Unit Outline

This unit introduces you to pedagogies appropriate for supporting the learning of mathematics in classrooms. The unit will provide opportunities for you to develop your personal numeracy skills and to identify where these skills can be applied in the context of education support. You will develop an understanding of appropriate pedagogies for individualising numeracy development, along with the theoretical underpinnings of how children learn mathematics. The unit will provide opportunities for you to deepen your own mathematical content knowledge, along with assessing children’s mathematical thinking using work samples and practical classroom examples.

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.	Identify strengths and weaknesses in your mathematical skills and evaluate evidence of your own learning.
2.	Reflect on your current skills and knowledge in relation to numeracy support work.
3.	Articulate learners’ mathematical understanding and numeracy development, and discuss the consequences of this development in numeracy support work.
4.	Describe key concepts and essential knowledge with regard to numeracy support in Australian educational contexts.

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:	Personal Numeracy Skills and Beliefs Audit	Week 4	20 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:	Numeracy Work Sample Analysis	Week 8	40 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Numeracy Support Script	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Personal Numeracy Skills and Beliefs Audit

Task Description:

This task has 2 sections: Numeracy Skills and Beliefs

Section 1: Numeracy Skills
a) Access the numeracy competency test that will be available on MyLO. Complete the test and save a copy of your results (can print or save as PDF, you will refer your responses for this assignment)
b) Complete an analysis of your results that includes identification of your mathematical strengths and weaknesses as indicated by the results. You will reflect and plan how you intend to address any weakness during semester.
c) Select a question to which you gave an incorrect response (or a question you were not confident with). Explain your thinking, identify where you had difficulty and provide a correct response, with an explanation of how you solved it.

Section 2: Beliefs Audit
a) Access the belief statements through MyLO
b) For each of the statements, rate your level of agreement (using a continuum 1-10, with 10 being strongly agree).
c) Choose one of the statements that you strongly agree with and explain why.
d) Choose one of the statements that you strongly disagree with and explain why.
e) Watch (or re-watch) the TEDtalk by Jo Boaler and identify a belief that was challenged through the TEDtalk and explain why. What implications do your beliefs have on supporting students with learning mathematics?

Task Length:

800 words

Due Date:

Week 4 (20/Mar/2024)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Ability to interpret test results and identify mathematical strengths and weaknesses (30%)	LO1, LO2
2	Ability to explain mathematical thinking (20%)	LO1, LO2
3	Critically evaluate mathematical belief statements (30%)	LO1, LO2
4	Consider the impact of mathematical beliefs on the learning of mathematics (20%)	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 2: Numeracy Work Sample Analysis

Task Description:

For this assessment task, you are required to analyse two work samples involving students’ responses to mathematical problems.
A selection of work samples will be available through MyLO for you to choose from.
Your analysis of each sample will include:
• An accurate worked solution of the problems, with a brief written explanation of approach used.
• Interpretation of what the student has done to solve the problem and explanation of their thinking as evidenced by the sample.
• Identify student’s misunderstanding or lack of understanding with reference to key mathematical concepts “Big Ideas” in the problem.
• A brief identification of appropriate teaching strategies and resources to help with student understanding.

A template for this task will be available in MyLO

Task Length:

1200 words

Due Date:

Week 8 (24/Apr/2024)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Ability to correctly solve a mathematics problem	LO2, LO3
2	Clear written explanation of how to solve a mathematics problem	LO2, LO3
3	Accurate analysis of student mathematical thinking	LO3
4	Identification of key mathematical understandings and concepts required to solve problem	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Numeracy Support Script

Task Description:

For this assessment task, you are required to devise a numeracy support script to assist a fictional student with learning of one mathematical concept identified in Assessment Task 2. A template for this task will be available through MyLO.

Your script must include:
a) 2-3 sentences describing your student in terms of age, class, mathematical dispositions and skills.
b) Updated overview of the rationale behind the student’s mathematical thinking informed by feedback from AT2.
c) A fictional dialogue between you and the student that includes 3 highlighted teachable moments. This dialogue should provide examples of student talk (particularly with errors) and how you would respond to the student to assist them with developing mathematical understanding. You must demonstrate the use of materials and resources where appropriate.
d) Provide a reflection on the skills, knowledge and beliefs you have and have continued to develop in this unit, required to support student learning in mathematics.
e) Reference should be made to scholarly literature using APA7

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 13 (29/May/2024)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provision of appropriate hypothesised student background	LO3
2	Accurate analysis of student’s thinking	LO3
3	Identification of what the student needs to know and how to assist them	LO3, LO4
4	Describe appropriate teaching approaches, responses, resources, and questions	LO3, LO4
5	Identification of commensurate education support skills	LO1, 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.

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 is no prescribed text for this unit, please refer to unit schedule or MyLO content for weekly readings. These readings are available through the Reading List.