledge. 2nd Edition London: The Open University - A SAGE Publications Company.

Fitzgerald, A. (2013) Learning and Teaching Primary Science. Cambridge University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 978-1-107-60945-7

Gregson, R., & Doidge, N. (2018). Connecting with science education (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190309343.

 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

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.

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.

Special assessment requirements

In order to pass this unit, a Pre-Service Teacher must:

  • participate in their workshop classes;
  • submit all assessment tasks
  • pass the combined assessment items (obtain an aggregate mark of 50% or more)

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.

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.

Learner engagement

As a guide, your workload will be distributed as follows:

Reading and private study:  50 hours

Tutorial and online participation:  50 hours

Assessment tasks:   50 hours

Participation requirements

Attendance at all scheduled workshops in this unit is compulsory and absences could result in a fail. All absences need to be supported by appropriate documentation (e.g. medical certificate).

Successful engagement with all learning activities in this accredited Initial Teacher Education course, including online lectures, is necessary to demonstrate that you have met the Graduate career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2011).

It is recognised that sometimes absence is unavoidable. If you are absent for more than two sessions, however, your engagement with the unit could be considered unsatisfactory.

Required IT skills

Students require sufficient IT skills to use CANVAS confidently and to participate in any online activities, such as asynchronous online lectures, readings, quizzes, tutorial activities and assessments.

In-unit costs

You may be asked to bring small, household items to tutorials throughout the course of the unit, for example, straws or foil trays. These are not specialist items and costs will be minimal. 

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

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.

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.