Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
EDIP602 Inclusive Teaching and Community Practice
Unit rationale, description and aim
Educators play a vital role in advocating for and supporting the educational and social development of all students, particularly those with complex needs, unique attributes and challenging behaviours.
This unit recognises that all professionals in their work with all children and young people play a significant role in advocating on their behalf, assuring their safety and supporting their educational and social development through effective curriculum planning, design, and implementation. It develops skills in identifying and implementing inclusive strategies and practices based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning.
The aim of this unit is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to address the social and emotional needs of all students and to develop strategies for creating positive and supportive classroom environments.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its application in creating inclusive classrooms (APST (HA) 2.2, 6.3; APST (Lead) 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 4.1) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11 |
| LO2 | Display proficiency in choosing and customising interventions to cater to the diverse needs of students (APST (HA) 1.5, 2.3, 2.6, 3.2; APST (Lead) 1.1, 3.5, 4.1) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO3 | Articulate the significance of continuous assessment and monitoring to assess the impact of interventions and make necessary adjustments (APST (HA) 1.5, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 5.1; APST (Lead) 4.1, 7.3) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO4 | Demonstrate leadership skills and advocacy to advance the use of universal interventions and create inclusive classrooms (APST (HA) 3.1, 6.3; APST (Lead) 1.3, 2.1, 3.5, 4.1) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
| LO5 | Apply skills in collaboration and communication with families, community members, and other stakeholders in supporting inclusive learning environments. (APST (HA) 2.3,2.6, 3.2, 6.3; APST (Lead) 1.3, 2.1, 3.5, 7.3) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED
On successful completion of this unit, students should have gained evidence towards the following standards:
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities Evaluate learning and teaching programs, using student assessment data, that are differentiated for the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.2 Content selection and organisation Exhibit innovative practice in the selection and organisation of content and delivery of learning and teaching programs. |
2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting Support colleagues to plan and implement learning and teaching programs using contemporary knowledge and understanding of curriculum, assessment and reporting requirements. |
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Model high-level teaching knowledge and skills and work with colleagues to use current ICT to improve their teaching practice and make content relevant and meaningful. |
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals Develop a culture of high expectations for all students by modelling and setting challenging learning goals. |
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs Work with colleagues to plan, evaluate and modify learning and teaching programs to create productive learning environments that engage all students. |
5.1 Assess student learning Develop and apply a comprehensive range of assessment strategies to diagnose learning needs, comply with curriculum requirements and support colleagues to evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches to assessment. |
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice Initiate and engage in professional discussions with colleagues in a range of forums to evaluate practice directed at improving professional knowledge and practice, and the educational outcomes of students. |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - LEAD
On successful completion of this unit, students should have gained evidence towards the following standards:
1.1 Physical, Social and intellectual development and characteristics of students Lead colleagues to select and develop teaching strategies to improve student learning using knowledge of the physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students. |
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds Evaluate and revise school learning and teaching programs, using expert and community knowledge and experience, to meet the needs of students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area Lead initiatives within the school to evaluate and improve knowledge of content and teaching strategies and demonstrate exemplary teaching of subjects using effective, research-based learning and teaching programs. |
3.5 Use effective classroom communication Demonstrate and lead by example inclusive verbal and non-verbal communication using collaborative strategies and contextual knowledge to support students’ understanding, engagement and achievement. |
4.1 Support student participation Demonstrate and lead by example the development of productive and inclusive learning environments across the school by reviewing inclusive strategies and exploring new approaches to engage and support all students. |
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers Identify, initiate and build on opportunities that engage parents/carers in both the progress of their children’s learning and in the educational priorities of the school. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) including its principles and how it can be applied in the classroom to support all learners
- Evidence-based universal interventions and strategies for supporting diverse student needs in the classroom, such as flexible grouping, differentiated instruction, and assistive technology
- Selection and adaptation of interventions to meet the specific needs of individual students and groups of students
- Assessment and monitoring techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of universal interventions and adjusting as needed
- Collaboration and communication strategies for working with families, community members, and other stakeholders to support all learners in the inclusive classroom
- Leadership and advocacy for promoting the use of universal interventions and creating inclusive classrooms for all learners.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered fully online and uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of the essential knowledge associated with the enactment of a strategic action framework for supporting children and young people in inclusive settings. Students will explore the key issues of effective planning and collaboration to develop a deeper contextualised understanding of effective educational provision for all students through online asynchronous activities. Other activities may include lectures and reading, self-directed learning, participant critical reflection against relevant professional standards with particular reference to case studies, engagement with the literature, dialogue and interrogation of concepts, theories and practices, and the application to their current professional contexts.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the teaching period, comprising directed tasks and self-study.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy used allows students to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements.
The assessment tasks relate directly to the achievement of the learning outcomes above. Some flexibility may be exercised in the assessment tasks to align with the needs of the students; for example, some students may be working in schools or other educational contexts, in an administrative role or currently on leave from teaching in a school. In order to pass this unit, students are required to sucessfully complete all assessment tasks and achieve an overall mark above 50%..
The assessment tasks involve critique of the module content and independent research. Scope is provided for the educator to use reflective processes to connect personal theories with the content and material presented and to critically discuss possible applications and consequences for practice. The content explored in the modules and independent research is to be used to inform the critical reflection and strategy development presentation.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Reflect on the effectiveness of the universal interventions and strategies currently used (or otherwise) in your current professional context. Discuss how ongoing assessment and monitoring can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions and strategies, and how adjustments can be made as needed. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 2 Create a presentation and support material for colleagues that highlights the importance of universal interventions for creating inclusive classrooms for all learners. Include specific examples of how the principles of UDL can be applied to support all students. | 50% | LO1, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587, 6(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587
Australian Education Research Organisation. (2022). Use of evidence-based practices in schools: a national snapshot. edresearch.edu.au
Batiste, M. L. (2019). Technology in the Classroom: Exploring the Use of Universal Design for Learning to Support Students with Specific Learning Disabilities Inside the Inclusion Classroom.
CAST: About Universal Design for Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
Edyburn, D. L. (2021). Universal Usability and Universal Design for Learning. Intervention in School and Clinic, 56(5), 310–315. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451220963082
Improving Inclusive Education through Universal Design for Learning. (2021). [Book]. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80658-3
Katz, J., & Sokal, L. (2016). Universal Design for Learning as a Bridge to Inclusion: A Qualitative Report of Student Voices [Article]. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 12(2), 36–63.
Universal Design for Learning | Inclusive Education. (n.d.). https://inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/universal-design-for-learning/
Deppeler, J., Loreman, T., Smith, R. & Florian, L. Eds.). (2015). Inclusive pedagogy across the curriculum. Vol. 7, International perspectives on inclusive education. Bingley, UK: Emerald Insight. (e-book)
Subban, P., Bradford, B., Sharma, U., Loreman, T., Avramidis, E., Kullmann, H., Sahli Lozano, C., Romano, A., & Woodcock, S. (2022). Does it really take a village to raise a child? Reflections on the need for collective responsibility in inclusive education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2022.2059632