¾«¶«´«Ã½app

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: EDU8131

Rationale

STEM is asserting influence on educational, cultural and economic activity globally and within Australia. This broad influence is increasing the opportunities for STEM learning and teaching in a number of contexts and settings, both inside and outside the classroom walls. By broadening understandings of where STEM education is situated, there is an opportunity to engage learners in authentic STEM experiences embedded in a dynamic and contextual manner. Addressing global and local perspectives of STEM requires a more contemporary approach to STEM education programming and is important for two key reasons. One, authentic experiences of STEM have a greater likelihood of being relevant to a learner and allow for capabilities, such as creative and critical thinking, to be applied to be in meaningful ways. Second, when a STEM experience sparks an interest in a learner, it suggests that a diversity of learning needs, whether they be cultural, linguistic or ability-focused, are being mindfully considered and addressed. Nationally and internationally, it is recognised that quality STEM education accounts for diverse cohorts, builds economic and social capacity and positions learners with skills, dispositions and qualities that can be influential in their future and the future of their communities and organisations. This outcome can only be achieved through contextualised STEM programs such this course that engage learners in meaningful contextualised problems.

Synopsis

This course opens up opportunities to think differently about what STEM education looks like and where it happens by promoting opportunities to consider possible learning environments and contexts in the broadest sense. Participants will be provided with the reflective and research tools to move beyond programming STEM education in formal classroom settings to consider the numerous informal learning opportunities that are available in the local community and further afield. An important aspect of this course is the focus on the approaches, grounded in both research and practice, that underpin the design and implementation of STEM experiences for not only diverse contexts but for students with diverse backgrounds and learning needs. In honing these understandings, participants will have the opportunity to develop these skills through the design and evaluate of an innovative sequence of STEM learning experiences as well as working collaboratively to curate, critique and reflect on what constitutes quality in terms of STEM education resources. These opportunities for application will be positioned within the participants' own contexts.

Objectives

Topics

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

Reference materials

Student workload expectations

Assessment details

Important assessment information

1. Attendance requirements:
   
   There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
   
   
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   
   To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.
   
   
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   
   Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)
   
   
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   
   Not applicable.
   
   
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   
   Not applicable.
   
   
6. Examination information:
   
   There is no examination in this course.
   
   
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   
   There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.
   
   
8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
   
   Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
   
   

Assessment notes

1. Referencing in assignments must comply with the APA referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ library's referencing guide. This guide can be found at .
   
   

Evaluation and benchmarking

In meeting the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement.
2. forms part of the Master of Education (MEDC/MEDF) and is benchmarked against the internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review.