Course coordinator
Dr James Woodforde
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
Senior Biology aims to prepare students to effectively teach Senior Biology (Years 11 and 12) and Junior Science (Years 7-10). Students will be provided with the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of pedagogy, specifically the development of critical inquiry and laboratory-based skills. They will be provided with opportunities to develop knowledge and teaching strategies to effectively deal with practical demands and learning opportunities that exist in Senior Biology and Junior secondary school science. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate key laboratory skills and assessment techniques of the Queensland Senior Biology Syllabus.
EDUC3251: Senior Biology prepares students to teach senior secondary Biology with confidence and creativity. The course introduces students to key concepts and subject matter from the QCAA Biology syllabus, with a particular focus on pedagogy, assessment, and practical science teaching. Students develop their understanding of senior-science-specific assessment types, design and deliver engaging lesson sequences, and build their confidence with less familiar content areas. Through practical labs, data interpretation, and microteaching experiences, students gain authentic opportunities to practise teaching strategies, integrate scientific numeracy, and justify their pedagogical decisions.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students enrolled in EDUC3251 are expected to have completed EDUC3250 Junior Science and thus have an understanding of theﾠAustralian Curriculum: Science (Years 7-10).
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
EDUC3250, NEUR2530, PHYL1007, PHYL2730, BIOM1050
Restrictions
BHSPE(Hons)
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr James Woodforde
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
In this course, students will engage in a wide range of interactive learning experiences and assessment tasks that will help them develop knowledge and competencies in:
- instruction relative to the biology syllabus subject matter, and its application to the mandatory practicals of the syllabusﾠ
- the modes of assessment in biology, including their development and moderation.ﾠ
*The aims and objectives of this course have been developed relative to theﾠAustralian Professional Standards for Teachersﾠ(https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards).
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Standard 1: Know students and how they learn - Focus Area 1.2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
LO2.
Standard 2: Know content and how to teach it - Focus Area 2.1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
LO3.
Standard 2: Know content and how to teach it - Focus Area 2.2. Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
LO4.
Standard 2: Know content and how to teach it - Focus Area 2.3. Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
LO5.
Standard 2: Know content and how to teach it - Focus Area 2.5. Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
LO6.
Standard 2: Know content and how to teach it - Focus Area 2.6. Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
LO7.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective T&L - Focus Area 3.1. Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
LO8.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective T&L - Focus Area 3.2. Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
LO9.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective T&L - Focus Area 3.3. Include a range of teaching strategies.
LO10.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective T&L - Focus Area 3.4. Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
LO11.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective T&L - Focus Area 3.5. Demonstrate a range of verbal and non -verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
LO12.
Standard 4: Supportive & safe learning environment - Focus Area 4.1. Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
LO13.
Standard 4: Supportive & safe learning environment - Focus Area 4.2. Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
LO14.
Standard 4: Supportive & safe learning environment - Focus Area 4.4. Describe strategies that support students wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
LO15.
Standard 4: Supportive & safe learning environment - Focus Area 4.5. Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
LO16.
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report - Focus Area 5.1. Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
LO17.
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report - Focus Area 5.2. Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
LO18.
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report - Focus Area 5.3. Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
LO19.
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report - Focus Area 5.4. Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
LO20.
Standard 7: Engage professionally with others - Focus Area 7.2. Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage.
LO21.
Demonstrate the ability to effectively collaborate with others to complete group tasks.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Product/ Design | Data Test & Guide to Making Judgements (GTMJ) | 40% |
26/08/2025 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration, Product/ Design |
Lesson Planning & Microteaching
|
60% |
Part A: Lesson Plans & Justification 26/09/2025 5:00 pm Part B: Microteaching is to be presented in-person at a specified time during the end of semester examination period. |
Assessment details
Data Test & Guide to Making Judgements (GTMJ)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
26/08/2025 5:00 pm
Task description
You will design a partial data test and associated Guide to Making Judgements (GTMJ) using a shared dataset provided to you (based on your Week 2 laboratory practical) as the basis for your questions. Your assessment instrument should follow the design conventions of the QCAA IA1 Data Test to prepare students for senior summative assessment structures. While the IA1 is formally part of Unit 3, you will design a formative data test for a Year 11 Biology class studying Unit 1: Cells and Multicellular Organisms to assess student learning in data analysis and scientific reasoning, and to prepare students for summative assessment in Year 12.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted via the relevant Turnitin submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Lesson Planning & Microteaching
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
Part A: Lesson Plans & Justification 26/09/2025 5:00 pm
Part B: Microteaching is to be presented in-person at a specified time during the end of semester examination period.
Task description
This task has two parts. You will plan and justify a short sequence of senior Biology lessons (Part A - individual), and later deliver a short teaching segment drawn from one of these lessons in a microteaching format, followed by an oral debrief (Part B - pairs).
Submission guidelines
Part A: To be submitted via the relevant Turnitin submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Part B: To be presented in-person.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 1 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 0 - 24% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 2 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 25 - 44% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: A grade of 3 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 45 - 49% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 4 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 50 - 64% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 5 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 65 - 74% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 6 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 75 - 84% from all graded assessment tasks. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A grade of 7 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final cumulative percentage of 85 - 100% from all graded assessment tasks. |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64.)
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | Students will be asked to bring their own lab coat, safety glasses, and closed-in shoes for scheduled laboratory-based practical sessions (Weeks 2, 3, and 7). Spare items are available in the lab to ensure all students can participate. | own item needed |
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Introduction to Senior Biology Introduction to EDUC3251 course structure, aims, and assessments Overview of QCAA Senior Biology syllabus structure Connections between Senior Biology, Junior Science, and other senior syllabi Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L20 |
Practical |
Understanding Assessment of Learning in Senior Biology Introduction to assessment types in Senior Biology (including data tests) Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L16, L17, L18, L19, L20 |
|
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Lecture |
Practical Work and Experimental Design in Biology Role of practical investigations, experimental design and data skills in supporting conceptual understanding Connections to assessment in Biology: introduction to data test question types and expectations |
Practical |
Unit 1 Practical Investigations Lab safety Surface Area to Volume Ratio Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity How practical data can inform assessment questions |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Lecture |
Developing Data Skills Using ICT tools to process and represent biological data Unpacking sample data test questions and GTMJ |
Practical |
Unit 2 Practical Investigations and Translating Subject Matter Strategies for planning and teaching less familiar content areas (e.g., plant biology) Leaf Structure and Plant Osmoregulation Antimicrobial Effects on Microbial Growth |
|
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Lecture |
Designing and Writing Assessment Tasks in Biology Principles of quality assessment design Writing effective and challenging data test questions |
Practical |
Making Reliable Judgements on Student Work Developing guides to making judgments (GTMJs) Evaluating student samples to identify strengths and areas for improvement |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Lecture |
Numeracy and Mathematical Processes in Biology Supporting scientific calculations, graphing, data interpretation and reasoning Strategies to explicitly teach numeracy in a biology context |
Practical |
Designing Assessment and Task Refinement Refining data test questions and GTMJs |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Lecture |
Engaging and Effective Pedagogy in Biology Engaging, relevant and inclusive teaching strategies suitable for biology Sequencing tasks to build understanding and increase challenge |
Practical |
Microteaching Foundations Identifying engaging teaching strategies Improving upon less effective teaching approaches First microteaching trials |
|
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
Planning for Learning: Sequencing, Spacing and Retrieval Principles of sequencing content for conceptual progression Using spacing and retrieval practice to support long-term learning |
Practical |
Unit 4 Practical Investigations Selection Pressure and Changes in Gene Pool Gel Electrophoresis and Analysis of Genetic Material |
|
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Lecture |
Integrating Practical Work into Effective Lesson Sequences Planning for classroom teaching that incorporates and leverages practical investigations |
Practical |
Peer Microteaching with Feedback Microteaching with feedback focused on improvement |
|
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Lecture |
Justifying Pedagogical Decisions Writing effective and evidence-based justifications for teaching choices Selecting teaching strategies aligned with learning goals and student needs |
Practical |
Microteaching Continued microteaching with opportunities to apply feedback Reflective dialogue and planning for final assessment |
|
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Lecture |
Course Summary |
Practical |
Microteaching Continued microteaching with opportunities to apply feedback Planning for final assessment |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: