EDUC 324 : Inclusive Education and Philosophy

Education and Social Work

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Critically appraises philosophical perspectives on education to enable students to articulate a developing philosophy and practice of teaching including the relationship between local, national and global politics and inclusive education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Highlights concepts of social justice, equity and diversity and relates these concepts to competing discourses of ability, (dis)ability and inclusion.

Course Overview

This course is centred on the question “what does it mean to be an inclusive educator in Aotearoa New Zealand?”

In this course we interrogate some of the ‘big ideas’ about education, knowledge, early childhood education, school and society that have shaped what you have experienced as students and that will go on to shape your experiences as teachers. We pay particular attention to the politics and philosophies of education that perpetuate exclusion and/or promote and foster inclusive education practices in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: EDUC 203

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
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

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify and critically discuss the key characteristics of the philosophical approaches that underpin education policy and practice in centres, schools and kura in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1 and 2.2)
  2. Identify and justify the philosophical influences on their emerging philosophy of teaching and how these influences impact on proposed inclusive practice. (Capability 3.1 and 4.1)
  3. Critically analyse analyse the contested nature of the policy and practice debates in inclusive education while critiquing the value of data sources and analytical methods. (Capability 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  4. Critically discuss the impact of politics at the local, national and international levels on the development of education policy, in particular in the area of inclusive education. (Capability 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Online Portfolio 20% Individual Coursework
Reflective Essay 50% Individual Coursework
Evaluation Presentation 30% Group Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Online Portfolio
Reflective Essay
Evaluation Presentation
To pass this course students must submit all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course.

Workload Expectations

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

For this course, you can expect two hours of lectures, a two-hour tutorial, four hours of reading and thinking about the content and two hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials may be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

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.

Required course textbook: Carrington, S. & MacArthur, J. (Eds) (2012). Teaching in inclusive school communities. Milton, QLD: John Wiley.
We will be reading one chapter in the textbook most weeks. It can be purchased online from Wiley Publications as a book or an ebook https://www.wiley.com/en-nz/Teaching+in+Inclusive+School+Communities%2C+E+Text-p-9780730302209
Recommended coursebook: Gunn, A.C., Surtees, N., Gordon-Burns, D. & Purdue, K. (Eds). (2020). Te aotūroa tātaki; Inclusive early childhood education. Perspectives on inclusion, social justice and equity from New Zealand. Wellington: NZCER Press.

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.

The three themes in the course each have very clear links to resources and assignments: "Access to the exemplars and marking rubrics made it really clear what we needed to do."
The course makes use of a variety of tools and strategies to present information and invite participation: "You can see the lecturers' inclusive values in the course content and organisation."
"The group assignment helped us actually use the ideas. Having our self assessment and feedback to peers as part of the grade let us see that these were also taken seriously."

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 for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, 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 25/10/2023 10:37 p.m.