EDUC 113 : Current Issues in Education

Education and Social Work

2020 Summer School (1200) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Educational issues are pressing concerns in our society. The course will help develop understanding of the background of today's public debates around schooling and will introduce ways in which educational thought and research address big topics.

Course Overview

In Aotearoa New Zealand, education has and continues to serve several purposes within our society. What form and function publicly funded schooling should serve in addressing societal needs and demands, are hotly debated issues. This course acts as an introduction to some of these debates, and the ways in which educational thought and research can be used to understand and critically assess various solutions proposed to addressing enduring concerns in society and schooling.

Particular attention is given to the ways in which schooling serves to reproduce and/or challenge existing patterns of inequality in society. Various “isms”—classism, racism, sexism, ableism—are interrogated in terms of how they might be (de)constructed through schooling. As part of this, scrutiny is given to how contemporary educational structures and systems have and continue to be reformed through policymaking, and through the actions of educational professionals working in schools. Through this course, you will gain a stronger understanding of how and why education remains a matter of significant public concern, and a subject of ongoing, intense political debate.

Course Requirements

Restriction: EDUC 118

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 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and apply sociological concepts, ideas and theories to articulate the competing expectations individuals, communities and society place on education today. (Capability 1.1, 2.1 and 4.1)
  2. Identify underlying ideologies which have shaped the form, function and purpose of public education in New Zealand today (Capability 2.1 and 6.1)
  3. Identify and critically evaluate the merits and limitations of various solutions proposed over time to endemic challenges faced within public education, and make reasoned judgements of the most effective solutions to addressing these challenges moving forward. (Capability 2.1, 3.1 and 5.2)
  4. Understand how to meaningfully engage in addressing some of the identified issues facing our education system, either through their own future professional engagement in the system, or as members of society. (Capability 3.1, 4.1 and 4.2)
  5. Discuss and interpret the ways in which the Treaty of Waitangi and new demands faced by the country’s increasingly diverse population have on public education moving forward. (Capability 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 25% Individual Coursework
Essay 25% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Quizzes
Essay
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend on average 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.  

Summer school semester including the study/exam period totals approximately 7 weeks, which means that workload expectations in summer school are condensed so that they double that of a 15 point course which runs during other semesters.  This means that students are expected to spend on average  20 hours per week for a 15 point course such as this.  

In this course, you will be expected to attend a total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hour lectures, twice weekly) and 12 hours of tutorials (2 hour tutorial on Thursdays weekly).   You should also expect to spend on average 4-5  hours per week completing the assigned readings and thinking about the content and an additional 4-6 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.  

Digital 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.

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.

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 at 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.

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.

As a result of previous feedback from students in EDUC 113, particularly for summer school, the following changes have been made:
1. Greater support and scaffolding of expectations in regards to the essay task, which will largely occur within tutorial time.
2. Encouragement for students to come to lecture having completed the readings through the introduction of online reading quizzes.
3. Ensuring that on days where lectures and tutorials occur back to back, an adequate break of approximately 20 minutes will be given between the lecture and tutorial to allow students to get something to eat or drink.  
4. Maximising opportunities for all students to participate in the lecture by establishing forums for whole class and smaller group discussions during the lecture itself.  

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.

Published on 17/12/2019 07:39 a.m.