EDPROFST 739 : Educational Policy and Organisations
Education and Social Work
2025 Semester Two (1255) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course introduces you to the education policy process at the national and local levels. The course is designed to develop your ability to read critically about, understand and interpret, and engage in the policy process.
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 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- gain greater familiarity with the policy development process, at both the national and local levels (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
- understand better the values, equity considerations, and aspects of power that underlie the policy process (Capability 1.1, 1.2 and 3.1)
- develop an in-depth understanding of the education policy process for a particular policy (Capability 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1 and 8.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 30% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Essay | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Presentation | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| Coursework | ||||||||||
| Essay | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
To pass this course, students must submit all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course.
Teaching & Learning Methods
- Engage with learning materials, readings and activities on CANVAS (a learning and collaboration tool). This mainly involves independent learning (e.g. reading articles and module materials).
- Attend a class or Zoom session with the lecturer to discuss the readings
- Complete a coursework task with peers that applies the course readings to real world contexts
Workload Expectations
- Spend 20 hours per week engaging with course activities, readings and assignment-related preparation. Some weeks you may spend more time learning than in others.
- Keep up with all the readings, activities and tasks in the weekly learning cycle
- Attend classes or the synchronous zooms depending on delivery mode selected.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience or Online
This course is offered in two delivery modes:
Campus Experience
Students are expected to prepare for the on-campus experience by engaging with the course learning material on the CANVAS learning platform. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. The on-campus experience is a weekly 3 hour class and focuses on gaining a deeper grasp of the education policy process and how the theory can be applied in context. Coursework tasks worth 30% of your overall assessment will be completed during these class sessions.
Online
Course learning material is provided on CANVAS. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. A synchronous Zoom teaching session is offered every week to mirror the content taught in the on-campus delivery mode. Attendance is expected to gain a deeper grasp of the education policy process and how the theory can be applied in context. Coursework tasks worth 30% of your overall assessment will be completed during these zoom sessions.
This course runs to the University semester timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.
Learning Resources
Students are required to purchase a set text. Other readings are provided on a TALIS reading list accessed via CANVAS.
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Canvas materials are copyrighted: they may be used by students to improve education in educational establishments but may not be used for commercial purposes.
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.