| Semester 2, 2021 Online | |
| Short Description: | Early Years Data & Assessment |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Education |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 070101 - Teacher Education: Early Child |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Other Requisites
Nil
Rationale
A critical role of early childhood teachers involves research, observation and documentation, using a range of assessment strategies in order to support children’s learning and to inform curricular and pedagogic planning. Early childhood educators typically draw upon a range of pedagogical documentation and data to gain insight on how a child thinks, a child’s interests, their abilities, and how they connect reciprocally with others and their environment. Observational, analytical and reporting skills, together with the interpretation of data, are foundational to quality educational practice, enabling teachers to identify potential barriers and challenges to children’s learning and involvement, to plan appropriately challenging learning opportunities, and to report effectively on children’s learning progress to parents, carers and other stakeholders.
Synopsis
This course examines the role of data and assessment in learning and teaching processes, and builds an understanding of the purpose of different data sets at varying levels of diagnostic relevance for early childhood teachers to understand children. Preservice teachers will learn how and when to use a range of assessment strategies and how to interpret data to inform planning and to modify teaching practices using relevant curriculum frameworks. In addition, preservice teachers will learn skills of observation, analysis and reporting as the basis for communicating with parents in order to involve them in their child's educational experience. Preservice teachers will be introduced to a data driven decision-making cycle for planning and develop knowledge and a rationale for gathering accurate information on and with children, which is the foundation for planning and organising appropriate learning opportunities for learners and for teachers' own professional learning needs.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course preservice teachers should be able to:
- analyse and interpret observational and assessment data to better understand children and how they learn; and evaluate this learning to inform a data driven decision-making cycle for planning and teaching practices, including timely and appropriate feedback to students, with reference to current theory and research (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 5.2, 5.4);
- evaluate and implement, a range of observational techniques and assessment strategies to document children’s development, involvement and learning (APST 5.4);
- justify the purposes of diagnostic, formative and summative approaches in assessing and understanding children’s learning, and in informing authentic teacher practices when designing and planning a sequence of learning experiences that utilise curriculum, assessment, and reporting knowledge, including moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning, and demonstrate how this knowledge is used to modify teaching practices (APST 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4);
- design teaching practices and sequences of learning experiences that provide achievable challenges for children of varying abilities and characteristics using relevant curriculum frameworks and a range of teaching strategies, (e.g. age appropriate pedagogies and English curriculum pedagogical content), timely and appropriate feedback together with pedagogical knowledge to effectively modify teaching and promote learning outcomes. Select suitable resources including ICTs to promote learner engagement, and set achievable learning goals for children, based on analysis and interpretation of data to assess development and learning (APST 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 5.2, 5.4);
- evaluate a range of effective strategies that focus on the ethical, relational and collaborative use of data to accurately and reliably report to key stakeholders including parents, carers, teachers, students and education systems, and demonstrate understanding of the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of achievement (APST 5.5);
- illustrate competence in and appropriate use of language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The analysis and interpretation of observational and assessment data to better understand children and how they learn and to inform a data driven decision-making cycle of planning with reference to current theory and research | 20.00 |
| 2. | Evaluate and implement, a range of observational techniques e.g. running record; photo-story; anecdotal records and assessment strategies adopted to document children’s development, involvement and learning | 20.00 |
| 3. |
The purposeful use of diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to inform authentic teacher practices. The alignment of sequences of learning with assessment strategies including timely and appropriate feedback including moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of teaching practice and reporting knowledge |
30.00 |
| 4. |
The design of learning experiences that use a range of teaching strategies e.g. age appropriate pedagogies and English pedagogical content knowledge and suitable resources, including ICT’s. The analysis and interpretation of data is used to develop achievable learning goals for children |
20.00 |
| 5. | Evaluate a range of effective strategies that focus on the ethical, relational and collaborative use of data to accurately and reliably report to key stakeholders including parents, carers, teachers, students and education systems | 10.00 |
Text and Materials
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=02&subject1=EDM5016)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference Materials
Student Workload Expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 85.00 |
| Independent Study | 80.00 |
Assessment Details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 40 | 40 | 23 Aug 2021 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | (see note 1) |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 60 | 60 | 20 Oct 2021 | 3,4,5,6 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- Planning a learning experience
- Create a six-week English unit
Important assessment information
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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. -
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. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Deferred and Supplementary examinations will be held in accordance with the Assessment Procedure . -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment Notes
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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 .
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Students are required to demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of academic language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and referencing in all assessment responses. Marks allocated to the aforementioned criteria will be specified in the criteria for assessment of all assessment items.
-
Students are required to submit ALL assignments to evidence meeting or exceeding the mandatory requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs).
Evaluation and Benchmarking
In meeting the University’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 Learning and Teaching 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.
• professional accreditation standards of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) and Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Other Requirements
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Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at .