EDMT6500: Semester 1, 2026

Units EDMT6500 Semester 1 2026 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

EDMT6500: Assessing for Learning: Diversity and Equity

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Focusing on the relationship between schools and the community, EDMT6500 builds on previous study through an exploration of the ways in which student and school growth is measured and communicated to the wider community. This exploration will include consideration of the role and forms of assessment. Central to this unit will be the issues of diversity and equity in schooling. EDMT6500 connects to the final professional experience with an emphasis on pre-service teachers directing their ongoing professional learning.EDMT6500 also leads into EDMT6012 through the exploration of evidence from students and evidence from teaching practice viewed through evidence from research.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Education
Credit points	5
Prerequisites ?	48 credit points of EDMT coded units including (EDMT5502 and EDMT5681)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Paul Ginns, paul.ginns@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam	Written exam Written exam	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Online quiz Online quiz	10%	Week 02 Due date: 06 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 06 Mar 2026	450 wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Written task Writing task	40%	Week 04 Due date: 22 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 22 Mar 2026	1675 wd	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Written task

describe a time when you weren’t “intrinsically motivated” at school. From a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, what might the reasons have been for feeling this way? (about 800 words).
Reflecting on the time when you were not “intrinsically motivated”: if you were now teaching your younger self, what changes would you make in curriculum and/or pedagogy to help your younger self become more self-determined? (about 875 words).

Please see Canvas for more details.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

The Masters of Teaching is not graded, tasks are assessed as ‘meeting criteria’ or ‘not meeting criteria’.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

There will be a 5% deduction per day (up to 24 hours) late. If an assignment is more than 5 calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Foundations of educational psychology	Lecture (1 hr)
	Research methods in educational psychology	Lecture (1 hr)
	Research methods in educational psychology	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Students tend to enjoy learning and perform better when they are more intrinsically than extrinsically motivated to achieve.	Lecture (1 hr)
	Students persist in the face of challenging tasks and process information more deeply when they adopt mastery goals rather than performance goals.	Lecture (1 hr)
	Achievement Goal Theory and the TARGET MODEL.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Teachers’ expectations about their students affect students’ opportunities to learn, their motivation, and their learning outcomes.	Lecture (1 hr)
	Setting goals that are short term (proximal), specific, and moderately challenging enhances motivation more than establishing goals that are long term (distal), general, and overly challenging.	Lecture (1 hr)
	Goal-setting tutorial	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Learning and human cognitive architecture 1 - Long-Term Memory	Lecture (1 hr)
	Learning and human cognitive architecture 2 – Working Memory	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial – Prior Knowledge and Learning	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Learning and human cognitive architecture 3 – development of working memory and executive functions	Lecture (1 hr)
	Learning and human cognitive architecture 4 – supporting development of executive functions	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial - working memory	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Cognitive load, teaching and learning 1 – Introducing cognitive load	Lecture (1 hr)
	Cognitive load, teaching and learning 2 – from novice to expert	Lecture (1 hr)
	Cognitive load theory and Load Reduction Instruction	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Cognitive load, teaching and learning 3 – teaching with worked examples	Lecture (1 hr)
	Acquiring long-term knowledge and skill is largely dependent on practice.	Lecture (1 hr)
	Designing effective worked examples	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Critical and Creative Thinking	Lecture (1 hr)
	Design and use of formative assessments	Lecture (1 hr)
	Formative assessment strategies	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Design and use of summative assessments and rubrics	Lecture (1 hr)
	Principles of effective feedback	Lecture (1 hr)
	Rubric design (in disciplinary areas)	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: The Sydney School of Education and Social Work requires attendance of at least 90 percent of all seminars, workshops or lectures. Where a student is unable to attend at the required rate evidence of illness or misadventure may be required and the student may be required to undertake extra work. Students should discuss the circumstances of their absence(s) with the co-ordinator of the unit of study. Further details are provided in the School canvas site: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/13426

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 5 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 100-125 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

There are two readings lists for EDMT6500 and both are available on Canvas.

The Annotated Required Reading List, outlines mandatory weekly readings and reasons these readings have been set.
The Extra Reading List outlines additional, optional readings that connect with and expand upon weekly required readings as well as some resources that may assist with assignment preparation.

Please note that the EDMT6500 Course Calendar that can be downloaded as an overview of the course to assist with your semester planning.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Identify and describe a range of principles of teaching and learning based on theory and research
LO2. Relate these principles to a range of educational activities (e.g., teaching practices, assessment methods)
LO3. Apply these principles to understand potentials and limits of a range of educational practices
LO4. Reflect on these principles to suggest changes in practice
LO5. Relate these principles to student welfare and classroom management issues

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In response to the feedback regarding EDMT6500, Task 2 and Task 3 have been changed and additional scaffolding activities for Task 2 have been embedded in tutorials.

Additional information

Assessment tasks in this unit can relate to your professional experience (see Assessment Information and Support module on Canvas, especially the Task Description Sheets). If you are not undertaking a professional experience for teaching in Semester 1 of 2020, please contact the unit coordinator as soon as possible.

All criteria for each task must be met in order to meet criteria for the task, overall. You must meet all criteria on all tasks to satisfy requirements of the unit.

A significant attempt i.e. recognising the word count guidelines and assessment criteria must be submitted for every assessment task.

By submitting your work you acknowledge that your work may be de-identified and reproduced in part or in full as an example for future students and for course accreditation. If you do not wish to have your work used as an exemplar and/or as evidence of student quality please inform the unit coordinator (via email) that you wish to opt out of your task being used for such purposes.

Additional costs

n/a

Site visit guidelines

If you are undertaking professional experience/field education placement as part of your enrolment in this unit of study, please assess your specific needs and requirements for the safe and successful completion of an external placement within a host organisation. You will be given the opportunity to disclose any health issues that have a work health and safety significance before arranging a placement so that your safety, and the safety of others, can be properly assessed. The Professional Experience Coordinator/Field Education Manager will work to ensure that the workplace assignment to you is appropriate for your needs and requirements. If you are experiencing disability, and require reasonable adjustments to be arranged, please contact Disability Services as early as possible prior to commencing the internship. Please note, in all cases, and for the purpose of organising reasonable adjustments, only the impact and not the nature, of your disability will be disclosed to the host organisation.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

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