EDUC 6510A - Biology Curriculum & Methodology A

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015

The course aims to present information on a range of methodologies and develop a variety of pedagogical skills that will prepare students for the start of their teaching career in senior school biology

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Course Details

Course Code	EDUC 6510A
Course	Biology Curriculum & Methodology A
Coordinating Unit	School of Education
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	2 hours per week, in addition to a 2 hour common lecture focussing on Planning and Teaching
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	Pass in 6 courses of Biological Science
Restrictions	Available to GradDipEd students only
Assessment	Essay, unit of work, online tasks, designing pracs & investigations

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Mr Maurice Wetherall

Maurie Wetherall LECTURER maurice.wetherall@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Monday 1PM - 3PM

Course Learning Outcomes

#	On Successful completion of this course student will be able:	APST Standard	AQF7/8	GA
Semester One
1	Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of the complexity of the discipline and theteaching strategies of the learning area.	2.1	Knowledge	1,2,3,5,6,7
2	Design and sequence unit and lesson plans based on essential content of the subjectarea, curriculum, including effective assessment principles.	2.2 & 2.3 & 3.2	Application	1,2,3
3	Assemble a range of subject-appropriate resources, including online, that engage a diversity of students in their learning.	2.6 & 3.4	Application	2, 4, 5, 8
4	Integrate relevant research and theory to develop a broad repertoire of subject-appropriate teaching and learning strategies, including use of ICT.	3.3 7 3.2	Skills	2,3,5
5	Assemble relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers including subject professional associations.	6.2, 6.3 & 7.4	Knowledge & Skills	4, 5, 6, 7, 8
6	Demonstrate a commitment to work ethically and collaboratively so as to meet the professional expectations required of teachers	6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4	Knowledge, Skills & Application	3,4,8
7	Demonstrate communication skills to present a clear and coherent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a diverse range of students	3.5, 4.2, 5.5	Knowledge, Skills & Application	2,4
Note: 最新糖心Vlogn Professional Standards for Teachers (APST): 最新糖心Vlogn Qualifications Framework (AQF): Graduate Attributes: 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide Graduate Attributes:

最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1,2
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	1.2,3,4,7
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	1,2,4,6,
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	3,5,6,7
A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies.	1,3,4,5
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	1,5
A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community.	1,5
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	3,5,6

Learning & Teaching Modes

Workshop style lectures with extensive opportunities to view and discuss teaching methodology as it relates to SACE Biology. Students will be exposed to multiple resources for their teaching programs so that they may individualise future teaching according to the needs and context of their students. Students will mark current year 11 and 12 examples of different levels of assignments and tests according to SACE performance standards.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Students are required to utilise an equal amount of time in independent study as time spent in lectures. This may involve reading, research or resource gathering. More time may be required to produce summative tasks. Students are required to spend at least 3 hours observing me teaching during Semester 1. This can be during lectures, tutorials, classes with year 11 Biology or at Holiday Revision programs for Adelaide Tuition Centre.

Learning Activities Summary

Perceptions of Biology
Biological language
A look at junior secondary Biology in the Science program
An overview of SACE Stages 1 and 2 Biology
An analysis of the SACE course outlines and the Learning and Assessment Plans for Stage 1 and 2
Looking at areas of the curriculum that many students find difficult and investigating varying approaches to these challenges
Planning Units of work and topics for Stage 1 Biology and some resources for Stage 1
Planning lessons, how to use time effectively
Successful classroom teaching of Biology
How to organise and assess practical work.
Some ideas about setting and assessing the Investigations Issues essay part of the course
Meaningful assessment, including setting of topic tests and assignments, and marking in accordance with SACE Performance Standards.
Stage 2 Biology-Key concepts, depth of knowledge required
Choosing texts and workbooks for Stage 1 and 2 Biology
Setting up resources for teaching in the future
Using appropriate handouts for students
Using the internet for Biology
Using virtual practicals eg. Enzyme lab and dissections
Marking standards for classroom and SACE including some practise marking current student work, using appropriate SACE performance standards.
Professional Development and teaching support groups
Using ‘Moodle’ to create electronic assessment items.

Schedule
Week 1	2nd March 1.10pm till 3pm	Introduction What makes a good Biology teacher? Perceptions of Biology, Biological language An overview of stage 1 and stage 2 Biology
Week 2	9th March	Public Holiday- no class in lieu of observation times
Week 3	16th March 1.10pm till 3pm	An in depth look at SACE Course Outlines and Assessment Plans for stage 1 and 2. Must Know Lists for SACE stage 2 Biology.
Week 4	23rdMarch 1.10pm till 3pm	Concepts that students find difficult, and some approaches to teaching these. Planning topics for stage 1 Biology. Some useful resources for stage 1 Marking according to Performance Standards- some work to mark from Stage 1
Week 5	30th March 1.10pm till 3pm	Unit Plans and Planning lessons Classroom teaching and practical sessions Meaningful assessment Writing Multiple Choice Questions.
Week 6	6th April 1.10pm till 3pm	Public Holiday- no class in lieu of observation times
Week 7	27th April 1.10pm till 3pm	Stage 2 Biology, Key concepts, depth of knowledge required, Choice of texts. Practical work. Setting up assessment criteria that make sense to students Marking standards, some examples from my Stage 2 classes
Week 8	4th May 1.10pm till 3pm	Guest speaker on misconceptions in Senior Biology

Specific Course Requirements

the use of specialised facilities (Basic Laboratory and Workshop Safety Guidelines (unrevised)) or equipment (Plant/Equipment Safety Management (includes Electrical Equipment) (unrevised));
external placements and work experience including insurance information and frequently asked questions;
fieldtrips Field Work policy and guidelines (unrevised) and insurance information;
the input of other organisations such as SAPOL (eg police checks) Police Record Checks procedure policy(unrevised);
the use facilities out of hours (eg Computing laboratories, Music studios);
ancillary fees and charges Fees for Award Programs and Courses policy (revised);
the requirement for students with Colour Vision Impairment ('colour blindness') to obtain advice on how to participate in Electrical Engineering workshops.

The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Two assessment pieces are required

1. Assignmen 1: Due date: end of week 4. Weighting 30%. Learning objectives 1,2,4

2. Assignment; writing multiple choice questions in small groups during class of week 6.
Weighting 20%.

Attendance, contribution and active participation in workshops and class exercises, collaboration with colleagues and sharing of resources with each other (20%) (ATST standards: 6.3, 6.2, 3.4)
Individual preparation of a lesson plan to teach a stage 2 biology topic that many students have difficulty understanding. (30%) (ATST standards: 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, )
Writing of Multiple Choice Questions in small groups during class time. (20%) (ATST standards: 2.2, 2.3, 3.4, 5.1)
Attend answer questions and discuss about at least two lessons (or 3 hours) of classroom observation in my year 11 or 12 classes at 最新糖心Vlog Senior College, or holiday revision programmes with Adelaide Tuition Centre. This is a required assessment item and must be completed in semester 1. (30%) (ATST standards: 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 3.3, 3.4, 6.2, 6.3, 7.4)

Assessment Detail

No information currently available.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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