Designing Personalised Learning

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

85 hours

Students must have completed 150 points of Master of Teaching (Primary) subjects including EDUC90489 Professional Practice and Seminar Prim 3 before enrolling in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject develops Teacher Candidates’ understanding of the principles and practices which enable them to personalise learning, with the aim of tailoring experiences to meet primary school students’ learning, needs, interests and talents. Further, the subject consolidates Candidates’ capacity to engage and support all learners across all disciplines, to involve them in their own learning and assessment, and to move them towards increased independence, maturity and respect for others.

Topics include: the policy and research which identifies principles and practices for personalising learning in the primary school; the various innovation and intervention strategies for personalising learning across the disciplines, including the use of new technologies; the inclusive teaching and assessment strategies that encourage students’ active contribution to their own learning; and the organisation of the classroom and school to engage all learners and to maximise their full potential. There will be a particular emphasis on those school students who are gifted and those who experience learning difficulties.

On completion of this subject teacher candidates will be able to:

• Discuss relevant policy and research related to personalising learning;
• Undertake a cycle of action that accompanies innovative or targeted teaching;
• Implement a range of data collection tools and techniques to identify the learning, needs, interests and talents of the students in their classroom;
• Use a range of strategies they can use across the disciplines to support the learning of all students, including gifted students and students with learning difficulties; and
• Apply their understanding of personalised learning through the design of a classroom innovation and intervention and the organisational structures that support this.

There are 2 assessment tasks

• A report (750 words) due mid semester, 35%
• A report (1,250 words) due end of semester, 65%

This subject has a minimum hurdle requirement of 80% attendance at all scheduled lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops.

Collection of readings.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of changes.
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base.