Masters in Educational Practice Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-14
2 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 3 Contents 1 Introduction Module outlines 2 SIT803 Literacy 3 SIT804 Numeracy 4 SIT805 - Additional Learning Needs 5 SIT806 - Reducing the impact of poverty on attainment Introduction Welcome to the second year of the Masters in Educational Practice Programme. Year 2 This year you will study four modules that will be delivered as two sets of linked modules: SIT803 - Literacy - (15 credits) SIT804 - Numeracy - (15 credits) and SIT805 - Additional Learning Needs - (15 credits) SIT806 - Reducing the impact of poverty on attainment - (15 credits) Studying the Literacy and Numeracy modules in parallel will give you the opportunity to consider your approaches to developing these two areas of the curriculum. You will be asked to reflect on the similarities and differences in your expectations and approaches and the issues these areas present you with in your classroom. During these two modules you will undertake a small intervention in your classroom, in the area of Literacy or Numeracy, and undertake a detailed study of colleagues response to it. The second pair of modules concentrates on two of the main educational challenges within the Welsh education system. These challenges are how to provide an appropriate education for pupils with Additional Learning Needs and to design curricula that can help reduce the impact of poverty on pupil attainment. Classroom-based responses to both these issues highlight many of the key concepts and issues in curriculum design and pedagogy, from inclusion through to participation. Studying these two modules as a pair will provide you with an opportunity to consider a range of key curriculum and pedagogical issues and their relevance to your own classroom practice. The modules will afford you the opportunity to select one of these key concepts or issues and to develop it as a focus for your dissertation in Year 3. As part of these two modules you will develop your theoretical and practical understanding of your chosen concept or issue and start to design an intervention for your classroom. You will develop this intervention as part of your final module in Year 3, Leadership (SIT807), before carrying it out in the final module, Action Inquiry Project (SIT808). Year 3 SIT807 - Leadership - (15 credits) SIT808 - Action Inquiry Project - (60 credits) Please note that this Module Handbook can be made available in other formats, such as Braille, audio tape, large print, on disc or on coloured paper. Please contact the MEP Office to request a suitable format to meet your needs. Whilst this handbook was deemed correct at the time of going to press, The School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, reserves the right to withdraw or amend information and or content at its discretion. You should retain this book as it also contains general information which will be relevant to your studies throughout the programme.
4 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 5 SIT803 Literacy Module summary The module Literacy builds on the understanding of effective learning developed through the programme, applying the principles explored to literacy learning in both English and Welsh as appropriate in a range of contexts that reflect the bilingual (and multilingual) nature of schools in Wales. It will: develop participants understanding of how learners develop skills in literacy, and become familiar with the rationale which underpins the Welsh Government s emphasis on literacy. explore language diversity and the cultural and social dimensions of language development within the Welsh context, and how these can be harnessed by teachers to support learning in the classroom. develop participants critical understanding of how to support learners to improve their literacy, especially those who have relatively poor literacy skills. challenge participants to implement and evaluate methods for supporting literacy development and tackling under-achievement according to their subject specialism or phase. critically explore policy-making and strategic approaches, both local and national within Wales and beyond, regarding curriculum content, pedagogy and assessment in relation to developing literacy. Challenge participants to evaluate methods for supporting literacy development and tackling underachievement according to their subject specialism or phase. Discipline Specific (Including Practical Skills) Apply principles of literacy development to the design of learning activities and interactions in the context of pedagogical practice. Critically appraise their own professional practice with respect to literacy development for learners. Students will attend a face-to-face learning event, which will provide an overview of the module and introduce key ideas, literature and resources. Participants will access learning resources online and will engage with learning materials within the MEP VLE (Learning Central). Resources will include those provided by Welsh Government, alongside bespoke resources developed and provided by the University and its HEI partners. The VLE will guide teachers progress through recommended resources to include videos, readings and core and extended activities. The module will draw extensively upon teachers own experiences in their classroom and the quality of pupils learning experience as the basis for reflecting on and improving professional practice. Specific reading tasks will be set that match the practical based inquiry of the teachers. The students as classroom teachers - will be required to design learning activities that develop pupils literacy and to assess their success with guidance from the VLE and their mentors. Learning from your own practice Describe your intervention in relation to your current classroom practice, set within your school s current approach to the literacy framework. Highlight which specific principles and values underpin the element of the framework that your intervention targets and how your personal values relate to this. Clearly outline your aspirations of the intervention in relation to what you would expect to see in the classroom as a result of your intervention. Reflect on how it went in relation to literature, policy, and your students. Consider the direct implications for your future practice. Learning from a colleague s practice Describe your interest in a particular element of your colleague s practice in relation to: your current classroom practice, set within your school s current approach to the literacy framework. Highlight which specific principles and values underpin the element of the framework that this practice is concerned with and how your personal values relate to this. Clearly describe and analyse the particular aspects of your colleague s practice you are interested in. Reflect on this practice in relation to literature, policy, and their students. Consider the direct implications for your future practice. This module will provide students with the opportunity to explore the theory and practice of supporting literacy development within a variety of school contexts that reflect the bilingual (and multilingual) nature of schools in Wales. It will ensure that participants apply understanding of literacy development in both English and/or Welsh as appropriate to the design of learning activities and interactions in their pedagogical practice and reflect on these processes and outcomes. The core resources for the module will enable participants to: Understand the development of spoken and written language Develop understanding of language diversity and the cultural and social dimensions of language development particular to the Welsh context in order to support learning in the classroom. Establish a critical understanding of how to appropriately support learners to develop as readers and understand a range of textual material in the context of their subject specialism or phase. Explore critically policy-making and strategic approaches, both local and national within Wales and beyond, regarding curriculum content, pedagogy and assessment in relation to developing literacy. Critically evaluate methods for supporting literacy development and tackling underachievement according to their subject specialism or phase A core requirement of the module is that participants apply understanding of literacy development to the design of learning activities and interactions in their pedagogical practice and reflect on these processes and outcomes. to:- schools through supported learning networks and will have the opportunity to Knowledge and Comprehension Demonstrate a critical understanding of language and literacy development within the Welsh Context. Show a critical understanding of current educational approaches to supporting literacy development across the curriculum, appropriate to subject specialism or phase. Intellectual Skills (Application and Analysis) Engage critically with a range of sources related to literacy development, in order to develop research-informed ways to optimise learning activities to support literacy development and tackle underachievement. Identify and analyse whole school approaches and systems that are used to develop literacy and demonstrate an understanding of challenges, barriers and enabling factors. Participants will acquire and develop a range of skills which are discipline specific as well as more general employability skills including:- the ability to assess pupils understanding using a range of formative and summative strategies; the scholarly use of library and internet resources; the ability to communicate and present ideas and conclusions in a variety of ways; (e.g. documenting an intervention to support literacy, providing reflections on this, engaging in asynchronous on line discussions with peers and mentors and undertaking a oral presentation); Critical reflection on professional practice; the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize knowledge from a range of peer-learning and professional communication skills within teacher learning groups. Course work (3000 words) 100 As described above
6 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 7 SIT804 Numeracy Module summary The Numeracy module builds upon participants understanding of pupils learning developed through the programme applying the principles explored to developing numeracy and embedding opportunities for working in numerate ways in a range of contexts. It will: develop participants understanding of how learners develop skills in numeracy, and become familiar with the rationale which underpins the Welsh Government s emphasis on numeracy. Explore how cultural and pedagogic attitudes towards numeracy can affect learning in the classroom. Develop participants understanding of how to support learners of all abilities to improve their numeracy. Challenge participants to implement and evaluate methods for supporting numeracy development and tackling underachievement according to their subject specialism or phase. Explore critically the implementation of numeracy policies and strategic approaches nationally and in schools. to:- Discipline specific (including practical skills) Apply principles of numeracy development to the design of learning activities and interactions in the context of pedagogical practice. Critically appraise their own professional practice with respect to developing learners numeracy. Participants will access learning resources online and will engage with learning materials within the MEP VLE. Resources will include those provided by Welsh Government, alongside resources developed by the University and HEI partners The VLE will guide participants progress through a range of resources, including lectures, expert talking heads, classroom activities and background reading, and will support interactive engagement. The module will draw extensively upon participants own experiences as teachers in their classroom and the quality of pupils learning experience as the basis for reflecting on and improving their professional practice. Specific reading tasks will be set that match the practical based inquiry of the teachers. Participants will be required to design learning activities that develop pupils numeracy and to assess their success with guidance from the VLE and their mentors. Learning from your own practice Describe your intervention in relation to your current classroom practice, set within your school s current approach to the numeracy framework. Highlight which specific principles and values underpin the element of the framework that your intervention targets and how your personal values relate to this. Clearly outline your aspirations of the intervention in relation to what you would expect to see in the classroom as a result of your intervention. Reflect on how it went in relation to literature, policy, and your students. Consider the direct implications for your future practice. Learning from a colleague s practice Describe your interest in a particular element of your colleague s practice in relation to: your current classroom practice, set within your school s current approach to the numeracy framework. Highlight which specific principles and values underpin the element of the framework that this practice is concerned with and how your personal values relate to this. Clearly describe and analyse the particular aspects of your colleague s practice you are interested in. Reflect on this practice in relation to literature, policy, and their students. Consider the direct implications for your future practice. This module enables participants to engage in the theory and practice of supporting numeracy development within a variety of school contexts and with an emphasis on cross curricular learning. The content will develop teachers of all subjects and phases understanding of how pupils can use mathematics in a practical context and develop critical numerate skills across the curriculum. Participants are expected to use the VLE and engage in wider reading and discussion, thus enabling them to: identify theories and approaches to numeracy development that are appropriate to their needs. Establish a critical understanding of how to appropriately support learners to develop their numeracy in the context of their subject specialism or phase. Critically explore policy-making and strategic approaches, both local and national within Wales and beyond, regarding curriculum content, pedagogy and assessment in relation to developing numeracy. Critically evaluate methods for supporting numeracy development and tackling underachievement according to their subject specialism or phase. Knowledge and Comprehension Demonstrate a critical understanding of definitions and concepts of numeracy and how they are applied within the context of the participants classroom. schools through a range of learning networks and will have the opportunity to Show a critical understanding of current educational approaches to supporting numeracy development and tackling underachievement, appropriate to subject specialism or phase. Intellectual skills (application and analysis) Engage critically with a range of sources related to numeracy development, in order to develop research-informed ways to optimise learning activities to support numeracy development and tackle underachievement. Identify and analyse whole school approaches and systems that are used to develop a consistent and effective approach to numeracy and demonstrate an understanding of challenges, barriers and enabling factors in their schools. Participants will acquire and develop a range of skills which are discipline specific as well as more general employability skills including:- the ability to assess pupils understanding using a range of formative and summative strategies; the use and application of information technologies; the ability to communicate and present ideas and conclusions in a variety of ways; for example, in writing, during asynchronous on line discussions and orally; the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize knowledge form a range of the ability to work individually and collaboratively within teacher groups and professional networks. Course work (3000 words) 100 As described above
8 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 9 SIT805 - Additional Learning Needs Module summary This module aims to enable students to critically evaluate educational theory and recent developments in the field of Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and statutory reform. It will identify and analyse key features of inclusive learning environments and a range of social, health and education issues surrounding children and young people with Additional Learning Needs. The module requires participants to critically reflect on approaches to supporting learners with ALN, at both classroom and school systems levels. It will examine the roles and responsibilities of professionals in the field, analysing the impact of learner-centred planning, multi-agency working and reflecting on changing attitudes towards the care, education and inclusion of children and young people with Additional Learning Needs. to: Knowledge and Comprehension Demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of some of the key concepts of Special Educational Needs, Additional Learning Needs and inclusive education. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how children s development, participation and learning can be affected by high incidence SEN and or Additional Learning Needs. Intellectual skills (application and analysis) Critically evaluate their own practice in relation to supporting pupils with ALN. Develop research-informed informed ways to optimise learning activities and interactions to support pupils with ALN. Discipline Specific (Including Practical Skills) Critically evaluate the impact of different educational strategies and approaches in meeting the needs and rights of children and young people with Additional Learning Needs in their classrooms. Explore and analyse the implications of high incidence disabilities and ALN for teaching and learning and inclusive practice. Students will attend a face-to-face learning event, which will provide an overview of the module and introduce key ideas, literature and resources. Participants will access learning resources online and will engage with learning materials within the MEP VLE (Learning Central). Resources will include those provided by Welsh Government, alongside bespoke resources developed and provided by the University and its HEI partners. The VLE will guide teachers progress through recommended resources to include videos, readings and core and extended activities. A core component of teaching and learning will be an online task. Students will be required to post their responses to an online learning group and participate in the discussion. This will be supported by external mentors and monitored by academic staff. The module will draw extensively upon teachers own experiences in their classroom and the quality of pupils learning experience as the basis for reflecting on and improving professional practice. Specific reading tasks will be set that match the practical based inquiry of the teachers. The students as classroom teachers - will be required to design learning activities that develop pupils literacy and to assess their success with guidance from the VLE and their mentors. schools through supported learning networks and will have the opportunity to Participants will acquire and develop a range of skills which are discipline specific as well as more general employability skills including:- the ability to assess pupils understanding using a range of formative and summative strategies; the scholarly use of library and internet resources; the ability to communicate and present ideas and conclusions in a variety of ways; (e.g. documenting an intervention to support literacy, providing reflections on this, engaging in asynchronous on line discussions with peers and mentors and undertaking a oral presentation); Critical reflection on professional practice; the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize knowledge form a range of peer-learning and professional communication skills within teacher learning groups. The assessment for this module will be the development of a reconnaissance for a possible enquiry-based curriculum or pedagogical intervention in the area of ALN. The reconnaissance will consider: existing practice within the students classroom and the wider school including staff and pupil viewpoints current school development plans and national policies relevant improvement strategies, their theoretical underpinnings and evidence base The reconnaissance will contain an outline proposal for a classroom-based intervention aimed at improving provision for a specified group of students identified as having ALN. Course work (3000 words) 100 Reconnaissance for a possible classroom intervention This module will provide students with the opportunity to explore the theory and practice of supporting learners with ALN within a variety of school contexts. It will ensure that participants apply understanding of literacy development to the design of learning activities and interactions in their pedagogical practice and reflect on these processes and outcomes. The core resources provided will enable participants to: reflect on the implications of recent, current and relevant legislation in Wales, the UK and elsewhere on policy and practice in schools, colleges and other education-related settings; critically analyse the terminology of special educational needs, inclusion, exclusion and labelling ; relate their own professional experience to a range of diverse theoretical models; use knowledge, understanding, awareness and insights gained to generate own hypotheses and propose own solutions to issues relevant to the field of special and inclusive education; Critically evaluate methods for supporting learners with a range of ALNs according to their subject specialism or phase. A core requirement of the module is that participants apply understanding of literacy development to the design of learning activities and interactions in their pedagogical practice and reflect on these processes and outcomes.
10 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 11 SIT806 Reducing the impact of poverty on attainment This module requires students to examine and understand the impact of forms of poverty on pupil attainment and explore what possibilities exist to compensate for this through critically informed development of practice. They engage with the highly complex reasons why groups of children and young people struggle to engage with school and encounter barriers to developing self-esteem and investment in the process of schooling. As such, students develop deep understanding of the concept of inclusion and its vital role in overcoming the effects of poverty and other forms of social and emotional disadvantage. Core issues include: the appropriateness of the curriculum; teaching approaches; grouping of learners at school and class level; teacher expectations; use of rewards and sanctions; transitions and induction into new school environments; and assessment approaches. The focus is on learning how to engage with challenging questions about the ways in which groups of pupils who experience poverty encounter school and can perceive school as irrelevant or antithetical to their lives. Students will conduct enquiry into pupils learning experiences and experience of inclusion as a basis for developing effective classroom strategies. to: KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the key concepts of social justice and inclusion and how they can inform and enrich teachers efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on attainment. Engage critically with a range of research into the organisational and pedagogical barriers to increasing inclusion for children and young people in schools and different approaches to reducing and compensating for the impacts of poverty. Intellectual skills (application and analysis) Review and deepen knowledge and understanding gained on the programme to inform the development of learning environments which help to motivate and engage pupils. Critically evaluate their own classroom practice to deepen understanding of inclusion as experienced by learners, as a basis for developing an intervention to increase and enhance this aspect of their teaching. Discipline specific (including practical skills) Explore and analyse small-scale classroom interventions that may involve practice development in: Identifying learning aims for lessons and activities which are perceived by the learners as worthwhile. Focusing on learner motivation as a core factor in planning for learning. Effective language for learning strategies. Developing mentoring. Widening access to extra-curricular learning opportunities. ncreasing opportunities for independent learning, choice and responsibility for pupils. Increasing opportunities for creativity. Effective formative feedback, both teacher-pupil and peer assessment. Demonstrate understanding of how parents/carers, the local community and support workers can be integrated into practices to facilitate reducing and compensating for the impact of poverty on attainment. Students will attend a face-to-face learning event, which will provide an overview of the module and introduce key ideas, literature and resources. Participants will access learning resources online and will engage with learning materials within the MEP VLE (Learning Central). Resources will include those provided by Welsh Government, alongside bespoke resources developed and provided by the University and its HEI partners. The VLE will guide teachers progress through recommended resources to include videos, readings and core and extended activities. A core component of teaching and learning will be an online task. Students will be required to post their responses to an online learning group and participate in the discussion. This will be supported by external mentors and monitored by academic staff. The module will draw extensively upon teachers own experiences in their classroom and the quality of pupils learning experience as the basis for reflecting on and improving professional practice. Specific reading tasks will be set that match the practical based inquiry of the teachers. The students as classroom teachers - will be required to design learning activities that develop pupils literacy and to assess their success with guidance from the VLE and their mentors. Participants will acquire and develop a range of skills which are discipline specific as well as more general employability skills including:- the scholarly use of library and internet resources; collection, organisation and analysis of small-scale qualitative data related to pupil voice; the ability to communicate and present ideas and conclusions in a variety of ways; (e.g. reporting an intervention to develop inclusion, providing reflections on this, engaging in asynchronous online discussions with peers and External Mentors); critical reflection on professional practice; the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize knowledge form a range of peer-learning and professional communication skills within teacher learning groups. The assessment for this module will be the development of a reconnaissance for a possible enquiry based curriculum or pedagogical intervention aimed at reducing and compensating for the impacts of poverty. The reconnaissance will consider: existing practice within the students classroom and the wider school including staff and pupil viewpoints current school development plans and national policies relevant improvement strategies, their theoretical underpinnings and evidence base The reconnaissance will contain an outline proposal for a classroom-based intervention aimed at improving provision for a specified group of students. This module will provide students with the opportunity to explore a highly challenging area of professional practice. The topics are designed to provide a structured approach to exploring this via a small-scale intervention which enables the students to engage with the range of research in the field and learn how to work effectively with pupil voice as a valuable tool for professional learning. The topics and tasks provide a systematic and supported exploration of the issues within the context of the students own schools, with particular pupils in mind. It will ensure that participants apply understanding of the ethical issues involved in working with pupil voice, and gain confidence in challenging orthodoxies to develop practice which is informed by the knowledge base about the factors which affect attainment at school for groups of pupils who experience poverty. Topics ensure that students build their pedagogical practice in conjunction with searching questions about inclusion. They further consider the wider implications for future development of their own teaching and also school policies and practices. The core resources provided will allow students to: Understand the challenges of raising children and young people out of poverty and the need for resilience in teachers and for a research-informed approach to overcome dominant discourses and challenge deficit analyses of pupils as the problem. Critique simplistic analyses and develop appropriate responses in an area which is widely acknowledged as not fully understood. Develop understanding of a range of types of poverty and the need for teachers to understand school experiences from pupils perspectives in order to support learning in a range of contexts within and beyond the curriculum. Review the potential of a range of resources to enhance inclusion and attainment for learners who experience poverty, e.g. technologies, mentoring, access to on-site and off-site extra-curricular enrichment opportunities and working with external professionals. Explore critically policy-making and strategic approaches at school level and beyond, which impact on the attainment of children and young people who experience poverty. Develop a systematic approach to developing an understanding of this highly complex area by focused action planning, planning for small-scale intervention and designing meaningful and manageable evaluation strategies. Critically evaluate methods for enhancing inclusion and increasing attainment according to pupils experiences identified in their context. A core requirement of the module is that participants apply understanding of factors affecting the attainment of pupils who experience forms of poverty to the design of learning activities and interactions in their pedagogical practice and wider aspects of school life, as appropriate, and reflect on these processes and outcomes. schools through supported learning networks and will have the opportunity to Course work (3000 words) 100 Reconnaissance for a possible classroom intervention September 2014
12 MEP Module Catalogue Year 2 Academic Session - 2013-2014 Cardiff School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT www.cf.ac.uk/socsi MEP office Tel: (029) 208 70947 Email: walesmep@cardiff.ac.uk