Course coordinator
Dr Amy Rouse
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Education School
This course is part of a suite of Literacy and English courses in the Master of Teaching (Primary) degree. Three interrelated aspects of the teaching profession provide a developmental framework for the courses: knowing yourself as a literacy/English teacher; knowing your students; and knowing the disciplinary content of the subject English as well as the place of literacy teaching and learning within other curriculum areas. In this course students will develop their role as a critical and reflective practitioner through participation in an online professional community of educators, expand their disciplinary knowledge of English and literacy, and prepare units of work that reflect current curriculum frameworks and policies as well as engage students from diverse backgrounds in intellectually challenging learning experiences.
For Semester 1, 2025, the mid-semester break for this course will be relocated to university week 8.
EDUC7555 is the second of two Master of Teaching (Primary) program courses that focuses on the teaching and learning of English and literacy. Three interrelated aspects of the teaching profession provide a developmental framework for these two courses: knowing yourself as an English/literacy teacher, knowing your students, and knowing the disciplinary content of the subject English as well as the place of literacy teaching and learning within other curriculum areas. In this course, preservice teachers will: develop their role as a critical and reflective practitioner - collaboratively and individually-ﾠthrough participation in different professional communities of educators; develop comprehensive knowledge of teaching and learning English and literacy; and demonstrate their understanding by applying their knowledge and skills in preparing to teach key aspects of English and literacy that reflect contemporary curriculum frameworks and policies and effective pedagogical practices to engage students from diverse backgrounds in intellectually challenging learning experiences. At the same time, preservice teachers will be expected to demonstrate technical and communication skills to analyse, theorise and reflect about resources and developments in English and literacy that contribute to effective professional practice and research scholarship. (APST: 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.4)
Course requirements
Assumed background
Preservice teachers need to have satisfactorily completed EDUC7550—Teaching English 1—before undertaking EDUC7555—Teaching English 2.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
EDUC7550 and EDUC7620
Restrictions
Entry to the Master of Teaching (Primary) program
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Amy Rouse
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
EDUC7555 is offered as a four-hour workshop due to the six-week professional experience block.ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
EDUC7555 aims to equip preservice teachers not only with comprehensive contemporary knowledge and skills but also the ability to apply such knowledge and skills to teach the English and literacy curriculum effectively in primary school classrooms. Essential to this aim is the development of preservice teachers as professional educators - independently and collaboratively - who are critical and reflective practitioners.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Use knowledge of student learning in the English Curriculum Area and evidence-based curriculum frameworks to individually and collaboratively plan units of work and lesson sequences that include setting goals, suitable content, effective teaching strategies, a range of assessment approaches and appropriate resources to not only support inclusive student participation and engagement but also expand learning opportunities for all students including those with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD/D) and diverse backgrounds
LO2.
Produce a research informed, critically-framed written account about unit planning and lesson sequencing demonstrating how they aligned knowledge of curriculum, teaching strategies, student learning, assessment and reporting, and relevant policy documents.
LO3.
Demonstrate the ability, individually and collaboratively, to effectively organise classroom activities, provide clear directions, and a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
LO4.
Demonstrate technical and communication knowledge and skills to implement teaching strategies for using Information Communication Technology to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
LO5.
Demonstrate critical knowledge and communication skills to analyse, theorise and reflect about the selection and use of resources in learning and teaching English.
LO6.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers' knowledge of teaching, practice and resources and an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
LO7.
Demonstrate clear, fluent and coherent communication skills consistent with personal, professional and academic conventions
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Unit Plan and Lesson Sequence
|
40% 2000 words equivalent |
21/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Classroom Activities and Presentation
|
25% 1500 words equivalent |
9/04/2025 1:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique, Portfolio | Resource Portfolio and Critical Reflection | 35% 2000 words equivalent |
13/06/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Unit Plan and Lesson Sequence
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40% 2000 words equivalent
- Due date
21/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07
Task description
PART 1 (20%)
In this task you are required to work in a group to use your knowledge of student learning in the English Curriculum Learning Area to collaboratively design a unit (macro) plan for an allocated year level in primary school. Your unit plan needs to be based on the teaching and learning cycle and draw on contemporary curriculum frameworks. Your unit plan needs to include:
- Contextual considerations (e.g., your students – prior experiences/knowledge); the school setting/context/priorities/imperatives)
- Curriculum connections (i.e., English Content Descriptions, other Learning Areas, Cross Curriculum Priorities, General Capabilities)
- Learning goals, learning experiences, teaching strategies and assessment approaches to expand learning opportunities for all students including those with English as an Additional Language or dialect (EAL/D) and diverse backgrounds.
- Resources both traditional and online and including ICT to engage all students in their learning and support teaching (e.g., literary & non-literary texts, kits, videos)
- Conceptual links (e.g.., Four Resources Model; Multiliteracies Pedagogy)
Your response will reflect your knowledge and understanding of the course content and relevant research, curriculum and policy documents as derived from the readings, lectures and tutorials.
Questions to Scaffold Unit Plan Development
Answers to the following questions may assist critical alignment among knowledge of curriculum, teaching, student learning and assessment as well as decision-making about planning:
- What content will enthuse/interest/motivate your students? Why? (relevance to students/English Curriculum/EAL/D students and students from diverse backgrounds)
- What are your goals for student learning? Why?
- How will your goals, learning experiences and teaching strategies expand learning opportunities for all students?
- What texts will you select to build/deepen knowledge and promote substantive classroom/student conversations?
- How will you select and use resources to engage all students in their learning?
- What concepts/frameworks will inform your thinking about planning?
- How will students demonstrate their learning and achievement throughout the unit? (What outcome tasks will students produce and what assessment strategies – formal/informal, diagnostic, summative – will you use throughout the unit to enable student learning?)
Presentation
You will present your group unit plan on one side of an A3 sheet of paper (references may be listed overleaf using the required APA style). Font size must be no smaller than 11. The nature of planning documents calls for economic use of words and space hence well-constructed notes/dot points are expected and appropriate exploitation of layout, headings, colour, tables, codes etcetera is encouraged.
PART 2 (20%)
Based on your group’s unit plan for an allocated year level in the primary school, you will develop a coherent sequence of three lessons. These lessons need to provide evidence of explicit teaching of key concepts in two of the following areas of the English Curriculum:
- Reading comprehension
- Guided writing
- Functional grammar
- Vocabulary development.
Your lesson sequence needs to include:
- Student learning goals and lesson objectives
- Teaching strategies that support inclusive student participation and engagement
- Teaching strategies that include using ICT to expand curriculum learning for students
- Classroom organisation and management information
- Resources including ICT to engage all students in their learning
- A range of suitable assessment approaches – including formal/informal, diagnostic, summative – to assess student learning
- Ways to differentiate learning and teaching to cater for students with EAL/D and diverse backgrounds.
Submission guidelines
You must submit the assessment electronically via the assignment link on the course website/Blackboard. By submitting your assignment, you and your group are certifying that it is your original work and that is has not been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at university (unless resubmission is part of the requirements for the course assessment). You need to ensure you have completed UQ’s academic integrity module before you submit your assignment. The module can be found at: https://www/uq.edu.au/integrity. Always keep a copy of your submitted assignment.
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.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Classroom Activities and Presentation
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 25% 1500 words equivalent
- Due date
9/04/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07
Task description
For this task, you are required to work with your unit plan group to develop a set of 4 rotation hands-on activities suitable for use in the English Curriculum classroom. Ideas for the activities should be drawn from the lesson sequences you developed and must include an activity to teach:
- Reading comprehension
- Guided writing
- Functional grammar
- Vocabulary development.
*At least one of your groups' activities must include teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
The group will present one of their activities (no more than 10 minutes long) to the class. Your group set of activities need to:
- Demonstrate strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement
- Demonstrate the capacity to organise the classroom and learning activities and provide clear directions
- Demonstrate a range of verbal (e.g., critical questioning) and non-verbal (teacher-student interactions) communication strategies to support student engagement
- Contribute equally to teaching and learning
- Select and use a range of resources – including ICT – to effectively engage students in their learning
Submission guidelines
On Blackboard and in-person during class. You must submit your Classroom Activities electronically via the assignment link on the course website. In-class presentations will occur the same week the assignment is due. By submitting your assignment, you are certifying that it is your original work and that is has not been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at university (unless resubmission is part of the requirements for the course assessment). You need to ensure you have completed UQ’s academic integrity module before you submit your assignment. The module can be found at: https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity Always keep a copy of your submitted assignment.
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.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Resource Portfolio and Critical Reflection
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Portfolio
- Weight
- 35% 2000 words equivalent
- Due date
13/06/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
At the beginning of the semester, you will be expected to articulate your goals for professional learning and teaching in English Curriculum. To help you work toward your goals, throughout the semester you will be expected to participate in and contribute to an online community of learners involving your peers, lecturer and tutors. You also will have several opportunities to engage in professional teaching networks and broader communities such as professional English teacher associations. Through these opportunities you are expected to develop an understanding of the role of external professionals and community representatives as well as broaden your professional knowledge of teaching, practices and resources for effective teaching of the English Curriculum Learning Area in primary schools.
For the purposes of this assessment task a ‘resource’ is defined as a teaching aid, for example, an iPad app that has been designed to teach decoding skills to pre-schoolers, a board game that is designed for development of writing skills, a website that has lesson plans for the teaching of comprehension, an online digital storytelling tool, or an online digital educational game designed to teach grammar. A resource could also be a digital application or software that, although not designed for educational purposes, could be used in a classroom to enhance the teaching of English, for example, Minecraft, Google Tools or SecondLife. It is expected that a resource will heighten engagement of students in their learning.
Please note: It is a resource that you would use in the classroom. It is not a textbook.
For this task you are required to:
- Briefly outline your professional learning goals for, and strengths and weaknesses in, English teaching, practices and resources at the beginning of the semester.
- Collect a variety of resources (20 – 30) over the semester to be included in an electronic Resource Portfolio (Your participation in different learning communities and engagement with future colleagues will assist you in collecting your resources.).
- Briefly describe the resource collection.
- Describe the criteria you used to select the resources (Which key ideas/theories on your topic informed your selection? Why? Justify your selection with reference to English curriculum and literacy education literature and refer to examples of your selected resources.).
- Write a Critical Reflection of your learning journey of participating in and contributing to the different learning communities throughout the semester. Focus on how your participation has contributed to you achieving your professional learning goals and understanding the role of external professionals and community representatives in relation to your knowledge of teaching, practices and resources. Based on your knowledge and experiences, include a justification of the need for continued professional learning once you graduate and the implications for improved student learning.
Submission guidelines
You must submit the assessment electronically via the assignment link on the course website. By submitting your assignment, you are certifying that it is your original work and that is has not been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at university (unless resubmission is part of the requirements for the course assessment). You need to ensure you have completed UQ’s academic integrity module before you submit your assignment. The module can be found at: https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity. Always keep a copy of your submitted assignment.
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.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate the skills, abilities and knowledge required to teach English and literacy. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Clear deficiencies in understanding the key concepts required for the teaching of English and literacy. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Lack of understanding and clarity in communication about knowledge and skills required to teach English and literacy. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Adequate and satisfactory demonstration of knowledge, skills and understanding required to teach English and literacy. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Substantial understanding, skills and abilities demonstrated in relation to the teaching of English and literacy. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Evidence of originality in responses to assessment tasks that require significant understanding, skills and abilities related to the teaching of English and literacy. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Substantial originality and insight in responses to assessment tasks that require significant understanding, skills and abilities related to the teaching of English and literacy. |
Additional course grading information
Determining final grades: The final grades are determined by considering the weighting of individual assessment items, through the use of a weighting formula and the profile of individual grades across accumulated assessment tasks. All assignments will be provided a grade out of 7. The final grade will be calculated using the weighting and the individual assignment grades as follows.
Task 1: 40%
Task 2: 25%
Task 3: 35%
The formula with an example in brackets: (Student A receives, 6, 5, 5)
Grade for task 1 (6) x 0.40 = 2.4
Grade for task 2 (5) x 0.25 = 1.25
Grade for task 3 (5) x 0.35 = 1.75
Total = 2.4 + 1.25 + 1.75 = 5.4, rounded to nearest whole number = 5
The final grade would be rounded to the nearest whole number; in this case the grade would be 5.
In the case where the final grade is 0.5 or above, the grade will be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g. 5.5 would become 6). In the case where the final grade is 0.49 or below, the grade will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (e.g. 6.49 would become 6).
To avoid inflation or deflation of grades at the assessment level, the exact grade calculated from the rubric criteria scores will be manually recorded in the grade centre. The exact grades for each assignment (i.e., not the rounded grades) will be used to calculate the final course grade. Blackboard grade centre columns will be labelled accordingly.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
The following applies to all assessments in this course:
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the 'Assessment' folder in Blackboard for this course.
Release of assessment item marks and feedback
In addition to the grade awarded, feedback will be provided in a timely manner to enable students to apply the feedback to further tasks within the course or program and/or plan for supplementary assessment, requests for re-mark, or re-enrolment. However, as per UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Policy, results for the final assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released. Time frames for applications for assessment re-mark are indicated under the Assessment Procedure.
Re-mark policy
After each assessable item, students will be given the opportunity to view their assessment and so satisfy themselves that a marking or administrative error has not occurred. The formal process of querying a course result (requesting a remark on academic grounds) is set out in the UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Procedure.
Use of AI/MT to support or inform assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
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.
Own copy required
You'll need to have your own copy of the following reading resources. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Book |
Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for Engagement
by Flint; Amy Seely; Vicars; Mark; Muscat; Amanda; Bennet; Maria; Ewing; Robyn - 2024 Edition: 4th ed Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated ISBN: 9781394183821; 9781394183838 |
Additional learning resources information
Hard or digital copies of the courseﾠtext are recommended for preservice teachers to heighten achievement in the course and to add to their professional reference library.
Preservice teachers are expected to bring internet-connected devices such as a laptop, ipad etc to use during all lectures and workshops to maximise learning and participation. iPhones are not recommended for this purpose.
Additional readings will be posted on Blackboard for weekly topics, as appropriate.
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 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Workshop |
Course Introduction: Examining literacy 21st Century APST: 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L04, L05, L07 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Workshop |
Digital Literacies and the AC:E APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 10 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Workshop |
Teaching Reading APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 4 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Workshop |
Teaching Writing APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 5 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Workshop |
Responsive and Relational Teaching APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 7 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Workshop |
Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Agency APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 12 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Workshop |
Effective Assessment APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Literacy in Australia Chapter 9 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester Break For Semester 1, 2025, the mid-semester break for this course will be relocated to university week 8. |
Multiple weeks From Mid-sem break To Week 13 |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Break for Professional Experience ‘No classes scheduled while undertaking professional experience (placement) in an accompanying course’. |
Revision week (02 Jun - 08 Jun) |
Workshop |
Bringing it All Together: The Primary Literacy Classroom Course Wrap Up APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.4, 7.4 Readings: Malpique et al (2023) and Merga & Gardiner (2018), on Blackboard Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
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 - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.