| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Effective Learning and Teaching |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6066 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 070105 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to build knowledge, skills and teaching practices related to effective learning and teaching in secondary schools. PSTs examine learning theories, including constructivism and cognitive science and identify the implications for teaching well. They examine how learners develop schemas and mental models as they interact in dynamic social and physical contexts. Through investigations into cognitive processes, PSTs learn how to surface prior knowledge and retrieve memories, and through appropriate scaffolding, to support students to retain information, avoid cognitive overload and develop increasingly sophisticated conceptual understandings. PSTs will understand the nature of explicit instruction and how to plan collaborative and independent tasks for learning. They examine notions of engagement and motivation and how students can become metacognitive and regulate their own learning through voice and agency. Using evidence-informed instructional models, PSTs learn how to plan, structure and sequence lessons and to use a range of core teaching practices that foster active learning and inclusive participation. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | |  | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically examine learning theories, including constructivism and cognitive science, and the implications for teaching. |
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| K2. | Examine myths related to learning and teaching and understand the concept of evidence-informed practice. |
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| K3. | Understand the differences between ‘novice’ and ‘expert’ learners, the development of mental models and schemas in developing concepts and knowledge, and the role that emotions and social interactions play in learning. |
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| K4. | Examine teaching approaches for surfacing prior knowledge, retrieving memory, retaining information, and avoiding cognitive overload. |
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| K5. | Understand how diverse learners develop knowledge and skills through the support of explicit teaching, appropriate scaffolding and the gradual release of responsibility that fosters independent and collaborative learning. |
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| K6. | Explore motivation in learning and the role of self-regulation, peer teaching and metacognition. |
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| K7. | Examine concepts and practices related to student voice and agency. |
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| K8. | Understand theory and practice related to applied learning, vocational education, and active citizenship. |
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| K9. | Collaboratively analyse and evaluate a range of instructional models for planning, structuring, and sequencing effective learning experiences. |
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| K10. | Understand a range of evidence-informed teaching practices which enable effective thinking and learning and support inclusive student participation, collaboration, and engagement. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Read for meaning, critically conduct and evaluate research and make thoughtful connections between theory, practice, and experience. |
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| S2. | Learn through careful observation, close listening, dialogue, questioning and deduction. |
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| S3. | Create well-structured, sequenced and deliberate lesson plans using instructional models and teaching practices informed by research. |
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| S4. | Establish learning goals and success criteria that are achievable, inclusive, and challenging. |
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| S5. | Use effective communication skills and scaffolding to present explicit and clear instructions and model expectations. |
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| S6. | Select and use a range of teaching practices appropriately, strategically, and imaginatively, and gather and respond to feedback. |
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| S7. | Use a range of tools to reflect on personal thinking and professional learning experiences to extend understandings and evaluate and improve teaching. |
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| S8. | Demonstrate digital literacy skills. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Use research, observations and critical thinking skills to describe and evaluate six teaching approaches in your subject area. |
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| A2. | Plan, teach and evaluate a structured, engaging lesson for diverse learners that is informed by research into how students learn well. |
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| Unit Content: |
- A critical examination of learning theories, including constructivism, cognitive science, experiential learning and behavourism, and the implications for teaching.
- An exploration of myths related to learning and teaching, and the concept of evidence-informed practice.
- Knowledge acquisition, what it means to be a ‘novice’ learner in comparison to an ‘expert’, the development of mental models and schemas, and the role of emotions.
- The function of memory, retrieval and review, and the concept of cognitive overload.
- How diverse learners develop knowledge and skills with the support of explicit teaching, strategic scaffolding and the gradual release of responsibility in increasingly challenging independent and collaborative learning contexts.
- Motivation in learning and the role of self-regulation, peer teaching and metacognition.
- Student voice and agency and resources that engage students in taking responsibility for learning.
- Applied learning, vocational learning and active citizenship.
- Planning and sequencing lessons that enable differentiation, scaffolding, and responsivity and which are based on increasingly challenging learning goals and structured pedagogical models.
- Effective communication in the classroom with a focus on explicit teaching, modelling, and the use of worked examples.
- Thinking oriented classrooms and teaching practices that enable deep learning.
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1,K2,K3,K4,K5,K6,K7,K8,S1,S2,S7,S8,A1 |
Identify six teaching practices that aim to enhance student learning and enable differentiation. Use research, observations and critical thinking skills to describe and evaluate each practice and examine the implications for teaching and learning in your subject area..
| Analysis of Teaching and Learning Practices | 40-50% | | 2. | K1,K4,K5,K6,K9,K1,S1,S2,S3,S4,S5,S6,S7,S8,A2 | Plan, teach and evaluate a structured, engaging lesson for diverse learners that is informed by research into how students learn well and includes a plan for next steps in student learning and personal professional development.
| Teaching Performance | 50-60% |
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