EDCURRIC 723 : STEM Education in Years 0-8

Education and Social Work

2023 Semester Two (1235) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A practice-focused examination of how to meaningfully integrate science, technology, mathematics and statistics into a localised curriculum with students in Years 0-8. Students will critically examine STEM education, using research to first understand and critique examples drawn from practice, and then to develop an integrated and local learning experience that authentically draws on the STEM disciplines.

Course Overview

This course is designed to help you build quality STEM practice  in your class or school. Through a series of online modules, the course introduces you to different ways to integrate curriculum in STEM, and specifically how to consider STEM in your local curriculum. You will see examples of practice and learn frameworks that help you critique approaches and make choices in your own planning and teaching. A series of three assignments builds a resource of localised STEM activities relating to your school, as well as showing you a process that can be applied to any future school. You'll get feedback along the way to develop your understandings and skills. The fourth assignment uses digital badging to engage you with a range of learning objects and readings that build your understanding of STEM integration in practice. 

Course Requirements

Restriction: EDCURRIC 708, 760

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Critically evaluate STEM integration as an approach, using frameworks from research (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 6.2 and 6.3)
  2. Make connections between STEM education research and personal practice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 3.2 and 6.2)
  3. Develop a series of place-based classroom experiences that illustrate a STEM approach (Capability 3.1, 4.2, 6.2 and 6.3)
  4. Critically reflect on the process of developing STEM learning experiences (Capability 1.2, 2.1 and 4.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Digital badges 20% Individual Coursework
Research on place 25% Individual Coursework
STEM connections and resource bank 30% Individual Coursework
Critiquing STEM 25% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Digital badges
Research on place
STEM connections and resource bank
Critiquing STEM
Students must submit all coursework tasks and achieve a combined score of at least 50% to pass the course.  

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 course, you can expect to spend approximately 4 hours a week working through each module. In addition, you can expect to spend, on average, approximately 16 hours per week reading, thinking about the content and working on assignments. This is spread over the whole semester, not just the weeks that modules are released.

Students who would like to complete their assessment in te reo need to signal this to the course co-ordinator before the first assignment is due.  

Delivery Mode

Online

This course is delivered asynchronously online.  

Course materials and activities are provided online and can be completed in a flexible manner. It is expected that students will complete each module and activity according to the teaching week it is scheduled to receive timely responses and to create a learning community. Full participation in, and completion of all the online activities is strongly recommended as an aid to success in this course. 

Study materials will be released progressively throughout the course. This course runs to the Faculty of Education and Social Work semester timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply. 

The course will not include live online events .

Attendance on campus is not required for assessment.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

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.

This course has never been taught before so feedback from this year's students will be particularly helpful.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework 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. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

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 course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, 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 students may be asked to submit 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. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 12/12/2022 04:50 p.m.