Unit Outline
EAL211
Inclusive Practices in Educational Settings
Semester 1, 2024
Timothy Atkins
Faculty of Education
College of Arts, Law and Education
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Timothy Atkins
Email: Timothy.Atkins@utas.edu.au
 

What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
The unit will explore the nature of inclusive education in the 21st century. Based on a philosophical foundation that values belonging, the full participation of all students, and the idea that learning is a shared experience, this unit explores practical approaches for effective inclusive education that can be embedded into everyday practice. Through consideration of a range of aspects of inclusive practice that involve both communities and systems, we will examine our own teaching in order to find new and innovative ways to embed inclusive education. By way of an exploration of inclusion through a critical lens, you will be further equipped with the skills to identify and respond to exclusion in policy and practice in a range of contexts.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Examine inclusion in your own professional practice
2.
Interpret and evaluate approaches for inclusive practice
3.
Design inclusive learning strategies that respond directly to the needs of students across a range of abilities
4.
Apply ethical and academic integrity principles to the use of information in order to manage and communicate ideas, complex concepts, and specialised knowledge to an intended audience
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
EAL112
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
Online
Lecture (Online)
View lecture and weekly learning activities.
2
Weekly
Tutorial (Online)
Discussions and activities relating to assessment tasks.
1
Weekly
Independent Learning
Preparation of assessment tasks.
2
Weekly
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
 
 
 

How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Quiz
Week 5
20 %
LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:
Assignment - Annotated Bibliography
Week 9
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:
Addressing Student Needs
Week 14
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Quiz
Task Description:
This task is a quiz that will help you to consolidate learning in relation to Module One in the unit, in preparation for AT2 and AT3.
You will be required to complete the quiz at the culmination of Module One.
Further information around this task will be provided in the unit.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.3, 1.6, 3.1, 4.1, 4.4, 7.2, 7.4
Task Length:
 
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
20 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Examine inclusion in your own professional practice
LO1
2
Interpret and evaluate approaches for inclusive practice
LO2
 
Assessment Task 2: Assignment - Annotated Bibliography
Task Description:
Making connections to evidence-based research is an important part of our teaching overall, and even more important in more specialist areas of teaching, where our knowledge in particular areas may be limited. In this task you will demonstrate your skills of interpretation and analysis of such research in inclusive practices. To do this you will be required to present an annotated bibliography outlining two articles of your choice.
In more detail you should:
• Undertake a search of the literature
• Select two journal articles that will help to inform your current or future teaching.
• Highlight important aspects of the paper utilising the ‘CREATE’ steps.
• Create an annotated bibliography that briefly describes:
a) aims of the paper
b) The method and results
c) The implications of the findings (particularly in relation to your own teaching context)
• Provide a 300 - word reflective statement outlining the significance of research to your own and others teaching, particularly in relation to inclusive practices.
Additional resources including a template will be provided in the unit to help you with this task.
Components of this task are suitable for inclusion in your portfolio.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.1, 1.3, 1,5, 1.6, 3.4, 3.7, 4.1
Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 9
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
 

1
Interpret research in inclusive practices (30%)
LO1, LO2, LO4
2
Describe strategies for exploring inclusion (20%)
LO2, LO3
3
Translate ideas around inclusive education into own context (30%)
LO1, LO2, LO3
4
Apply professional, ethical, and academic communication and research skills (20%)
LO4
 
Assessment Task 3: Addressing Student Needs
Task Description:
Students encompass a range of abilities, cultural backgrounds, and educational needs. Teaching that maximises learning for the widest possible array of characteristics in your student cohort will create an inclusive environment.
As a teaching professional, you will be expected to respond constructively and positively to all students, including those with learning needs that you may not have encountered before. In order to do this, you will need to use your skills in research to consider an inclusive environment for those students.
In more detail you will:
Consider three students with characteristic learning needs. Imagining that these students will be entering into your own teaching context, you will develop strategies for each that will optimise learning. You will select these students from a range of vignettes describing a hypothetical student with specific learning needs. These vignettes will be made available to you within the unit.
To complete the task, you will do the following:
Provide a brief description of the identified learning need.
• Utilise information about the student from the vignette to identify the needs of your chosen individual, and in direct response, determine appropriate strategies for inclusion.
• Discuss the ways that you could embed these strategies into your everyday teaching practice.
• Demonstrate consideration of a range of influences in your current and future planning. For example, in what ways might you utilise parents/carers, professional bodies/services, community support agencies/representatives (online or in your local context) and research to inform your choices. Provide a brief description of what information/professional learning/support each will be able to provide and how that will broaden your professional knowledge and practice.
• Demonstrate the ways in which your chosen strategies meet organisational and/or legislative requirements and standards in providing a non-discriminatory and inclusive educational environment.
You are encouraged to share your developing assessment task with one or two peers for collegial review and feedback.
Additional information will be provided in the unit to help you with this task.

Components of this task are suitable for inclusion in your portfolio.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.4, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3,
6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
Task Length:
2000 words
Due Date:
Week 14
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Interpret student’s learning needs (30%)
LO1, LO2
2
Describe strategies to respond to student’s characteristic needs (30%)
LO1, LO2, LO3
3
Define your own professional position in relation to inclusive practices (30%)
LO1, LO2
4
Apply professional, ethical, and academic communication and research skills (10%)
LO4
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 

 
 

Required Resources
Required reading materials
 
 
Recommended reading materials
Anderson, J., & Boyle, C. (2019). Looking in the mirror: Reflecting on 25 years of inclusive education in Australia. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(7), 796-810.
Carrington, S., & Macarthur, J. (2012). Teaching in inclusive school communities. Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Cologon, K. (2019). Towards inclusive education: A necessary process of transformation. Report for the Australian Government, Department of Social Services. Retrieved from https://apo.org.au/node/265286
Foreman, P. (2017). Inclusion in action (5th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.
Kelly, A., O’Shea, S., & Tanner, K. (2014). Diverse Learners. In R. Brennan Kemmis & L. Atkins (Eds.), Teaching in the VET Sector in Australia (pp. 75-93). Macksville: David Barlow Publishing.
Macartney, B.C. (2012). Teaching through an ethics of belonging, care and obligation as a critical approach to transforming education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(2), 171-183.
Pantic, N., & Florian, L. (2015). Developing teachers as agents of inclusion and social justice. Education Inquiry, 6(3), 333-351.
Rose, R. (2010). Confronting obstacles to inclusion: International responses to developing inclusive education. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor & Francis.
Slee, R. (2018). Inclusive education isn’t dead, it just smells funny. New York: Routledge.
 
Reading Lists provide direct access to all material on unit reading lists in one place. This includes eReadings and items in Reserve. You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO, or by going to the Reading Lists page on the University Library website.
 
Other required resources