CQUniversity Unit Profile
EDCU20039 Teaching English
Teaching English
All details in this unit profile for EDCU20039 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

The focus of this unit is on the rationale, organisation and content of the Australian Curriculum: English. You will build professional knowledge and understanding of pedagogical approaches to teaching English in primary school settings through a focus on the relationship between receptive and expressive modes of language use and the interrelatedness of the Language, Literature and Literacy strands of the Australian curriculum. You will demonstrate understanding of the features of texts and the social contexts in which they are used and apply pedagogical content knowledge to select teaching resources and design lesson sequences and assessment strategies that support learners’ interpretation, evaluation and creation of written and multimodal texts for a range of social purposes.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 7
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisite EDCU20036 Literacy: Learning to Read

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2024

Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Presentation
Weighting: 50%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student responses

Feedback

Provided clear feedback.

Recommendation

Continue providing focused feedback.

Feedback from Student responses

Feedback

Connected content to real-world examples.

Recommendation

Continue to provide links to classroom practice.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Appraise the social purpose of texts to identify text structures and language features as a focus for learning
  2. Analyse curriculum documents to plan learning experiences and lesson sequences that align curriculum intent, teaching and learning, and assessment
  3. Write task-specific criteria and standards for the purpose of providing formative and summative feedback and making judgments on the quality of the texts that students produce
  4. Describe strategies for using accurate and reliable records of student work samples for reporting to students and parents and carers on learning progress and achievement
  5. Identify opportunities for students to evaluate and use ICTs purposefully for constructing effective texts
  6. Create resources that engage learners and promote understanding of the features of effective literary and/ or non-literary texts
  7. Design logically-structured learning sequences and differentiation strategies that cater for the needs of students with diverse backgrounds and abilities based on knowledge of research-based pedagogical strategies and frameworks for teaching literacy.

Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to demonstrate the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas of

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

2.2 Content selection and organisation

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies

2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs

3.3 Use teaching strategies

3.4 Select and use resources

4.1 Support student participation

5.1 Assess student learning

5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning

5.5 Report on student achievement


Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Presentation - 50%
2 - Written Assessment - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Michelle Vanderburg Unit Coordinator
m.vanderburg@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1: Begin Date: 08 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

The Australian Curriculum: English and the National Literacy Learning Progression

The interrelated nature of the strands of language, literature and literacy

Chapter

ACARA: Australian English Curriculum (online)

Winch et al. (2020) - chapter 1

eReading list: Freebody (2013) - chapter 1; Exley et al. (2016)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 : Begin Date: 15 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Multiliteracies pedagogy

Multiliteracies and multiple perspectives - Critical literacy development

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 14: The Role of Writing; pp.390-391, 485, 495-497, 597

eReading list: Anstey & Bull (2004); McKenzie (2014); Kalantzis et al. (2002); Wells et al. (2022)

ACARA: Australian English Curriculum (online)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3: Begin Date: 22 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Strategies for creating multimodal and digital texts

Children as creators of texts

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 22: Multiliteracies and Technology; Chapter 29: Visual Literacy: Reading the World of Signs

eReading list: Bull et al. (2010); Callow et al. (2013); ABC Education (2020); Department of Education WA (2013a; 2013b); Victoria State Government (2021)

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4: Begin Date: 29 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Connecting early literacy learning to the teaching of English in the compulsory years

How children learn to be literate

 

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 26: Early Childhood Literature Engaged Play

eReading list: Kelley (2021); ACECQA (2022); Rydholm (2022); Raising Children (2023); National Reading Panel (2000); AITSL (2020)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5: Begin Date: 05 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Writing development in the early years - emergent literacy

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 16: The Writing Developmental Continuum

eReading list:  Victoria State Government (2021); Danby et al. (2016); Fellowes & Oakley (2019) - chapter 21

Events and Submissions/Topic

Non teaching Week Begin Date: 12 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Task 1 due Thursday


Teaching strategies and resources for interpreting, analysing, evaluating and creating multimodal and digital texts Due: Vacation Week Thursday (15 Aug 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 6: Begin Date: 19 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Text structures and linguistic features of imaginative, persuasive and informative texts

Chapter

ACARA: Australian English Curriculum (online)

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 15: The Importance of Writing in our Society

eReading list: McDonald (2013); EDCHAT (2012); QCAA (2009)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7: Begin Date: 26 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

The Teaching/Learning Cycle

Writing as a process: planning, drafting, editing and publishing texts

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 23: Teaching Writing in the Classroom

eReading list: Davis et al. (2013); Department of Education WA (2013)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8: Begin Date: 02 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Assessment in English - Rubrics and achievement standards

Record-keeping and feedback for reporting purposes

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 8: Assessment in Reading; Chapter 21: Assessment of Writing

eReading list: Ljungdahl et al. (2020); Masters (2014)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9: Begin Date: 09 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Differentiated instruction

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - pp. 214-218

eReading list: Education Services Australia (n.d.); QCAA (2011)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10: Begin Date: 16 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Differentiated instruction for language learning - The linguistic needs of EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners

Chapter

Winch et al. (2020) - Chapter 31: Stories: A Rich Resource for EAL/D and Indigenous Students; Chapter 32: Cross Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures, and Asia

ACARA: Australian English Curriculum (online)

eReading List: Donnelly (2017)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11: Begin Date: 23 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Task 2 due Thursday


Planning for teaching, learning and assessment in English Due: Week 11 Thursday (26 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 12 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

 

 

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 07 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Presentation

Assessment Title
Teaching strategies and resources for interpreting, analysing, evaluating and creating multimodal and digital texts

Task Description

Task Description

This task will be completed in two parts: Part A and Part B

Part A

The task requires you to prepare a presentation demonstrating teaching strategies and resources appropriate for scaffolding students’ abilities for interpreting, analysing, evaluating and creating multimodal or digital texts in a specific year level of the Australian Curriculum: English.  The presentation must identify specific curriculum content descriptions and achievement standards that are the focus for learning at the chosen year level.  

The presentation should take the form of a PowerPoint with voice-over or accompanying notes pages for each slide and should be designed for a specific audience, which may be parents of students in your class attending an information session or fellow teachers attending a professional development session.

The presentation should include the following sections:

  1. A summary of the content descriptions and achievement standards related to interpreting, evaluating and creating the chosen text type at the specific year level
  2. Teaching strategies used to scaffold the textual, linguistic and literacy knowledge required by users and producers of the specific multimodal or digital text at the chosen year level.  (In this section you should illustrate practical ways of using resources and ICTs to teach the content descriptions you have identified.)
  3. A concluding statement that explains how the targeted knowledge contributes to the acquisition of literacy across a range of curriculum learning areas and real-world contexts.

Part B

You must submit written documentation to support the presentation. The documentation should include the following:

  1. An explanation and justification of the approach to teaching the conventions and structures of the chosen texts included in the presentation. This justification must show an understanding of how students learn to be literate and include reference to the work of researchers and educators who have contributed to the development of pedagogical knowledge in multimodal and/or digital literacy. (Maximum 1500 words)
  2. A copy of the PowerPoint and/or practical activities included in the presentation.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows: 

•  Gen AI may only be used as specified in the assignment instructions. Please refer to the Moodle Assessment tile for specific details.

Word Count: The word count is only considered for the explanation/justification section of Part B, as stated above.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers addressed in this task: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4


Assessment Due Date

Vacation Week Thursday (15 Aug 2024) 11:59 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 8 Monday (2 Sept 2024)

Feedback on this assessment response will be provided in sufficient time to allow for academic support and advice as necessary to inform students’ responses to the next assessment task.


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Knowledge of the content, substance and structure of the Australian Curriculum: English. (APST 2.1; 2.5) 

Ability to organise curriculum content into a learning sequence that provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. (APST 2.2.; 2.3; 3.3)

Selection and application of strategies and resources, including ICTs, for teaching multimodal and digital texts. (APST 2.6; 3.3; 3.4) 

Justification of strategy and resource selection using evidence-based pedagogical frameworks and knowledge of how students learn literacy. (APST 2.5; 3.3; 3.4) 


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Appraise the social purpose of texts to identify text structures and language features as a focus for learning
  • Analyse curriculum documents to plan learning experiences and lesson sequences that align curriculum intent, teaching and learning, and assessment
  • Identify opportunities for students to evaluate and use ICTs purposefully for constructing effective texts
  • Create resources that engage learners and promote understanding of the features of effective literary and/ or non-literary texts

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Planning for teaching, learning and assessment in English

Task Description

Task Description

This task requires you to plan for teaching, learning and assessment in English for a specific year level in the primary school. The year level selected must be different from the year level chosen for Assessment Task 1.

To complete this task, you will need to:

  1. Use Year Level Descriptions, Year Level Overviews, Achievement Standards and other relevant support materials for implementing the Australian Curriculum: English to choose a text type that learners will produce/construct as a summative assessment task in your chosen year level. The chosen text may be either a literary or non-literary text but must be different from the text type used for Assessment Task 1 in this unit.
  2. Set a context for learners for the creation/production of the chosen text. The context should identify the field knowledge or topic of the text, the intended audience and the purpose of the text. For example, if learners are to create a scientific report, you must identify the topic, the purpose of the text and who the intended readers of the text will be. Similarly, if the text is a magazine article, review, recount or narrative, you need to outline the subject matter or context for creating the text. This will help you with completing the steps outlined below.
  3. Analyse the content descriptions for the chosen year level to develop a rubric that could be used as a guide for making judgments on students’ knowledge and understanding of English in the “productive mode”. (Steps 1, 2 and 3 should be recorded and included as the introduction to the final submission for this task.)
  4. Construct a sample text to illustrate the text organisation/structure and linguistic features you expect to see demonstrated as an A-level in the summative task. Then, annotate your sample, showing how the chosen features contribute to the text’s social purpose and effectiveness for an audience. Include a brief description of approximately 500 words that outlines the ways in which the model could be used to keep accurate and reliable records of students’ progress towards achievement of the criteria for the summative task. Provide examples of feedback you would give learners to extend their knowledge in response to formative assessment and report to students and their parents/carers on the achievement of learning outcomes at the end of the unit.
  5. Construct a unit plan that includes the key lessons you would implement to teach content from the Language strand of the curriculum so that learners can demonstrate the assessment criteria. The overview should be organised in a logical sequence and include (a) the specific activities learners will be required to do, (b) the teaching strategies used to scaffold the targeted knowledge, skills and processes, (c) the resources used to build an understanding of the content, and (d) formative assessment strategies you would use to check for understanding. Note: This is an overview, not individual lesson plans. A template for completing this section of the task will be provided on the Moodle site for this unit. The overview should be no more than 4 A4 pages in length.
  6. Create a table to accompany the overview showing how you would differentiate teaching and learning in each of the key lessons for students from the following groups: students experiencing difficulty and needing support and requiring extension. The table should be accompanied by a brief justification (approximately 500 words) of the planned differentiation strategies that demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of evidence-informed teaching strategies that are responsive to and support the inclusive participation of students from diverse backgrounds and that cater for the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows: 

•  Gen AI may only be used as specified in the assignment instructions. Please refer to the Moodle Assessment tile for specific details.

Word Count: The word count is only considered for the description in step 4 and justification in step 6 as stated above. Page limits are only for the unit plan overview in step 5.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers addressed in this task: 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.5


Assessment Due Date

Week 11 Thursday (26 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Feedback on this assessment response will be returned in accordance with university policy on certification of grades.


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Knowledge of the content, substance and structure and teaching strategies for implementing the Australian Curriculum: English. (APST 2.1; 2.5) 

Planning that aligns curriculum, teaching and learning and assessment using knowledge of teaching strategies and resources that support student learning. (APST 2.2; 2.3; 3.2; 3.3; 3.4) 

Design of assessment strategies and techniques for providing feedback, making judgements and reporting on student work. (APST 2.3; 3.2; 5.1; 5.2) 

Knowledge and understanding of differentiation strategies that support inclusive participation and cater for students across the full range of abilities. (APST 1.5; 4.1) 

Justification of strategy and resource selection using evidence-based pedagogical frameworks and knowledge of how students learn literacy. (APST 2.5; 3.2; 3.3; 3.4; 4.1; 5.5) 


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Appraise the social purpose of texts to identify text structures and language features as a focus for learning
  • Analyse curriculum documents to plan learning experiences and lesson sequences that align curriculum intent, teaching and learning, and assessment
  • Write task-specific criteria and standards for the purpose of providing formative and summative feedback and making judgments on the quality of the texts that students produce
  • Describe strategies for using accurate and reliable records of student work samples for reporting to students and parents and carers on learning progress and achievement
  • Identify opportunities for students to evaluate and use ICTs purposefully for constructing effective texts
  • Create resources that engage learners and promote understanding of the features of effective literary and/ or non-literary texts
  • Design logically-structured learning sequences and differentiation strategies that cater for the needs of students with diverse backgrounds and abilities based on knowledge of research-based pedagogical strategies and frameworks for teaching literacy.

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?