University Expectations

You should allow 10 hours of focused study a week per unit. If you choose to enrol in four units (full time), be aware that this means you will need to devote 40 hours per week to study. Time management is the single biggest factor that will make the difference between success or failure in your study.

Students are expected to participate actively and positively in the teaching/ learning environment. You must attend classes when and as required, strive to maintain steady progress within the subject or unit framework, comply with workload expectations, and submit required work on time.

If you choose not to engage in your units and meet the conditions specified in your unit outlines, The Head of School may exclude you from one or more of the assessments, including exams.

Within both the Faculty and the wider University, there are many support options available to you. Many students require additional support with the academic component of University study, particularly in the early stages of their degree. If you are finding it challenging to keep up with the requirements, please contact your Lecturer or Unit Coordinator, who will assist you to access support and can provide advice on the specific areas you should focus on. You can also contact the Faculty Student Advisor and access Student Learning Resources online or in person via the Student Services and Information Centre.

Seeking timely support is paramount. It is never too early or too late to seek support.

If you are experiencing difficulty with your study for a health-related reason (physical health or mental health) you may be eligible for a Learning Access Plan (LAP) For detailed information see LAPs.

Student responsibilities

• New LAPs must be sent to each of your unit coordinators and your tutors within ten days of the LAP being finalised.
• Current Permanent or Temporary LAPs must be received by unit coordinators and tutors by the end of week 2 of each semester.

If you do not fulfil these requirements, conditions outlined on the LAP will not apply. You are strongly encouraged to have a conversation with your tutors about the LAP and implications for your learning and engagement in the unit.

The Faculty of Education Inherent Requirements (IRs), outline the fundamental capabilities, knowledge and skills required to undertake an Initial Teacher Education Course and successfully complete the Professional Experience Placements. The IRs are linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) , which must be met in order to graduate.

The IRs are intended to inform you of the attributes fundamental to (but is not intended to exclude you from) studying an Initial Teacher Education Course. Specific accommodations can be made where appropriate. However, these accommodations must not diminish your capacity to demonstrate alignment with the APST. If you have a disability, health and/ or psychological condition, it is strongly recommended that you carefully study the APST in conjunction with the Faculty of Education Inherent Requirements document.

If you are concerned about your capacity to meet the inherent requirements of studying an Initial Teacher Education Course, please contact your Lecturer or Unit Coordinator for further information and support options.

Please note disability-specific accommodations must be discussed with a University Disability Advisor or a Student Advisor.

Please see the children on University campuses outlining rights and responsibilities in relation to having children on campus (including in lecture theatres and in tutorials).

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) provides national leadership for the Australian, State and Territory Governments in promoting excellence in the profession of teaching and school leadership. Its Statement of Intent, released in November 2014, refines and outlines the institute's mission, aspirations, ways of working, noting that:

Initial teacher education is the foundation for successful teaching careers. High quality initial teacher education programs focus on the outcomes to be achieved by graduates, have strong assessment of these outcomes, and make clear links between theory and practice. Accreditation of initial teacher education should focus on evidence of the quality of graduates, including their impact on student learning.

The University of Tasmania, and in particular the Faculty of Education, work very closely with AITSL in the promotion and implementation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) within our Initial Teacher Education Courses.

The seven Standards outline what teachers should know and be able to do; they are interconnected, interdependent and overlapping. The focus areas and descriptors identify the components of quality teaching at each career stage and constitute the agreed characteristics of the complex process of teaching.

During your course you will develop a portfolio inclusive of evidence against the Standards and you are strongly encouraged to become familiar with them. Further information regarding the portfolio development is available from your Lecturer or Unit Coordinator.

The Australian Curriculum sets consistent national standards to improve learning outcomes for all young Australians. It sets out, through content descriptions and achievement standards, what students should be taught and achieved, as they progress through school. It is the base for future learning, growth and active participation in the Australian community. ACARA develops the Australian Curriculum through rigorous, consultative national processes.

The Australian Curriculum has eight learning areas, with some learning areas including more than one subject:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Humanities and Social Sciences including History, Geography, Economics and Business and Civics and Citizenship.
• The Arts including Dance, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts.
• Technologies including Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies.
• Health and Physical Education
• Languages including: Chinese (three pathways), Italian, Indonesian, French, Arabic, German, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Spanish, Vietnamese and the Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages.
• Work Studies (years 9 and 10 only).

At the time of writing (September, 2015), the curriculum areas of English, Math, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (excluding Economics and Business) and The Arts had been endorsed. The Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages was under development, with the remaining areas awaiting final endorsement, but with the curriculum available for state and territory use as determined by the relevant authorities. Further information is available at the Australian Curriculum Overview or via the Tasmanian Department of Education for specific state curricula requirements.

General Capabilities

The Australian Curriculum pays explicit attention to how seven general capabilities and three cross-curriculum priorities contribute to, and can be developed through each learning area. Those general capabilities are depicted in Figure 1.

The general capabilities are addressed explicitly in the content of the learning areas. They play a significant role in realising the goals set out in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA 2008) – that all young people in Australia should be supported to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

The Australian Curriculum also focuses on three cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia, and sustainability.

Viewing the curriculum online

The Australian Curriculum is published online to provide maximum flexibility in how the curriculum can be accessed and organised. For more information, refer to the Australian Curriculum website and the website user guide.

For information on referencing the Australian Curriculum, please see Referencing the Australian Curriculum, under Learning Support and Resources.

Given the flexibility of viewing the Australian Curriculum online, there have been challenges in establishing a consistent referencing standard. Few individual pages have version numbers and dates ascribed to them.

For an overall history of the versions of the Australian Curriculum go to the footer in any web page on the Australian Curriculum homepage, under Other Links, choose About the Australian Curriculum, and choose Curriculum Version History.

In order to determine the date of the curriculum for specific parts, and to appropriately reference it, follow the steps outlined below:

To obtain a document that includes all Levels for a Learning Area

1. Go to: Australian Curriculum Download page
2. Choose the components you want to download into a complete document e.g. F-10 Curriculum > English (the pdf includes English Foundation to Year 10, all achievement standards & all level content descriptions).'
   
   
3. The PDFcover page provides information on year levels, curriculum version, and version date, for example, Friday 16 December, 2016.

To obtain a document that allows you to select and create pdf documents of more details for Year Levels | Strands | General Capabilities | Cross Curriculum Priorities, (etc).

1. Go to: Australian Curriculum Download page
2. From the ribbon across the top of the page choose a tab to access either the F-10 Curriculum or Senior secondary curriculum > Learning area from the drop down menu e.g. F-10 Curriculum > English
   
   
3. Select more options from tabs: Year Levels | Strands | General Capabilities | Cross Curriculum Priorities |Additional Information
   • Each tab allows for more specific selection e.g. Year Levels > Year 3 > Submit
   • Or e.g. Senior secondary Curriculum > Mathematics > Essential Mathematics
   • Select All or individual Unit levels > Submit
   • To create a pdf from the resulting webpage > Print Page icon at top right of page > Destination > Save as PDF

Some resulting documents may contain the curriculum version date in the footer of the document.  If not, go to the bottom of the Australian Curriculum website homepage > Other Links > About the Australian Curriculum. Choose > Curriculum Version History – which will tell you the version history including the latest version of the curriculum and the year it was published.

The version number and date of publication will potentially change several times a year and so you should download the most recent version prior to referencing the curriculum in any of your assignments.

Citing the Australian Curriculum

Reference List

(remembering to include the hanging indent)

Where you are citing URLs it is wise to include the date that you accessed it (after the URL), although this is not absolutely required by APA. For example: