Unit Outline

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

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:	Assignment - Annotated Bibliography	Week 9	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Quiz	Week 12	10 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 3:	Addressing Student Needs	Week 13	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: 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 2: Quiz

Task Description:

This task is a quiz that will help you to consolidate learning in relation to Modules One and Two in the unit, in preparation for AT2 and AT3.
This task is a quiz that you will undertake in two parts. Part one will occur at the end of module one and part two at the end of module two.
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:

500 word equivalent

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

10 %

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 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 13

Weight:

50 %

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.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

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.

Required Resources

Required reading materials