Posted: August 14th, 2015

Assessement Task 1

Assessement Task 1

This task requires you to summarise, compare and analyse the audience, organisation, relationship to social context and view of learners, teaching and learning outlined in two current curriculum documents that frame the work of educators in Australian early learning settings and schools.  These documents are The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum.
Your response to this task should be no more than 2000 words and should be organised according to the headings in sections 1-5 outlined below.  In each section, you will need to examine BOTH the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum and compare them according to their similarities and differences on the key points outlined in the section headings.  Your conclusion will evaluate each document in terms of how it is designed to help teachers create meaningful and relevant curriculum for diverse student groups and individuals.
Your response to this task must include references to course readings and the documents themselves to support your discussion, comparison and evaluation.
Tutorial activities, group discussions, online forums and formative assessment opportunities for examining each document according to the section headings for this assessment will occur throughout the term.

Format for developing your assessment response
1.  Introduction
Identify each curriculum document and the intended users or audience, i.e. the learners and teachers the framework has been designed for and the purpose that each framework is designed to achieve.
Basic introduction of what the frameworks are used for, their purpose and organisation in brief.

2.  Organisation of the curriculum documents
In this section, create a summary of each curriculum framework and its organisation and content.  The summary should provide answers to the following key questions for EACH curriculum framework:
•         What is included in the curriculum framework?
•         What is the focus for learning specified in the curriculum framework?
•         What information is given about what will be learned, when it will be learned and how it will be learned in each curriculum document?
•         How will learning be assessed?
At the end of this summary, briefly identify the main similarities and differences in the approach to curriculum design taken for each document and explain why you think these differences have occurred.  Suggest ways in which their organisation and key features will affect how the curriculum is used and implemented by teachers in schools or early learning sites.

3.  Social, political and cultural influences
Provide a brief summary of “external factors” such as key social, political or cultural influences that you think have informed the development of each curriculum framework and compare and evaluate how successful each framework is in responding to the priorities for learning in the 21st century.  Discuss any problems or issues that might affect the learning outcomes for different student groups as a result of these influences and back up your claims with examples and references from course readings or the curriculum documents.

4.  View of learners, learning and teaching
Summarise the view of learners and learning embedded in each document.  Consider the responses to the following questions to construct your summary and support the point of view you are proposing. What learning theories are evident?  What role do the documents imply for learners and for teachers?  How do the frameworks support engagement and motivation for learning?

Curriculum encompasses all the interactions, experiences, routines
5.  Evaluation
Evaluate the success of each document in terms of meeting the needs of diverse student groups and individuals.  What implications can you draw about the way these documents should be used by teachers in the design of meaningful and relevant curriculum?

EDED11455   Curriculum Foundations and Decision-making – Assessment task 1 –Comparative Analysis
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Criteria    High Distinction    Distinction    Credit    Pass    Fail
Knowledge of the key elements and organisation of current curriculum documents     Comparative analysis explicitly and accurately summarises the audience; key features, intended outcomes; and assessment of learning for each document and demonstrates sophisticated critical reflection on reasons for the similarities and differences identified and the effect of curriculum design on implementation and use in educational settings.     Comparative analysis effectively summarises the audience; key features, intended outcomes; and assessment of learning for each document and demonstrates a high level of critical reflection on the similarities and differences identified and the effect of curriculum design on implementation and use in educational settings.    Comparative analysis includes a sound summary of the audience; key features, intended outcomes; and assessment of learning for each document and includes some critical reflection on the similarities and differences identified and the effect of curriculum design on implementation and use in educational settings.    Comparative analysis provides a basic summary of the audience and most  key features, intended outcomes; and assessment for each document and includes some basic reflection on reasons for the similarities and differences identified and the effect of curriculum design on implementation and use in educational settings.    Comparative analysis focuses on unimportant details rather than a summary of the features, for each document and neglects important aspects of the analysis.  There is limited, if any, reflection on reasons for the similarities and differences and / or the effect of curriculum design on implementation and use  in educational settings.
Ability to identify and evaluate ways in which current curriculum documents are influenced by contemporary social and cultural contexts and respond to issues of diversity and equity    Analysis shows sophisticated understanding of contemporary social contexts and political influences on 21st century curriculum design. A thorough understanding of issues of equity and diversity underpins the analysis and comparison.    Analysis shows a high level of understanding of contemporary social contexts and political influences on 21st century curriculum design. Understanding of issues of equity and diversity generally underpins the analysis and comparison.    Analysis shows sound understanding of contemporary social contexts and political influences on 21st century curriculum design. Some understanding of issues of equity and diversity underpins the analysis and comparison.    Analysis shows a basic understanding of contemporary social contexts and political influences on 21st century curriculum design. Reference to issues of equity / diversity underpins some aspects of  the analysis and comparison.    Analysis shows limited, if any, understanding of contemporary social contexts and political influences on 21st century curriculum design. No reference is made to understanding of issues of equity and diversity in the analysis and comparison.
Application of knowledge of key learning theories to analysis of views of learning embedded in curriculum documents    Analysis draws on sophisticated understanding of theoretical perspectives on learning to identify and compare the view of learners, learning and teaching underpinning the curriculum documents.    Analysis shows a high level of understanding of theoretical perspectives on learning to identify and compare the view of learners, learning and teaching underpinning the curriculum documents.    Analysis shows sound understanding of theoretical perspectives on learning and usually identifies and compares the view of learners, learning and teaching underpinning the curriculum documents.    Analysis shows a basic understanding of theoretical perspectives on learning. Some key ideas related to the view of learners, learning and teaching underpinning the curriculum documents are identified and compared.    Analysis shows limited understanding of theoretical perspectives on learning. There is little evidence of a comparison between the view of learners, learning and teaching in the documents.
Ability to draw implications from the analysis for educators as curriculum decision-makers    Evaluation of the frameworks shows a perceptive understanding of student diversity, motivation for learning and curriculum relevance to draw implications for teachers as decision-makers and designers of meaningful curriculum that improves learning outcomes for all students.    Evaluation of the frameworks shows a high level of understanding of student diversity, motivation for learning and curriculum relevance and mostly draws implications for teachers as decision-makers and designers of meaningful curriculum that improves learning outcomes for all students.    Evaluation of the frameworks shows sound understanding of student diversity, motivation for learning and curriculum relevance and draws some implications for teachers as decision-makers and designers of meaningful curriculum that improves learning outcomes for all students.    Evaluation of the frameworks shows a basic understanding of student diversity, motivation for learning and curriculum relevance.  Some implications for teachers as curriculum designers are identified but may lack justification or discussion     Evaluation of the frameworks little or no understanding of student diversity or motivation for learning. Implications for teachers show limited, if any understanding of their role as decision-makers and designers of meaningful curriculum.
Ability to construct a comparative analysis using professional levels of personal literacy
The response is organised effectively; thoroughly analyses each document according to the framework provided; and consistently highlights similarities and differences in the way the documents are constructed.  Written expression shows refinement and effective proofreading; word limits are met and referencing using APA style is error-free.     The response is clearly organised; analyses each document according to most aspects of the framework provided; and identifies similarities and differences in the way the documents are constructed.  Written expression is effective but would benefit from closer proofreading or enhanced use of language; word limits are met and referencing using APA style contains only minor errors.    The response is generally well-organised.  Some analysis of each document is evident and similarities and differences in the way the documents are constructed have been identified.  Written expression is sound and errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and APA referencing do not detract from meaning or the academic purpose of the text. Word count is within acceptable limits.     The response shows some evidence of organisation. Key features of the documents are recorded but only basic attempts at analysis have been made/ or aspects of the task have not been clearly addressed.  Most important similarities and differences are noted. Written expression is basic or simplistic but meaning is retained and word count is acceptable.  Errors in written expression or APA referencing indicate a need for proofreading..    The response lacks organisation. Ideas are recounted with limited, if any, analysis or comparison evident and /or key sections of the given framework have not been completed. Written expression is limited.  Many errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation or APA referencing affect meaning and academic purpose of the text.

Overall Grade   HD     D      C      P     F

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http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
http://www.mychild.gov.au/agenda/early-years-framework