Education Commons^™

The Quality Teaching Model: Does It Apply To Special Education Contexts In Nsw Public Schools, Roselyn M. Dixon, Leanna Formosa

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or “fit” between the Quality Teaching framework and …

Simulation Technology In Pre-Service Teacher Education: 'Pleasurable Learning' To Inspire 'Passionate Teaching', Lisa K. Kervin, Janice B. Turbill, Brian L. Cambourne, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Reviews of beginning teacher programs over the past eighty years within an Australian context continually identify a number of key skills that are not well developed by traditional pre-service teacher preparation programs. In more recent times the teaching of literacy has been targeted as needing specific attention, especially at the pre-service level. Advances in educational software have demonstrated that it is feasible to create a representation of a real situation through simulation. The authors believe that creating a virtual classroom environment for pre-service teachers to interact with is one way to support them with understanding the theory of literacy learning …

Design Of A Simulation Of Multiple Perspectives In Road Safety Education, Gregg S. Rowland, Robert J. Wright, Barry M. Harper, Stephen Gray

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The possibilities afforded by new multimedia technology, combined with contemporary ideas about learning, have opened up new design opportunities for educational simulations. In particular, the use of sophisticated multimedia environments have made the design of experiential simulations, in which the learner plays an authentic role carrying out complex tasks, a much more tractable design task This paper describes the use of an educational simulation paradigm to represent multiple perspectives in a road safety context and the evaluative strategies that were undertaken to ensure the teaching resource will lead learners to a stronger understanding of the various factors that interact and …

Re-Organising And Integrating The Knowledge Bases Of Initial Teacher Education : The Knowledge Building Community Program, Julie Kiggins, Brian Ferry, Brian L. Cambourne

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In a Report submitted to the NSW government in 2000, Gregor Ramsay made a claim that should challenge pre-service teacher educators in all Western democracies:

“…it is possible to reorganise the knowledge bases of undergraduate teacher education subjects so that they are more integrated with school and classroom culture, and therefore more relevant, more meaningful, better appreciated by student teachers, with less duplication across subject areas” (Ramsay, 2000, p57)

While such rhetoric sounds appealing, it begs the question of how pre-service teacher educators might realise such rhetoric in practice, given the entrenched transmission of information + practicum model of program …

From Surviving To Thriving: The Use Of Information And Communication Technology In An Induction Program For Early Career Teachers In Personal Development, Health And Physical Education, Douglas Hearne, Gregg S. Rowland, Amy L. Webb

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper is a discussion of a project with both face-to-face and online components designed to support early career teachers from the key learning area of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) across three teacher employing authorities in New South Wales, Australia. The project was initiated in 2004 by the Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation, NSW (ACHPER) in conjunction with the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme. Supporting all aspects of the project is the BEST:PDHPE (Beginning and Establishing Successful Teachers) website that has been developed to provide resources and communication tools. Research associated with the project …

Reusable Learning Designs In University Education, Susan J. Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper discusses the application of reusable learning designs as a support mechanism to guide teachers in designing learning experiences for students. Learning designs, which describe a sequence of learning activities, together with the necessary resources and supports, can serve as a framework which a teacher can then adapt to suit the needs of his or her students. The paper draws on an ongoing study of university teachers using learning designs to design their subjects to highlight reusability issues and outline what further research is necessary.