Curriculum Provision for Gifted Students

This subject is not offered in 2015.

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject examines the implementation of curriculum most likely to foster gifted learning. Topics include curriculum and program organization, differentiated curricula, educational processes and structures likely to optimise gifted learning.

Gifted curriculum options including acceleration (part and full), ability grouping for enrichment and mixed-ability cooperative grouping will be explored. Students will be introduced to an integrated approach to curriculum differentiation and learn the skills required to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their differentiation at any time and to fine tune and modify the changes. Critical analysis and evaluation of contemporary curricula and programs in terms of their relevance for teaching practice and education with gifted and talented students will be investigated.

On subject completion students should be able to:

• critically analyse and evaluate contemporary curricula and programs in terms of their relevance for teaching practice and education with gifted and talented students,
• develop procedures for curriculum and program evaluation that take account of how students who are gifted learn,
• evaluate and recommend selectively a range of differentiation structures such as ability grouping, alternate assignments, cluster grouping, compacting, contracting, cooperative learning, early entrance, enrichment, flexible grouping, grade level acceleration, mentoring workshops and subject/content acceleration.
• apply curriculum differentiation procedures to curriculum, for example, to differentiate content in terms of depth complexity and novelty, differentiate thinking skills and differentiate learning outcomes,
• develop, implement and evaluate a range of approaches and procedures for matching gifted and talented learners with curriculum,
• recommend appropriate instructional and pedagogic procedures.

A report (5,000 words) that reviews and evaluates issues within the domain of the administration and implementation of programs intended to foster gifted learning.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.