Unit Outline

This unit considers the knowledge and skills required to facilitate engaging learning experiences within applied learning settings. In the unit, you will examine the theoretical underpinnings of learner and teacher engagement in a range of contexts, including face-to-face and online, and develop and evaluate techniques aimed at increasing levels of engagement. Through practical assessment tasks, you will develop your facilitation skills and explore ways to increase participation of learners. In this unit, you will consider how educators can foster an environment where learners become increasingly responsible and self-directed in their own applied learning setting.

This unit suits individuals with some experience in working with learners (e.g. practicing teachers, trainers, classroom aides, or industry people who have worked with apprentices) who are interested in exploring issues of student disengagement, drawing on theories of how and why students might be engaged and then trialing new facilitation approaches that target student engagement.

Note: The third assessment task requires facilitation of a session with a class or small group of learners, so you will need to have access to a group to do this.

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	Demonstrate understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of how students engage in learning and the implications for facilitation
2	Analyse student needs and design and evaluate strategies to support and encourage student engagement in learning
3	Apply and critically reflect on facilitation skills in an educational setting to promote student engagement in learning
4	Utilise personal and professional communication skills

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	EAL504

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	Exploring Engagement	Week 7	45 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Reflecting on Engagement	Week 9	10 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Exploring Facilitation	Week 13	45 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Exploring Engagement

Task Description:

In this task you will explore one factor of engagement through Brookfield’s (1995) four lenses of reflection by addressing individual sections within an assignment template:
• your own (reflection)
• your peers (key issues)
• your students (implications)
• the literature (literature referenced throughout)

You will choose a particular factor from the list available in MyLO in Week 3 of the semester.

In this task you will further develop your understanding of the chosen factor and discuss the implications for professional practice.
There are three main parts of the task:
a. Practical Task - you will facilitate an online discussion in the MyLO Discussion Board that relates to your chosen factor. You will be placed in a small group (between 6 and 8 students) that have a corresponding number of topics/discussions. You will be facilitating one discussion, and also contributing to discussions led by your peers. As a facilitator, you will explore your chosen factor with your peers; encourage alternative viewpoints and foster engagement. This should involve posing questions, concerns, ideas or issues for your group to engage with. The discussion topic will commence during
week 3 and conclude by the end of week 6. Your lecturer will monitor the discussions but will not take on
the role of the facilitator. That will be your responsibility. Your participation and facilitation will be assessed (see the assessment criteria and the associated rubric in MyLO for more details on this).
b. Literature research - you will draw upon relevant literature (such as books, journal articles and scholarly websites) within and beyond the unit readings to broaden your understanding of your chosen factor. Remember to investigate the journals listed in this unit outline as possible sources of scholarly literature for this task.
c. Personal Reflection - you will reflect critically on your own experience as either a teacher or as a student, in relation to your chosen factor. If possible, you should also consult your own learners in your teaching context to further inform your exploration.

Assignment Submission: The assignment must be submitted using the assignment template provided in PebblePad (word count is given as a guide only):
• Overview: An overview of your chosen factor and its relevance to an applied learning environment (200 words)
• Key Issues: An identification and analysis of the key issues that were uncovered through the discussion you facilitated with peers, discussions with your own students (if applicable), examination of the extended literature, and your own insights (700 words)
• Implications: For each issue you identified, you are to discussion the implications for professional practice, with particular reference to your own discipline area and (intended) teaching role (400 words)
• Critical reflection: A reflection on your own learning journey in this task, including your experience in facilitating an online discussion in this unit (500 words).
Voice: The submission can be written in third or first person or a combination. Reflections of own practice are best done in a personal voice (i.e. first person).

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 7.1

Task Length:

2300 words: 1800 maximum for written submission, 500 (minimum) in MyLO Discussion Board (Note: you do not need to submit your MyLO contributions as your lecturer can access these)

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Application of knowledge and understanding of theoretical underpinnings of a chosen factor of student engagement (25%)	LO1
2	Identification, analysis, and synthesis from different perspectives (self, peer, theory and students) of issues and implications for your teaching practice around your chosen engagement factor (30%)	LO1, LO2
3	Application of and critical reflection on facilitation skills used in an online setting to engage your peers (25%)	LO1, LO3
4	Contribution to peer group discussions and personal and professional literacy skills (20%)	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Reflecting on Engagement

Task Description:

Participation in online meetings and learning activities has recently become the “new normal”, both in education and in other sectors and workplaces. In our work roles we sometimes play the part of the facilitator, and as students and employees we experience the web-conference from the other side of the looking glass. In this short reflective assignment, you will discuss how your expectations and the reality of the experience, align, or do not align.

To achieve this, you will attend at least one of the web-conferences scheduled to occur prior to Week 8 and reflect on your experience. You may participate in the web-conferences either live or via the web-conference recording.

Your submission should include:
a) A reflection and your thoughts about any engagement strategies that you identify and any that were not apparent during the web-conference.
b) Did you enjoy the web-conference? Why/why not?
c) What changes would you make to the delivery?
d) Scholarly references to support your claims.
Please note that this is a comparatively short writing task, so it is important to be as succinct as possible.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 2.6, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5

Task Length:

500 words

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify engagement strategies (40%)	LO1, LO2
2	Evaluate the use of engagement strategies (40%)	LO2
3	Apply professional and academic skills to communicate and transfer knowledge to an intended audience (20%)	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Exploring Facilitation

Task Description:

“One of the beauties of teaching is that there is no limit to one's growth as a teacher, just as there is no knowing beforehand how much your students can learn.” Herbert Kohl, US Educator.

As Kohl suggests, all of us are on a continuum of development as a teacher. This assessment task invites you to deepen and extend your facilitation skills through a planned session with a group of learners. You are required to design, facilitate, and evaluate a short (45-60 minute) activity that:
• Is beyond your normal comfort zone of facilitation (recognising that each of you are at a different stage in the development of these skills);
• Incorporates several facilitation strategies aimed at increasing student engagement;
• Involves a group of at least six learners in an educational setting; and,
• Will be reflectively self-evaluated through the lens of three relevant criteria (e.g. such as A2, B1, C4) chosen by you from the IAF Competencies

For your submission, you will complete the assignment template provided in PebblePad. The template requires you to:
1. Describe the activity, context, and the characteristics of the learners (if you are using volunteers for your task, describe the role they have been asked to perform).
2. Describe the facilitation and engagement strategies used, and how the activity extended your skills as a facilitator (i.e., is beyond your normal comfort zone).
3. Provide a detailed theoretical justification for your choice of strategies.
4. Evaluate the lesson through your chosen IAF competencies, identifying what went well and what you might do differently next time (drawing upon relevant literature to support your suggestions).
5. Reflect on your learning journey and your experience as a facilitator.
6. Include as an appendix your lesson plan for the activity. This is not assessed and does not need to be presented in any particular format; it is requested in order for your lecturer to better understand the activity that you conducted (as well has help you prepare for facilitating the activity).

You will be invited to participate in a web-conference during Week 9 to brainstorm ideas on possible strategies that would extend your facilitation skills. These might include the use of music, drama, role plays, and other techniques for engaging learners.

The submission can be written in third or first person. Reflections of own practice are best done in a personal voice.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 7.1

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Application of knowledge and understanding of theoretical underpinnings of facilitation as a means of engaging students in learning (30%)	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Justification and scholarly evidence for your choice of strategies in helping to engage your students in learning (30%)	LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Evaluation using selected IAF competencies (30%)	LO1, LO2
4	Engagement in module 2 discussions and personal and professional literacy (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

There are no texts to purchase for this unit. All readings are held in the Library’s reading lists. 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.