Unit Outline

Literacy in Secondary School is designed to help you develop your knowledge and skills for the teaching of literacy in secondary classrooms. With a focus on the nature of literacy in Australia, this unit will reveal the vital role language and literacy plays in the learning process across the curriculum. You will explore literacy through curriculum documents and the requirements of their implementation across different discipline areas. Explorations of literacy will be related to current theories of language development and acquisition, their impact on teaching and learning, and the literacy demands/requirements of the teaching profession.

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.	Articulate knowledge of current theoretical approaches to literacy.
2.	Critically reflect on the nature of literacy and the implications of changing knowledge about literacy for your teaching context.
3.	Demonstrate understanding of the literacy conventions and demands associated with particular curriculum areas.
4.	Identify appropriate texts and create literacy strategies for specific educational contexts.
5.	Demonstrate academic and information literacy skills.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Concurrent Pre-requisite	EMT502

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:	Literacy Competency Test	Week 3	0 %
Assessment Task 2:	Developing a robust theory of literacy	Week 3	20 %	LO2, LO3, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Literacy in the subject disciplines	Week 7	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Assessment Task 4:	Lesson planning	Week 10	40 %	LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Literacy Competency Test

Task Description:

The Literacy Competency Test must be completed online in MyLO by Friday of week 3 to ensure you have time to reflect on your results as part of your developing understandings about literacy. Please note: The Literacy Competency Test (LCT) is not graded and is in addition to the AT1. Although your first attempt at the LCT must be undertaken by Friday of week 3, you can take the test again anytime throughout the year if needed.

Task Length:

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

Assessment Task 2: Developing a robust theory of literacy

Task Description:

AT1 requires you to reflect on your changing understanding about the nature of literacy to articulate a robust theory of the role of literacy
in your teaching specialization. The assignment will be submitted in two parts, Part A will be due in week 3 and Part B will be due in week 14 after Professional Experience.
Further information about this reflective writing task is available online in the assessment description.

Task Length:

1000 words (Part A and B, 500 words each)

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Articulates a contemporary definition of literacy drawing on literature and the Australian Curriculum.	LO2
2	Shows insight into the relationship of literacy to own teaching specialisation.	LO2, LO3
3	Reflects on how own ideas about literacy have evolved making connections to literature and professional experience and articulates implications for future teaching practice.	LO2, LO3
4	Communicates ideas about literacy with clarity and coherence using appropriate academic conventions.	LO5

Assessment Task 3: Literacy in the subject disciplines

Task Description:

AT2 requires you to demonstrate your developing understanding of literacy. You will need to consider significant concepts and theories from Module one (weeks 1 – 6) to prepare and record a multimodal presentation for your peers. The presentation will be for an audience of your pre-service peers at a Tasmanian Education Society (TEDS) event.
The presentation should inform about the nature of literacy, its relationship to your discipline specialization and explain how theory can inform literacy strategies and approaches in your subject.

A more detailed task description will be provided in the assessment section online.

Task Length:

10 minute presentation with transcript (1500 words equivalent)

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Communicates the importance of literacy with reference to the Australian curriculum and teaching specialisation.	LO1, LO2, LO5
2	Demonstrates understanding of significant literacy concepts and theories with reference to literature.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
3	Demonstrates how literacy theory and concepts relate to the literacy demands of a teaching specialisation with illustrative examples.	LO2, LO3
4	Communicate ideas appropriately for a professional audience including effective use of multimodal format and use of academic conventions.	LO5

Assessment Task 4: Lesson planning

Task Description:

AT3 requires you to demonstrate your ability to plan a lesson to support student literacy in your teaching specialisation. This task draws on your learning in module 2 to identify and explicitly teach an aspect of literacy relevant to your subject. Further detail about this assessment task will be provided in the assessment section in MyLO.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply knowledge of theory and strategy to design a literacy based lesson plan appropriate for implementation in a secondary classroom	LO3, LO4
2	Apply knowledge of discipline specific curriculum documents and texts to develop a lesson plan.	LO3, LO4
3	Justify the suitability of lesson plan drawing on literature.	LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5
4	Communicate ideas using academic conventions appropriately.	LO5

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.