012234 Professional Experience 4: Integrating Diverse Contexts in Education

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Description

The main aim of this subject is to give students experience, pedagogical skills and background in teaching and learning in a range of diverse educational environments both inside and outside the school classroom. The subject extends students' knowledge and skills base, enabling them to make increasingly informed decisions concerning teaching practices that place the primary student at the centre of learning. Students develop skills in providing optimal learning environments and optimal approaches to learning for primary students in school, at home and in informal learning settings.

The subject addresses the theoretical underpinnings and professional skills of promoting learner interaction, self-initiated thinking and inquiry. It looks at the different approaches, considerations and pedagogies that are needed when students are learning outside the classroom environment. It investigates appropriate learning interactions with a range of adults, such as parents/caregivers, expert visitors to the school and informal educators, in order to provide primary students with the best possible opportunities for learning with their school class and for personal lifelong learning.

This subject requires five days in an informal learning setting.

Minimum requirements

Attendance in the class-based component of this subject is compulsory because it based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. Students who fail to attend 85% of classes may be refused permission to have their final assessment item assessed (see Rule 3.8). An attendance roll will be taken at each class. You need to ensure you sign this. You will need to provide satisfactory written evidence (eg, doctor's certificate) if more than one lesson is missed.

In keeping with professional practice, please contact your lecturer in advance, or as soon as possible afterwards, if you are absent from class. Please email your lecturer to arrange an appointment, if needed, before or after the scheduled class time. Please ensure you use your student email address and write your email in a professional way as a teacher.

Given the importance of coming prepared to tutorials to contribute to discussions and in-tutorial tasks, it is required that the pre-tutorial work be completed BEFORE the tutorial commences. There will be an online site set up for you to provide feedback/comments etc. As this work constitutes part of the tutorial attendance requirement it has a PASS/FAIL component.

Students must pass all assessment tasks to pass this subject. It is a further condition that to receive overall Passing Grades students must receive a Satisfactory Professional Experience Report from their Supervising Teacher. This is essential because it contributes to the BOSTES Professional Experience requirements for Initial Teacher Education. Assessment of the Professional Experience is made by the Supervising Teacher after the Tertiary Supervisor’s visit and in terms of each descriptor of the Graduate Teacher Standards i.e. Professional knowledge, Professional practice, and Professional engagement. For further details, and the 10-day in School attendance requirements, see the Professional Experience 6 Handbook

Required texts

There are no set texts.

References

Additional References
Ash, D.B., Rahm, J., & Melber, L.M. (2012). Putting Theory into Practice: Tools for Research in Informal Settings. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Baird, J. (2004). Volitional control and homework: teacher and student beliefs. Educational Practice and Theory, 26(1), 17-36.
Bentley, T. (1998). Learning Beyond the Classroom: Education for a changing world. London, Routledge.
Bevan, B., Bell, P., Stevens, R. & Razfar, A.(Eds.) (2013). LOST Opportunities: Learning Out of School Time. Dordrecht: Springer.
Brady, L. (2006). Collaborative Learning in Action. NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Campbell, T. (2006). Drawcards for dads: fun ways to involve fathers at school. Boys in School Bulletin, 9(2), 19-24.
Claxton, G. (1991).Educating the Inquiring Mind. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Crane, V., Nicholson, & H., Chen, M. (1994). Informal Science Learning. Washington: Research Communication Ltd.
Dixon, N. (2007). Homework for the 21st Century. Research Brief n. 2007/1 Queensland Parliamentary Library
Durbin, G. (1996). Developing Museum Exhibitions for Lifelong Learning. London: The Stationery Office for the Group for Education in Museums.
Falk, J.H. & Dierking, L.D. (2000). Learning from Museums. California: Alta Mira Press.
Falk, J.H. (2009). Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
Falk, J.H., Dierking, L.D., & Foutz, S. (Eds.) (2007). In Principle, In Practice: Museums as learning institutions. Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.
Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind: How children think and how schools should teach. USA: Harper Collins.
Gardner, H. (2008). 5 Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business Press.
Griffin, J. & Aubusson, P. (2007). Teaching and learning science and technology beyond the classroom. In V.Dawson &
G.Velville (Eds.) The Art of Teaching Primary Science. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Griffin, J. (2004). Research on students and museums: looking more closely at the students in school groups. Science
Education, 88 (Suppl.1), S59-S70.
Hein, G. (1998). Learning in the Museum. London: Routledge.
Hein, G. & Alexander, M. (1998). Museums: Places of Learning. Washington: American Association of Museums.
Horsley, M. & Walker, R. (2013). Reforming homework: Practices, learning and policy. Melbourne: Palgrave MacMillan.
Institute of Museum and Library Services (2013). Growing Young Minds: How museums and libraries create lifelong learners. Washington DC: IMLS. Accessed 22 July 2013 at http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/GrowingYoungMinds.pdf
Krause, K., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. & McMaugh, A. (2010). Educational Psychology for learning and teaching (3rd Ed.). Melbourne: Cengage.
Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lillico, I. (2004). Homework and the Homework Grid. Western Australia: Tranton Enterprises.
McInerney, D. & McInerney, V. (2009). Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning (5th ed.). Sydney: Prentice Hall. O'Connor, T. (2004). Watch me do this! Why don’t children have physical education homework? Classroom Parent, 4(2), 22-23.
Maher, D. 2015, 'Connecting classroom and museum learning using mobile devices', Journal of Museum Education, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 257-267.
O’Donnell, Dobozy, Bartlett, Bryer, Reeve & Smith (2012). Educational Psychology: First Australian Edition. Milton, Queensland: Wiley.
Simon, N. (2010).The participatory museum.USA: Museum 2.0.
Snowman, J. & Biehler, R. (2003). Psychology applied to teaching (10th Ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Vialle, W., Lysaght, P. & Verenikina, I. (2005). Psychology for educators. Melbourne: Thomson Social Science Press.

Research Journals
Visitor Studies
Journal of Museum Education
Curator: The Museum Journal

Other resources

See UTS Online.