Literacy in Secondary School unit (EMT510)

Hobart, Online

Introduction

Literacy in Secondary School equips pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills required to effectively teach literacy in secondary classrooms.  Grounded in the research that shows explicit reading and writing instruction improves students’ academic understanding, this unit highlights the integral role of language and literacy in student learning across the curriculum. You will learn how explicit instruction in reading and writing—tailored to discipline-specific content—enhances students’ learning and develop a teaching toolkit to identify, teach and respond to the literacy needs of diverse learners, including students who speak English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

Summary

Unit name	Literacy in Secondary School
Unit code	EMT510
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Faculty of Education
Discipline	Education
Coordinator	Ms Emma Rutherford Vale
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Postgraduate

Availability

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Semester 1
Online	Semester 1

Note

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Units are offered in attending mode unless otherwise indicated (that is attendance is required at the campus identified). A unit identified as offered by distance, that is there is no requirement for attendance, is identified with a nominal enrolment campus. A unit offered to both attending students and by distance from the same campus is identified as having both modes of study.

Key Dates

Study Period	Start date	Census date	WW date	End date
Semester 1	22/2/2026	16/3/2026	19/4/2026	13/6/2026

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2026 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2026 will be available from the 1st October 2025. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

• Articulate knowledge of current theory about how students learn to read and write and the evidence base for effective literacy instruction in secondary schools.
• Critically reflect on the nature of literacy and its role in curriculum learning, and the implications of this for your teaching practice.
• Demonstrate understanding of the literacy conventions and demands associated with curriculum areas.
• Develop and apply explicit literacy instruction for specific educational contexts.
• Demonstrate academic and information literacy skills.

Fee Information

Field of Education	Commencing Student Contribution 1,3	Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3	Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3	Domestic Full Fee 4
070103	$592.00	$592.00	not applicable	$2,562.00

• Available as a Commonwealth Supported Place
• HECS-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility³
• FEE-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility⁴

¹ Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
² Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
³ Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
⁴ Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UniConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Requisites

Concurrent Prerequisites

EMT502

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	This unit is taught in mixed mode involving both synchronous and asynchronous experiences. All students will engage with the course content through weekly online recorded lectures and tasks including weekly readings, discussion boards and quizzes as well as through the completion of assignments. There are three options for tutorial participation, which is required. You should select one of the following options that best fit your learning needs and constraints: On campus students: Weekly f2f tutorial in Hobart (2hrs) for students enrolled on campus.  Off campus / online students: A two-hour synchronous online tutorial is scheduled for online students. Students join this through our MyLo Zoom tab and come to practice the weekly task, discuss the weekly content and connect with peers. Online students attending this tutorial are also encouraged to view the online discussion board and interact with peers there.  Off campus: Online only students who cannot attend the synchronous tutorial can instead choose to complete the weekly tutorial asynchronously in our MyLo Discussion board by completing the weekly task/s there.  You will receive comments, feedback and guidance from our expert online tutor.  You are expected to dedicate approximately ten hours per week to this unit. This may be divided as follows: weekly lectures and online content (2 hours) weekly tutorial (2 hours), reading and assessment preparation (5 - 6 hours). Please be aware this may vary slightly from week to week depending on the topic and planned experiences.
Assessment	Reflection on the role of literacy in learning (20%)|Assessment of subject matter expertise in the effective teaching of reading in secondary school (40%)|Planning a writing lesson using the GRR model (40%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	Please see the online library list and unit schedule.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.