Course objectives
The GCE will develop an understanding of learning difficulties and interactions between different types of learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia.
GCE recipients will enhance their skills in classroom assessment, including the administration of screening tools, probes, checklists and informal measures, alongside commonly used standardised tests, to augment goal setting, instructional choices and responsiveness to learning difficulties.
Data-based decision-making, ongoing progress monitoring, and the provision of increasing levels of support for learners in classrooms, schools and systems will be framed using multi-tiered prevention logic. Inclusive pedagogies such as Universal Design for Learning, differentiation, and matching adaptations to student needs will be explored.
This course will also examine how to leverage teacher collaboration in a professional Community of Practice to improve instructional effectiveness and student outcomes.
Recipients completing this course will:
- deepen their knowledge and extend their understanding of research and practice relevant to learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia
- acquire a substantial understanding of theory and instruction, intervention and assessment practices related to learners with literacy and numeracy difficulties
- become familiar with a range of published resources and research relevant to understanding and addressing learning difficulties
- develop the skills necessary to impact practice in their setting and share knowledge with others, including their colleagues
- remain up-to-date and translate research to practice for learners with learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Overview of subjects
The course is structured around four 12.5 credit point subjects. The course can be studied over 4 semesters of study (2 years) or 2 semesters of study (1 year). Graduates of this course will receive 50 credit points of Advanced Standing (or Recognition of Prior Learning) towards the
Master of Learning Intervention Stream A.
Subject 1 - Learning Foundations
This subject explores student learning across the school years from a developmental perspective to understand how all students learn.
It also investigates how difficulties with learning arise related to cognitive processes like attention, information processing, executive functioning and working memory. Understanding the importance of oral language as a basis for literacy and learning is foundational to this subject. The relevance of the science of learning to classroom interactions will also be investigated, with a particular focus on the use of evidence-based principles of instruction and multi-tiered logic in support of effective differentiated practice for diverse learners.
Subject 2 - Learning Difficulties in Literacy
This subject draws on contemporary theories of literacy learning difficulties and examines their underpinning assumptions and implications for assessment, instruction, intervention, engagement and the wellbeing of learners.
Specifically, an explicit structured approach will be taken to ensure GCE students understand the importance of building the foundational skills of oral language, phonology, sound-symbol associations as well as morphology, semantics, syntax and discourse-level processes across reading and writing. Relevant diagnostic and instructional models will be critiqued in terms of their theoretical bases, empirical support, and implications for implementation.
Subject 3 - Learning Difficulties in Numeracy
This subject draws on developmental, cognitive and neurocognitive perspectives to examine learning difficulties, including dyscalculia, in mathematics and implications for assessment, instruction, intervention, engagement and wellbeing.
Relevant diagnostic and instructional models will be critiqued in terms of their theoretical bases, empirical support and implications for implementation. Specifically, an explicit structured approach using the concrete-pictorial-abstract model to build essential knowledge of mathematical concepts will be examined.
Subject 4 - Guiding Change for Inclusive Practice
This subject examines school improvement initiatives that will enhance inclusion, facilitate access, foster participation, and prompt progress towards educational goals for all learners.
Global conventions, local legislative frameworks, policies and resources for supporting learners with disabilities and learning difficulties will be explored. Inclusive pedagogies, framed by multi-tiered prevention logic, will be examined and applied to educational settings. Candidates will assess their educational setting, explore gaps between theory and practice in supporting learners with learning difficulties and develop an action plan for change that will lead to improvements in teacher quality and learner outcomes.
1 University of Melbourne approval of this course is in progress. Course details are indicative and subject to change.