EDCURRIC 704 : Bridging Science and Society
Education and Social Work
2025 Semester One (1253) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course aims to develop your understanding of scientific literacy; a concept that underpins many countries' curriculum requirements. You will examine the evolving nature of this concept, and based on your reading and reflection, develop and justify your personal understanding of scientific literacy. We will also examine the nature of science and the scientific enterprise. Based on discussion, reading and reflection, you will apply your understandings of these two concepts to the work of a practising scientist. Ways of incorporating Mātauranga Māori will also be considered. In the culminating assessment task, you will synthesise your understandings of these three concepts to design a science programme for use in your classroom and justify its design using appropriate literature. This course is suitable for educators working across all education sectors and people interested in the practice of Western science.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Critically examine the various perspectives of scientific literacy and identify the implications of these perspectives for teaching science in classrooms/centres. (Capability 3.1 and 4.1)
- Critically examine various understandings of the nature of science processes of scientific inquiry and the components of scientific enterprise. (Capability 1.3, 4.3 and 8.2)
- Critically examine pedagogies that promote scientific literacy. (Capability 5.1, 6.1 and 8.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Position paper | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Literature review and analysis | 40% | Individual Coursework |
| Programme planning and justification | 40% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| Position paper | ||||||||||
| Literature review and analysis | ||||||||||
| Programme planning and justification | ||||||||||
To pass this course students must submit all assessment tasks and get an overall course mark of at least 50%.
Exam Mode
- Exam mode A - Remote online non-invigilated exam on Inspera
- Exam mode B - Remote online invigilation through Inspera Integrity Browser (IIB)
- Exam mode C - In-person invigilated exam on paper
- Exam mode D - In-person invigilated exam on computer through Inspera Integrity Browser (IIB)
- There is no final exam for this course
Further information about exams can be found at https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/about-exams.html
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this 30-point course you should expect to commit to 36 hours to delivery of the course. You can also reasonably expect to commit approximately 200-240 hours to independent learning. This may include reading (and more reading) and thinking about content, note-taking, face-to-face and/or online discussion, writing, problem solving, reflecting on learning, accessing learning and study resources, and assignment completion.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience or Online
This course is offered in two delivery modes at the same time. There is an in-person campus experience mode and an online attendance mode. These two modes of delivery will take place at the same time or on occasions, as an online delivery mode only. The course is delivered in blocks of learning.
Campus Experience
Attendance is required on campus at scheduled blocks of learning on 08 March, 29 March, 14 April, 15 April, 16 April, 24 May and 14 June to complete components of the course. These will be live synchronous 'hybrid' sessions comprising face-to-face and online students at the same time in our specialised classroom space.
Online
Online attendance via Zoom is required at scheduled blocks of learning on 08 March, 29 March, 14 April, 15 April, 16 April, 24 May and 14 June to complete components of the course. These will be live synchronous 'hybrid' workshops comprising online and face-to-face students at the same time.
Online Experience
Three blocks of learning will be delivered as asynchronous, independent online sessions. Students can complete the learning outlined in these sessions at times suitable for them. These sessions are in Weeks 11-12;18-19; and 20-21.
Learning Resources
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.