Unit Profile Correction added on 23-06-21
The reading People with disability in Australia: In brief is now a recommended reading. Honeybourne (2018, chapter 2) is now an essential reading.
Overview
In the unit "Students with Special Needs", pre-service teachers gain awareness of their professional obligations, roles and responsibilities in relation to the Disability Standards for Education and the way that these standards inform policy and procedures for meeting the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive school settings. They build knowledge of the definitions and criteria used to categorise disabilities in educational environments and explore the concept of “person first” approaches to meeting the needs of learners with disability in the middle years of schooling. Students take an holistic view of supporting the access and participation of learners with special needs and evaluate specific differentiation, accommodation and management strategies to make recommendations that support inclusion, wellbeing, safety and learning of all students in inclusive mainstream settings. They research and document examples of good practice for consulting with students, parents, specialist services and wider community support agencies and demonstrate knowledge of how to access and facilitate partnerships that improve the educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite:- EDED11457
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 - 2021
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).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate 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
Assessment Overview
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.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
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 SUTE
Zoom sessions
Consider times for Zoom sessions to meet student needs.
Feedback from SUTE
Assessment Two
Consider providing enhanced scaffolding of this task.
- Appraise the roles and responsibilities of educational stakeholders under legislation and policy for students with disabilities
- Propose processes that overcome barriers to successful inclusion of students with disabilities
- Evaluate strategies that support the psychological wellbeing, behaviour, accessibility and learning of students with special needs within whole class groups
- Explain the rationale for accommodations and modifications that support the learning and social needs of students with disability
- Interpret research literature and primary data sources to make recommendations that support the needs of students with disabilities.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus areas of:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process
4.1 Support student participation
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
4.4 Maintain student safety
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers
7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
2 - Written Assessment - 50% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Communication | |||||
2 - Problem Solving | |||||
3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
4 - Information Literacy | |||||
5 - Team Work | |||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
8 - Ethical practice | |||||
9 - Social Innovation | |||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 50% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
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.
s.murket@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Topic 1: Stats and facts about different abilities
Chapter
Australia's children: In brief (2019)
People with disability in Australia: In brief (2020)
A way with words booklet (2012)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 2: Identification and assessment
Chapter
Student diversity section of ACARA's website (2010-2021)
Nationally consistent collection of data on school students with disability (NCCD) website (2020)
The identification of gifted and talented students on AAEGT's website (n.d.)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: Our professional obligations
Chapter
A brief guide to the Disability Discrimination Act (2019)
Disability Standards for Education 2005 Act
Summary Document - 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005
Sharp et al., (2020)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: Taking a team approach
Chapter
Student health, safety and wellbeing section of your State Education Department's website
Education Queensland's inclusive education policy (2020)
Roy (2019)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 5: Formal adjustments
Chapter
Educational Adjustment Program or Procedure from your State Education Department
Cumming (2017)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 6: Informal adjustments
Chapter
CAST Universal Design for Learning guidelines graphic (2018)
Ellis (2015)
Salinger (2020)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 7: Students with academic needs
Chapter
Faragher & Clarke (2020)
Boon (2020)
Jarvis (2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 8: Students with communication or sensory needs
Chapter
Cain & Fanshawe (2019)
Kluth & Kasa-Hendrickson (2010)
Lowe et al. (2019)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 9: Students with wellness needs
Chapter
Jackson (2017)
Australia's children web report - Health and Education sections (2020)
Ronald McDonald Learning Program (2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 10: Students with physical needs
Chapter
Australian & NZ Cerebral Palsy Strategy - Section 4 (2020)
Hyde et al. - chapter 15 (2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 11: Students with multiple or complex needs
Chapter
Clark & Wormald (2018)
Maes et al. (2020)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of the unit
Chapter
No new readings this week
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Your written assignment of no more than 2000 words is a response to careful reading of the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Commonwealth of Australia) and addresses the following points:
· Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders under the Disability Standards. In doing this you will need to describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process (APST 3.7) in an effective, sensitive and confidential way (APST 7.3). You will also need to demonstrate an understanding of the need for continued professional learning and how this impacts on student learning (APST 6.4).
· Define each of the following key terms used in the Standards: “on the same basis”, “consultation”, “unjustifiable hardship” and “reasonable adjustment” and provide an example of each key term. In this explanation you will need to show your understanding of not only this legislative act, but have your examples refer to the administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers (APST 7.2). This may be depicted as a table.
· Describe the obligations of teachers under the Standards, focussing particularly on your knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities (APST 1.6).
· Describe how the Disability Standards legislation works to overcome barriers to inclusion. You will need to provide practical examples of strategies that support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities (APST 4.1).
Please include a brief introduction that outlines how you will be addressing these points, as well as a summary statement at the end of the written response.
Weighting: 50%
APST Descriptors demonstrated: 1.6, 3.7, 4.1, 6.4, 7.2, 7.3
Vacation Week Monday (16 Aug 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Assignments are due by 11:45 pm on Monday 16th August, 2021
Assignments are returned once the moderation process has been completed.
Assessment will be marked against the following criteria:
· Understanding of potential issues related to the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders that explicitly relates to effective, sensitive and confidential parent engagement in the educative process and the need for continued professional learning (APST 3.7, 6.4 & 7.3).
· Knowledge and understanding of specific key concepts relating to the Disability Standards legislation and how they relate to administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage (APST 7.2).
· Knowledge and understanding of the obligations of teachers under the Disability Standards legislation and of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities (APST 1.6).
· Understanding of how the Disability Standards legislation also works to ensure that schools implement strategies that support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities (APST 4.1).
· Standard of academic writing and use of academic materials.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
- Appraise the roles and responsibilities of educational stakeholders under legislation and policy for students with disabilities
- Propose processes that overcome barriers to successful inclusion of students with disabilities
2 Written Assessment
This task involves developing a case study of one student for the purposes of providing detailed information in relation to the child, catering for their educational and social needs, to another teacher who will be teaching this student in the future. You are to choose a student with specific needs from the broad groupings covered this term.
In this case study you will discuss your student in relation to the following aspects:
- Personal details such as age, gender, socio-economic status, ethnic background, language, family background and context and geographical details (but not a specific address) (APST 1.1).
- Any medical history (APST 1.1).
- Description of the specific need/condition (APST 1.1).
- A review of current literature related to the education of students with that specific need in general and your student's disability in particular, with reference to where you can access appropriate professional learning (APST 6.2).
- The potential impact (both positive and negative) of your student's specific need on learning, access to and participation in a mainstream classroom (APST 1.1 & 4.1).
- Recommendations for communication strategies for consulting with the student, other students in the classroom, parents/ carers, specialist and community support services that form the student's support network (APST 3.7, 7.3 & 7.4).
- Recommendations for the use of technological aides and accommodations and modifications to learning, assessment and the learning environment to promote your student’s learning, social participation and well-being, safety, health and personal care in a mainstream educational setting that would be used by the next teacher in this student's educational journey (APST 1.5, 2.6, 4.1,4.3, 4.4 & 6.2).
Ensure that your Appendix contains any learning and behavioural/engagement plans for your student (APST 4.3 & 4.4).
Weighting: 50%
APST Descriptors demonstrated: 1.1, 1.5, 2.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 6.2, 7.3, 7.4
Review/Exam Week Monday (11 Oct 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Assignments are due by 11:45 PM on Monday 11th October, 2021
Assignments are released after moderation is completed.
Assessment will be marked against the following criteria:
· Knowledge of case study development for the purpose of understanding how physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students may affect learning (APST 1.1).
· Knowledge of specific need/condition and where to access appropriate professional learning (APST 6.2).
· Understanding of the impacts of specific needs on learning and social participation for the student (APST 1.1 & 4.1).
· Understanding of accommodations and modification to learning, assessment and participation for students with specific needs (APST 1.5, 2.6, 4.1, 4.3 & 4.4).
· Knowledge and understanding of relevant technology aids and other resources to promote learning, engagement and social participation (APST 2.6 & 6.2).
· Application of communication strategies with all stakeholders in effective, sensitive and confidential ways, and with an understanding of how these interactions can also broaden a teacher’s professional knowledge and practice (APST 3.7, 7.3 & 7.4).
· Standard of academic writing and use of academic materials.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Appraise the roles and responsibilities of educational stakeholders under legislation and policy for students with disabilities
- Propose processes that overcome barriers to successful inclusion of students with disabilities
- Evaluate strategies that support the psychological wellbeing, behaviour, accessibility and learning of students with special needs within whole class groups
- Explain the rationale for accommodations and modifications that support the learning and social needs of students with disability
- Interpret research literature and primary data sources to make recommendations that support the needs of students with disabilities.
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.