Outline

Overview

Under the supervision of mentors, students will complete a series of tutoring sessions in schools. During this time, students will develop, implement and evaluate a sequence of individualised literacy and/or numeracy plans. From these experiences, students will develop a professional statement and reflective journal, making links between practice and the research literature based.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	EDUP4077
Academic unit	Education
Credit points	4
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	170 credit points including (EDUP4018 or EDUP4019) and EDUP4074 and EDUP4076 and EDUP4079
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Evans, david.evans@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	David Evans, david.evans@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Skills-based evaluation	Online quizzes Based on readings and lectures; Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8	20%	Multiple weeks	Four quiz x 150 words each
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	In-School Sessions and Reflections Undertaking series of intervention sessions; discuss & reflect on sessions.	40%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59	At least 14 sessions (2000 word equiv)
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Professional Statement n/a	40%	Week 08 Due date: 29 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

In-school teaching sessions and reflections: You will plan, implement and evaluate a series of in-school sessions with a primary school student that focuses on intensifying and personalising litracy instruction; you will complete a series of journal reflections.
Professional statement: You will develop a professional statement that provides an overview of how you plan to cater for the full range of student literacy needs in a primary school context.
Online quizzes: During weeks 1-6 you will complete four quiz online. Each quiz is related to readings assigned in the unit of study, and the focus of discussion in-school.

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	Unit Overview: Introduction to learning support	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to and assessing the big ideas of reading	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 02	Principles of intensive instruction	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	In-school sessions (x3; Tues, Wed, Thurs); planning, teaching and evaluating intensive interventions	Practical (3 hr)
Week 03	Phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	In-school sessions (x3; Tues, Wed, Thurs); planning, teaching and evaluating intensive interventions	Practical (3 hr)
Week 04	Reading and meaning	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	In-school sessions (x3; Tues, Wed, Thurs); planning, teaching and evaluating intensive interventions	Practical (3 hr)
Week 05	Fluency with the code	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	In-school sessions (x3; Tues, Wed, Thurs); planning, teaching and evaluating intensive interventions	Practical (3 hr)
Week 06	Reading for meaning	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	In-school sessions (x3; Tues, Wed, Thurs); planning, teaching and evaluating intensive interventions	Practical (3 hr)
Week 07	Applying intensive instruction with numeracy	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Learning support in schools; Review of in-school sessions	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 workshops, in-school sessions and 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.

Professional conduct: A good part of this unit of study is conducted in schools. It is expected that you uphold a strong sense of professional identity at all time. The area of professional conducted is listed as a criteria for in-school work; you are also referred to the material in the expectations of student conduct.

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 4 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 80-100 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library’s reading list system Leganto, available on Canvas.

Key references:

Duke, N., & Cartwright, K. (2021). The science of reading progresses: Communicating advances beyond the simple view of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S25-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.411

Fien, H., Chard, D., & Baker, S. (2021). Can the evidence of revolution and multi-tiered systems of support improve education equity and reading achievement? Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S105-S118. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.391

Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L., & Vaughn, S. (2014). What is intensive instruction and why is it important? TEACHING Exceptional Children, 46(4), 13-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059914522966

Gersten, R., & Chard, D. (1999). Rethinking arithmetic instruction for students with mathematics disabilities, Journal of Special Education, 33(1), 18-28.

Lemons, C., Kearns, D., & Davidson, K. (2014). Data-based individualization in reading: Intensifying interventions for students with significant reading disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 46(4), 20-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059914522978

Pikulski, J., & Chard, D. (2005). Fluency: Bridging between decoding and reading comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58(6), 510-519.

Spear-Swerling, L. (2019). Structured literacy and typical literacy practices: Understanding differences to create instructional opportunities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 51(3), 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917750160

Swanson, E., Vaughn, S., & Wexler, J. (2017). Enhancing adolescents’ comprehension of text by building vocabulary knowledge. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 50(2), 84-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917720777

Tunmer, W., & Hoover, W. (2019). The cognitive foundation of learning to read: A framework for preventing and remediating reading difficulties. Australia Journal of Learning Difficulties, 24(1), 75-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081

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.

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

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of differing learning theories, and how they can explain learning for students with a range of strengths and backgrounds
LO2. implement a series of assessments to establish the current literacy knowledge of students
LO3. plan a series of lessons for a student demonstrating how the big ideas of reading interlink and compliment each other
LO4. implement a series of lessons with a student demonstrating knowledge of key pedagogical practices
LO5. articulate in writing professional knowledge about the teaching of reading within a whole of class literacy framework, linking it to research-based pedagogy, for ALL students
LO6. evaluate lessons in relation to learning objectives for students, and nominate future areas of teaching focus
LO7. reflect on lesson sessions and state how student learning can be enhanced and furthered
LO8. demonstrate understanding of the learning support process, and how it can be used in support teaching the classroom.

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 1.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. 1.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. 1.6.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 2.2.1. (Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. 2.3.1. (Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. 3.1.1. (Graduate) Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 2.3.1. (Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. 3.2.1. (Graduate) Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. 3.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 2.5.1. (Graduate) Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas. 3.3.1. (Graduate) Include a range of teaching strategies. 4.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 1.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. 1.6.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability. 4.1.1. (Graduate) Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 5.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. 5.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. 5.4.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 6.3.1. (Graduate) Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 4.4.1. (Graduate) Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.2.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
1.5.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
1.6.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
2.2.1		(Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
2.3.1		(Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
2.5.1		(Graduate) Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
3.2.1		(Graduate) Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
3.3.1		(Graduate) Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.6.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
5.1.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
5.2.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
5.4.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
6.3.1		(Graduate) Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.

Responding to student feedback

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

This unit of study receives high praise each year by students. One feature that is frequently critiqued is the frequency of feedback. Given the short period of time in 2023, the reflective journal will be formally examined during in school visits, and feedback provided. Feedback will be provided to you by multiple people (i.e., in-school tutor, university staff).

Additional information

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

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EDUP4077: Teaching Children with Special Needs

Semester 2, 2023 [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

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect