| Semester 1, 2020 Online | |
| Short Description: | Foundations of STEM Education |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Education |
| Student contribution band : | National Priority - Teaching |
| ASCED code : | 070301 - Curriculum Studies |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Rationale
In recent years there has been a global recognition that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education should be emphasised in schools. There has also been a global recognition of the importance of the skills and experiences with STEM subjects for later academic and real-life success. In Australia, there is general agreement about the importance of STEM education and the need for a workforce with STEM skills to drive economic prosperity of the country. However, there is a gap to produce graduates in this area who can support learners in the area of STEM subjects in schools. This course recognises the importance of having such graduates who can support and engage learners in schools to develop strategies, abilities and skills in the area of STEM education. It is imperative that such graduates have practical, and sound knowledge of key concepts and contemporary issues underpinning STEM education in school contexts. Graduates having a clear understanding of curriculum documents and policies at national and global levels will be capable of positively impacting practices of STEM education in schools. Graduates with such knowledge and skills can support learners in schools to be inspired by STEM education and late influence to take on more challenging STEM subjects.
Synopsis
This is the first foundation course in a suite of four that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education for a graduate certificate of STEM education. This course is focused on the foundations of STEM education in school context. Throughout the course, participants will be given an opportunity to explore the fundamental concepts, contemporary issues underpinning STEM education and curriculum documents and policies at national and global levels to understand the impact of place and context on STEM practices. Participants, in this course, will also be engaged in seminal and contemporary research findings to position the theoretical, conceptual and profession-based debates in STEM education. Participants will be required to demonstrate their skill of exploring the concepts of STEM education and design STEM projects. In this course, an approach to teaching that is based on thinking strategies and the application of practical skills for engaging learners in STEM education rather than rote procedures will be emphasised.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- use a sound knowledge and understanding of key concepts and contemporary issues underpinning STEM education in their professional practices;
- engage with STEM education processes, curriculum documents and policies at national and global levels to understand the impact of place and context on STEM practices;
- explore seminal and contemporary research to position the theoretical, conceptually and profession-based debates in STEM education;
- apply research and practical skills to develop strategies and approaches for engaging learners in STEM education.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Key concepts and contemporary issues underpinning STEM Education | 15.00 |
| 2. | Exploring Curriculum documents and policies on STEM Education | 20.00 |
| 3. | Schools and STEM Education | 10.00 |
| 4. | Theoretical Foundations for Effective STEM Learning Environments | 15.00 |
| 5. | Classroom Approaches of STEM Education | 10.00 |
| 6. | The role of S, T, E and M in STEM education | 15.00 |
| 7. | Developing teachers capacity in STEM education | 15.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=EDU8131)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Independent Study | 85.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review of Literature in STEM | 100 | 50 | 30 Mar 2020 | 1,2 | (see note 1) |
| Design - STEM Project | 50 | 50 | 25 May 2020 | 3,4 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- This assignment will be review of literature covering the first five weeks study of the course: Consider the following for the review: - Explore how schools approach STEM Education in different context (consider the cases of two/three countries) - Explore the relevant Curriculum documents - How this is compared to Australian Context - What is unique in the Australian context - Show future directions for Australian Schools
- Design STEM Project. Please consider the following to complete this assignment - The project incorporates concepts from S, T, E and M - Demonstrates an Inclusion of the Proficiency Strands of the National Curriculum - Suited to the intend audience (Year level of students) - Allows for multiple solutions for the project - Make sure appropriate higher order thinking is emphases in the project - Effective Integration of ICT's - Make sure that the project is classroom ready - Include model solution for the project
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students鈥� responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Supplementary assessment may be offered where a student has undertaken all of the required summative assessment items and has passed the first or second assessment but failed to satisfy the first, or second assessment but failed to achieve a passing Final Grade by 5% or less of the total weighted Marks. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
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Referencing in assignments must comply with the APA referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ library's referencing guide. This guide can be found at .