Course specification for EDX3280

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EDX3280 Mathematics in Middle and Upper Primary

Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba
Short Description: Mathematics Mid&Upper Primary
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 : 070100 - Teacher Education
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: EDX1280 or EHM1200 and Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BEDU (Primary) or BEDU (Primary + Special Education) or BEDU (Special Education) or BEDU (HPE Primary) or BEDU (SHPE Primary) or BPED

Rationale

Mathematics education has grown to become a recognised and significant research area in education. Its theories are based on analysis of the structure of mathematical tasks, the psychology of teaching and learning over time, and an understanding of the effect of past experiences, and social contexts for learning mathematics. Mathematics is a core learning area of the curriculum and has long been considered to be a significant component of everyday life within a modern society. As children grow, so too do their experiences with mathematics both in and out of the classroom. This course recognises the progressive nature of mathematics, and also the importance of past experiences and social contexts for learning mathematics.

Synopsis

This is the second course in a suite of three that focuses on the teaching of mathematics. It is a core course that provides the theoretical underpinnings and foundational knowledge required to teach mathematics in the middle and upper primary school context (3-6).

Throughout this course pre-service teachers will continue to explore the evidence-based practices introduced in EDM1200 Mathematics in Early Primary. Such practices are centred on promoting understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning in teaching and learning, and are set within the content strands of number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability. At the completion of this course pre-service teachers should have a deep understanding of how children learn mathematics, and be able to draw on this understanding and curriculum documentation to identify critical progression points for mathematical learning and teaching. An approach to teaching that is based on thinking strategies rather than rote procedures will be emphasised.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course in accordance with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). On successful completion of this course pre-service teachers should be able to:

  1. critically examine a variety of evidence-based pedagogies in the teaching and learning of mathematics (APST 2.1, 2.5);
  2. identify and explain how children learn mathematics in the middle and upper primary years (APST 1.2, 3.3);
  3. understand the importance of working with colleagues, families/carers and communities to enhance the mathematical learning of children (APST 3.7, 7.3);
  4. draw on current theoretical perspectives to critically analyse the effectiveness of a teaching and learning sequence in the mathematics classroom (APST 2.2, 3.2, 4.1);
  5. explain how to differentiate learning in the mathematics classroom, including consideration of the implementation of ICT (APST 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.6, 3.3, 5.1).

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Understanding how children learn mathematics in the middle and upper years of primary school 20.00
2. Evidence-based pedagogical practices in the teaching and learning of mathematics 20.00
3. Effective planning and teaching in the middle and upper years mathematics classroom 20.00
4. Working with colleagues, families/carers and communities to enhance and support the mathematical learning of children 20.00
5. Differentiating learning in the mathematics classroom 20.00

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=EDX3280)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Reys, RE, Lindquist, M, Lambdin, DV, Smith, NL, Rogers, A, Cooke, A, Ewing, B, Robson, K & Bennet, S 2017, Helping Children Learn Mathematics, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, Qld.
(Please note, students who have purchased an earlier edition for a previous subject can use that edition, rather than purchase this new edition.)

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed Study 80.00
Independent Study 85.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 40 40 05 May 2020
ASSIGNMENT 2 50 50 08 Jun 2020
ASSIGNMENT 3 10 10 08 Jun 2020

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. 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.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

  8. 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

  1. 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 .

  2. Students are required to demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of academic language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and referencing in all assessment responses. Marks allocated to the aforementioned criteria will be specified in the criteria for assessment of all assessment items.

  3. Students are required to submit ALL assignments to evidence meeting or exceeding the mandatory requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs).

Evaluation and benchmarking

In meeting the University’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Education and is benchmarked against the:

  1. internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review
  2. Queensland College of Teachers
  3. Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

Other requirements

  1. Participation: Students can expect it will be necessary to participate in and contribute to a range of learning opportunities in this course including online study activities, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations, group discussions and self-directed study activities in order to apply the coursework that will enable quality assessment tasks to be submitted as evidence of professional development.

Date printed 19 June 2020