Outline

Overview

This unit of study explores the design and development of educational programs that allow students with special education needs to access the general curriculum on the same basis as their peers. Current research in inclusive curriculum design will be explored together with a critical analysis of the political and controversial issues related to the design of such curricula. Concepts of universal design for learning, selection and design of curriculum adjustments, and evidence-based instructional practices will be examined. Students will critically reflect on these principles and concepts within the context of their professional practice.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	EDPD5015
Academic unit	Education
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Evans, david.evans@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Article Critique (Task 1) n/a	20%	Week 04	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Designing instructional sequences (Tasks 3 a, b, c) n/a	30%	Week 07	3 x 500 words (equivalent)
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Practically Speaking (Task 2) n/a	25%	Week 10	1500 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Unit of Work (Task 4) n/a	25%	Week 13	1500 words (Equivalent)
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Article critique: The aim of this assignment is to critically examine the tenets that underpin the listed article in regards to policy, legisation and practice within NSW, Australia and from your own experiences.
Practically speaking: The aim of this assignment is to develop a piece of work (1500 words including references) that highlights an inclusive education practice, and how it can be used to meet the needs of students with diverse learning needs. This piece of work needs to be written in a manner that is concise, informative and one your peers would pick up and read (i.e., you are writing for an audience).
Designing instructional sequences: The aim of this assignment is to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in designing a sequence of instruction that follows evidence-based practice. The three parts of this assignment require you to write an instructional sequence to teach a concept (x2) and a rule.
Unit of work: The aim of this assignment is to design a small unit of work. For the purposes of this assignment, you are required to plan using links to mainstream syllabus outcomes (or corresponding documentation). If you are working with students in a secondary context, this assignment requires you use the mainstream syllabus outcomes, not outcomes from Life Skills syllabus.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

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

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

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.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Access to the general curriculum: assumptions, theory, policy and legislation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Accessing the general curriculum: Challenging existing practices	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Universal design for learning: Exploring the UDL framework	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Managing curriculum and instructional demands: Big ideas and task analysis	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Managing curriculum and instructional demands: Explicit and systematic instruction	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Managing curriculum and instructional demands: Designing instructional sequences; time delay and example selection	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Managing curriculum and instructional demands: Designing instructional sequences; practice schedules	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Managing curriculum and instructional demands: Designing instructional sequences; video-self modelling	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Managing the instructional environment: Using peer support, technologies	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Using the Australian Curriculum/NESA syllabus to design curriculum accessible by all students	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Using the Australian Curriculum/NESA syllabus to design curriculum accessible by all students: Assessment and monitoring learning	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Designing inclusive learning experiences: Are we there yet?	Seminar (2 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.

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 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Bondie, R., Dahnke, C., & Zusho, A. (2019). How does changing “one-size-fits-all” to differentiated instruction affect teaching? Review of Research in Education, 43, 336-362. doi:10.3102/0091732X18821130

Englemann, S., & Carnine, D. (2016). Theory of instruction. NIFI Press.

Evans, D. (2020). Designing access to the curriculum. In I. Spandagou, C. Little, D. Evans, & M. Bonati, Inclusive education in schools and early childhood settings (pp. 47-58). Springer.

Florian, L. (2019). On the necessary co-existence of special and inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23, 691-704. doi:10.1080/13603116.2019.1622801

Florian, L. (2014). Reimagining special education: Why new approaches are needed. In L. Florian (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of special education (pp. 9-23) (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Floyd, K., Galyon, C., & Floyd-Norris, K. (2021). Use of assistive technology to access curriculum. Teaching Exceptional Children, 52(6), 436-439. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059920936135

Foxworth, L., Hasley, A., Dexter, C., Rasnitsyn, S., & Beck, R. (2021). Approaching explicit instruction within a universal design for learning framework. Teaching Exceptional Children. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599211010190

Hughes, C., Morris, J., Therrien, W., & Benson, S. (2017). Explicit instruction: Historical contemporary contexts, Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 32(3), 140-148. http://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12142

Humphreys, S., & Jimenez, B. (2018). The evolution of personalised learning: from different, to differentiated and now to universally designed. Global Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 5(4), 1-2.

Martin, A. (2016). Using Load Reduction Instruction (LRI) to boost motiviation and engagement. British Psychological Society.

Meier, B., & Rossi, K. (2020). Removing instructional barriers with UDL. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 56(2), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2020.1729639

Nelson, L. (2014). Design and deliver: Planning and teaching using universal design for learning (pp. 7-21). Brookes.

Riccomini, P., Morano, S., & Hughes, C. (2017). Big ideas in special education: Specially designed instruction, high-leverage practices, explicit instruction, and intensive instruction. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 50(1), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917724412

Riley-Tillman, T., Burns, M., & Kilgus, S. (2020). Evaluating education interventions: Single-case design for measuring response to intervention. (2nd ed). Guildford.

Ryndak, D., Moore, M., Orlando, A. & Delano, M. (2008-2009). Access to the general curriculum: The mandate and role of context in research-based practice for students with extensive support needs. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 33, 199-213.

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. demonstrate skills in the analysis of research to identify quality teaching practices for students with additional learning needs
LO2. demonstrate knowledge of curriculum analysis and design for students with additional learning needs
LO3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the diversity of backgrounds and needs students bring to a range of learning environments
LO4. demonstrate knowledge for designing curriculum-based assessment protocols and functional assessment to determine long term and short term learning goals
LO5. demonstrate knowledge of links between assessment of student learning, and planning and reporting
LO6. articulate knowledge and skills in designing the curriculum in the key learning areas to meet the full range of student learning needs
LO7. demonstrate knowledge of literacy and numeracy development in designing an integrated curriculum and planning instruction for students with additional learning needs
LO8. articulate knowledge of specialised and assistive technology to facilitate curriculum adjustments
LO9. articulate an understanding of how to facilitate learning of students through collaboration with families and allied professionals, and the use of peers, teacher aides and assistants, and volunteers
LO10. apply knowledge, skills and values in accordance with appropriate aims and outcomes of the University of Sydney: Generic Attributes of Graduates policy. In particular, this unit supports those skills and attributes relating to ethical, social and professional understanding; personal and intellectual autonomy and research and inquiry.

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.

Feedback from versions of this unit have identified two features for further enhancement. They are (with strategy): Feedback on work in a more timely manner (feedback on materials to be completed within required time of two weeks; one week for drafts of group work); and Applied nature of strategies (inclusion of EBP within a number of weeks; to be topic of discussion lead by students and applied within seminars).

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EDPD5015: Meeting Spec Ed Needs Through Curriculum

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect