EDF5875 · Innovative pedagogies for engaging learners

Overview

Learning is most effective when students actively engage in the learning process through rich, meaningful, and contextually appropriate experiences. In this unit, you will critically explore the continuum of teaching and learning approaches, from teacher-centred to student-centred practices, with a focus on inquiry-based and problem-based learning. You will design and evaluate interdisciplinary learning experiences that foster student engagement and motivation, drawing from relevant contexts and curated resources. You will then critically examine the conditions necessary for effective collaboration, addressing challenges and exploring strategies to promote inclusive and productive group dynamics. The unit will deepen your understanding of the skills and dispositions essential for self-directed and metacognitive learners, including critical and creative thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and active metacognitive strategies. As a reflective learner, you will synthesise these pedagogical principles by engaging in inquiry-based and problem-based learning, considering their implications for your own professional development. Through this process, you will critically appraise and refine your teaching philosophy, identifying ways to apply your insights to foster meaningful and flexible learning environments in your future educational practice.

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. critically evaluate the dynamic nature of teaching and learning approaches, analysing their placement along a continuum from teacher-centred to student-centred practices
2. design and evaluate complex, interdisciplinary learning experiences that integrate rich, contextually appropriate resources and foster meaningful student engagement
3. synthesise and evaluate pedagogical principles underlying student-centred approaches, such as inquiry-based learning and problem-based learning, and critically assess their application in practice
4. critically appraise the complex nature of flexible, self-directed, and metacognitive learners to both teaching practices and professional development as an educator
5. demonstrate advanced abilities to work collaboratively and autonomously as a reflective, self-directed learner, by applying metacognitive strategies to continuously improve educational practices.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Usually, you can expect to engage with: • 24 hours* of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities; and • the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement. * Subject to variation due to professional experience requirements.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.