Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Education
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Enrolment for new students takes place at the beginning of the academic year in February. The letter offering you a place at the University will specify the date by which you must enrol and where to go to enrol. Contact your Faculty Office if you have any questions about enrolment procedures.
There are two enrolment periods for re-enrolling students, one in late December and another in early January. Continuing students will receive advice on when to enrol around the same time as they receive their statement of results. Students at the Hawthorn campus normally re-enrol in December and will be advised of re-enrolment details by their Campus Office.
Most students at Parkville and Kew campuses are required to submit a course plan of the studies they are intending to take. Course plans are, in effect, applications for selection into subjects. You must have your course approved and be issued an authorised enrolment record before you can enrol.
If you are a new student, you plan your course with the help of a faculty course adviser when you enrol in February. The letter offering you a place at the University will outline the course planning arrangements you are to make.
Continuing students who are re-enrolling in courses where there are elective subjects must submit in September of each year a course plan for the following year. Students who do not pass all their subjects may also be required to re-plan their courses. Course advisers are available to assist with subject selection and completion of course plan forms.
All students can change their course plans in January or February. Students who fail a subject or wish to alter their course plans should contact the Faculty Office for advice.
Before you come to enrol, we strongly suggest that you examine carefully the course information in this Handbook so that you are familiar with the course structures and subjects in which you are interested.
Please note that course advisors are there to help you plan your course but that the overall responsibility for enrolling correctly and satisfying course requirements is yours.
The workload of many undergraduate courses is represented using a points system. The normal maximum workload allowed for each year of a course in Education is 100 points in first year and 110 points at later year levels.
Where this system applies, each subject has a points value which indicates the overall study time that a student is expected to commit to that subject. Overall study time includes class contact time of all kinds and private study time. As class time varies between different subjects and subject areas, there is no simple relationship between points values for subjects, and the number of hours involved in class contact or independent study.
You should check the relevant faculty course entry information in this Handbook for workload details which apply to studies of interest to you. If you are a full-time student, you should make sure that the subjects you have chosen to do for a particular year level add up to no less than 100 points.
While selection to all undergraduate courses is based primarily upon academic record, the University's Special Admissions Scheme provides another avenue of entry to most courses for students whose education or results may have been affected by difficulties at school or at home. Students eligible for entry under this scheme are generally those who experienced inadequate learning facilities, language or financial difficulties, or other socioeconomic problems during their secondary education (but not during Year 12 only).
Further information about the scheme may be obtained by writing to: The Manager, Schools Liaison, Course and Careers Unit, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052. Tel: 9344 6686 or 1800 801 662 (toll free for STD callers).
All students enrolling or re-enrolling in higher education courses must contribute towards the cost of their study under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). The only students who are exempt from HECS are Australian and overseas students who pay course fees or those assisted under foreign aid programs.
You pay your HECS fee either at enrolment, with a 25% discount, or through the taxation system when you earn above a set taxable income once you join the workforce. The HECS charge applicable for 1995 will be provided on enrolment and re-enrolment notices.
You are also required to pay a modest Amenities and Service Fee at enrolment. This fee finances the activities of the Student Union and Sports Union.
You are able to get a refund of fees if you withdraw from a course, and possibly if you withdraw from individual subjects, if you do so in writing to the Faculty Office, before 31 March or 31 August. These are dates on which the University is required to supply statistics to the government. All questions regarding the re-imbursement of fees (both HECS and the Amenities and Services Fee) should be directed to the Student Administration Office, First Floor, Raymond Priestley Building.
Should you need help to meet fees or living costs, you could consider applying for assistance through the AUSTUDY Scheme or for a student loan. The AUSTUDY Scheme provides assistance to full-time students in approved courses. Awards are subject to a means test and satisfactory academic progress.
We advise you to go to the Student Financial Aid Office in the first instance, and the officers there will discuss your situation and options with you. They are experts on students' financial difficulties, and can advise on AUSTUDY, obtaining loans, bursaries, unemployment benefits, budgeting etc.
Once you are further advanced in your course, there may be scholarships and prizes for which you are eligible. They are generally awarded on the basis of academic excellence in certain subjects, and often contain some financial reward.
Your eligibility for AUSTUDY is determined on a semester basis. To be eligible for AUSTUDY your HECS loading must normally be at least 0.375 in each semester. If your HECS load is above this limit, you are classified as 'full-time' by AUSTUDY. It is not sufficient that your HECS loading average 0.375 or above over a full year. For example, a first semester loading of 0.3 and a second semester loading of 0.7 would result in the student being ineligible for AUSTUDY in semester 1, on the basis of the 'part-time' workload in that semester. (Note: A semester HECS loading of 0.375 usually equates to 37.5 points. An annual HECS loading of 1.00 usually equates to 100 points).
If your HECS loading falls below 0.375, you will normally cease to be eligible for AUSTUDY and may incur overpayment necessitating repayment to the Australian Government. To avoid this situation, we encourage you to clarify your course load with a Faculty course adviser when selecting subjects and enrolling, or whenever you change the subjects in which you are enrolled.
In certain circumstances students may retain AUSTUDY eligibility despite having a semester HECS loading which falls below 0.375. For further information contact Student Financial Aid in the Student Advisory Service, Ground Floor, Baldwin Spencer Building, or a Faculty course adviser.
Credit for study already completed at tertiary level, or for professional experience relevant to the course, may be granted in certain circumstances.
You may be eligible for credit if any of your previous study or professional experience is:
Faculties specify the maximum credit allowable, and will always try to give eligible students maximum credit for previous relevant study. The Education Faculty Credit Guidelines can be obtained from the Faculty Office.
Where students have previously completed one or more years of a recognised tertiary course, they may be eligible to apply for entry into the second, or a later year of the equivalent course at the University of Melbourne. A credit policy document and information about application procedures is available from the Faculty Office.
Students who wish to transfer from one course to another within the University, or who wish to resume a course, may apply using an Internal Transfer form which is available from all Faculty Offices, or from the Enquiry Office, Raymond Priestley Building.
If you do not wish to enrol in an entire course, then, under the Community Access Program, you may be able to study individual subjects offered as part of a degree course, and courses provided as part of the Summer School program. The Community Access Program provides members of the general public with access to the wide variety of subjects offered by the University.
You pay a charge to enrol in each subject, but are not considered a formal member of the Student Union unless you pay the Amenities and Services Fee.
The Community Programs Unit, in conjunction with faculties, organises the Summer School which is conducted in January and February of each year. You can obtain details about specific courses and costs from the Community Programs Unit.
This is an option for students who wish to take a subject only offered at another university as part of their University of Melbourne course. For example, if you wanted to study Spanish which is only offered at La Trobe University, you may be able to enrol in this subject at La Trobe on a complementary course basis. You can find out more about complementary course enrolment from your Faculty Office.
Faculties may provide prescribed reading texts in this Handbook. However, you will be given more comprehensive booklists for each subject at the beginning of the academic year. Therefore, we recommend that you do not purchase books until you receive advice from lecturing staff in the departments.
Timetables are available from the Faculty Office.
If you have any enquiries about booklists or timetables, you should contact the relevant department or faculty.
If you feel that you have made a wrong choice of course or subjects, or if some personal circumstances cause you to reconsider your enrolment, we advise you to go to your Faculty Office immediately.
It is possible to change subjects in which you have enrolled, but you must do so within certain time limits. You should be aware of these time limits and the correct procedures for changing subjects, so that your academic record is not adversely affected.
If you withdraw from individual subjects within the first two teaching weeks, you may do so without penalty. There will be no record retained of your enrolment in the subject.
If you wish to withdraw after the first two weeks of teaching, you must have faculty approval. Withdrawal from a subject will not be approved where a student elects not to submit a component of assessment or fails to sit an examination. In such cases, a student may be given a 'fail' result. If you withdraw after the first two weeks of teaching and before any assessment is completed, your academic record will show 'withdrawn' (WD) against the subject concerned.
Subjects may be added within the first two teaching weeks of the semester if you have the approval of the lecturer concerned and the faculty.
Also refer to the section: AUSTUDY Workload Requirements (above).
It is also possible to defer commencing a course until the following year. However, you must apply in writing to the faculty providing the course, prior to the date set for enrolment. Deferments may not be granted for students intending to undertake tertiary studies elsewhere. Contact your Faculty Office for advice.
Leave of absence can be applied for in the event of serious health, financial and personal difficulties or for other good reason. Faculties normally grant up to a maximum of 12 months leave if a student has good reason to be absent from studies and if academic performance is of a standard sufficient to warrant a place in the course being reserved.
Leave is granted on the condition that students undertake to inform the Faculty Office of their intentions to resume their course, one month before the end of the period of leave. Failure to do this is interpreted as termination of the course.
Leave is subject to Faculty approval.
Once you have enrolled in a subject, you must attend all classes (lectures, tutorials, practical work etc), and submit all set assignments. If you do not meet these conditions, you may be excluded from examinations in the subject concerned.
It is important, therefore, to keep informed of the requirements of each subject you undertake. Make sure that you obtain all programs, instructions and guidelines issued by staff. All Faculty of Education subjects require a minimum of 80 per cent attendance at classes.
If you find that you are having difficulties with your studies at any stage, you should talk with academic staff or a Student Adviser in the Faculty Office. You may be eligible to apply to your faculty for special consideration if, for example, you were unable to attend an examination or meet deadlines, or if your academic performance was adversely affected in some way. Applications for special consideration must be made no later than three days after the date for the component of assessment in question.
Special consideration may be given when students are adversely affected by illness or circumstances beyond their control. It is not given because of clashes in timetabled lectures, seminars, tutorials or other work. It is your responsibility to ensure that there are no timetable clashes when you plan your subjects at the beginning of each year.
How your work is assessed depends on the course and subjects you are taking. Generally, assessment is made on the basis of assignments, essays, tutorial work, and practical work. There are also formal written examinations at the end of each semester or at the end of the academic year.
Methods of assessment in individual subjects are included in the subject descriptions provided by faculties later in this Handbook.
At the end of each semester, the University will send you the official statement of your results.
There is a standard grading system for all subjects studied at the University.
These are the grades and corresponding ranges of marks:
H1 -- 80 - 100 H2A -- 75 - 79 H2B -- 70 - 74 H3 -- 65 - 69 P -- 50 - 64 N -- 0 - 49
In an assignment in which it is indicated that joint work is permitted, more than one student may participate in the submission of an answer to that assignment. In such cases only one answer is to be submitted and it is to list names of all students who jointly worked in its preparation. If the assignment is for examination purposes the answer will be granted as a whole and each student will receive the same mark.
'Unsatisfactory progress' is a term used to describe performance which is not up to the academic standard determined by the faculty.
A student has made unsatisfactory progress in an Education course if he or she:
Students whose results are not up the required academic standard, may receive a letter at the end of the year requesting them to appear before the Faculty Progress Committee to discuss their results and any problems that may have affected their results. The focus of the Progress Committee is positive. Its main concern is to look at the options available for enabling a student to progress at a satisfactory rate. However, in some circumstances, faculties may recommend to the Academic Board that a student's enrolment be terminated because of poor academic progress.
The Education Faculty has initiated a 'Student at Risk Program' for first year students. Results are monitored so that any student considered at risk of failing their year may be given extra assistance.
The Faculty may offer additional assessment in any of its subjects to students who have applied for special consideration and to other students in all year levels in all courses whose circumstances are felt to warrant such action. The additional supplementary assessment may take the form of a formal three hour supplementary examination or any other form of assessment as determined by the examiner.
It is not unusual for students to find that they need some extra help with their studies at times. Often these difficulties are associated with study methods and techniques - keeping up with assignments, writing essays, managing time and coping with exam nerves, for example.
The Learning Skills Centre is located at 260 Faraday Street, Carlton, to help students with these and any other study-related problems. You can drop in for a chat, make an appointment for an individual consultation, or meet with groups of students with similar problems. All consultations are free and confidential.
As a student at the University of Melbourne, you have the responsibility to:
Faculties carry out the general academic administration of the University.
Academic departments grouped within the faculties carry out the teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Each faculty has a General Manager or equivalent officer whose responsibilities include:
In some faculties, General Managers are assisted by course advisers to provide these services.
As we look towards a global and an electronic future, those who have learned how to learn, how to access and assess information and knowledge, will hold a key to power and self reliance. Those who teach others to learn will succeed only if they themselves are highly skilled and competent. Teaching has emerged again as vital to Australia's economic and social reform agenda.
Our Faculty identifies with these developments. At the heart of the Faculty of Education is a commitment to teaching and teachers, and to leadership across the whole educator workforce. This new Faculty, which began in 1995, is the successor of earlier institutions which stretch back over a hundred years.
As a large faculty within the University, we offer courses for undergraduates, for new graduates seeking an initial qualification in teaching, and a range of advanced programs for members of the profession who seek to upgrade and augment their knowledge and skills. Comprehensive courses cover early childhood needs in education and care, primary and secondary teaching including curriculum specialisations and special needs, vocational education and training and higher education.
Outstanding staff are available in many fields, including leadership and management, language and literacy education, mathematics education, assessment, special needs provisions including gifted children and those with hearing impairment, higher education policy studies, early childhood studies, and vocational education and training.
I invite you to consider whether our programs fit your needs. Generations of educators from this faculty and its predecessors have been highly valued. We want to ensure future graduates will be no less successful and satisfied with their education and subsequent careers. We look forward to you joining us.
With its responsibility through teaching, scholarship and research to advance and disseminate knowledge in the field of education and training, the Faculty will:
Currently the Faculty of Education teaches at three different campuses: Parkville, Hawthorn (Department of Vocational Education and Training) and Kew (and Abbotsford) (Department of Early Childhood Studies).
The Department of Early Childhood Studies, which is currently located at 4 Madden Grove, Kew will be relocating to the main Parkville campus in the future. The date of this has not been finalised but will not be before the end of 1996.
Admission to the first year of Faculty of Education undergraduate courses generally requires the VCE or equivalent Year 12 certificate.
Where students have previously completed one or more years of a recognised tertiary course, they may be eligible to apply for entry into the second year, or a later year, or an equivalent course. As application procedures vary for different courses, it is best to contact the Faculty Office for advice.
Places may be offered to people who have not had an opportunity to complete an approved secondary school program, but who are able to show they have the motivation and capacity to complete the course.
For information on the entry requirements for courses offered at the Hawthorn Campus contact the Academic Registrar at Hawthorn. Tel: 9810 3316.
The Faculty Office is the starting point for any question you may have concerning your course.
Faculty Office staff are happy to discuss any problem or query you may have concerning your study or enrolment.
Matters you may wish to discuss include:
If you wish to discuss a matter in more detail it may be necessary to make an appointment to see a student adviser. Faculty Office staff are there to assist you plan your enrolment each year. It is your responsibility, however, to ensure that your enrolment is correct and that you will satisfy all the requirements of your course.
Parkville Campus
The Faculty Office is in Gelman Hall, Alice Hoy Building. Tel: 9344 8285.
Kew Campus
The Faculty Office on the Parkville Campus services the Kew Campus. Faculty Office staff will be available at the Kew Campus (4 Madden Grove, Kew. Tel: 9854 3333) each week to assist students.
Hawthorn Campus
The Office of the Academic Registrar at the Hawthorn Campus. Tel: 9810 3316.
This Handbook provides details of the structure of each of the Faculty's undergraduate courses as defined by the relevant Standing Resolutions and Course Regulations. It also provides details of the subjects offered within each of the courses and includes prerequisites (if any), a brief description of the content, teaching methods and assessment.
At the beginning of a particular course, students will be provided with more detailed information (including texts and references) for each subject in which they are enrolled.
It may be possible for students to enrol in subjects offered by other faculties of the University or other tertiary institutions and have them credited towards their course. This can only be done by special arrangement. Interested students should enquire at the Faculty Office.
The Faculty of Arts offers a Diploma in Modern Languages to students undertaking courses in faculties other than Arts. Further details are available from the Arts Faculty Office. Enrolment must be approved by both the Arts Faculty and the Faculty of Education.
There are a number of libraries located within the Faculty of Education:
As there is some variation in library rules, enquiries should be directed to the library concerned. All libraries are open for a range of hours during the week and on the weekend. An information brochure listing the libraries and their hours of opening is published each year and can be collected from the Information Desks.
At the Parkville Campus, undergraduate, graduate/postgraduate diploma and Masters preliminary students may borrow books for two weeks. Higher degree students and staff are entitled to a four-week loan. Items can be renewed at the Loans Desk.
At the Kew and Hawthorn campuses, loan periods vary for different items.
Each library has an Information Desk for on-the-spot assistance during opening hours. Reference librarians also provide an online database searching service for higher degree students and staff. The Education Resource Centre has a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) Network consisting of 22 databases and also has the full text database Business Periodicals Ondisc. The Parkville and Kew campuses have online catalogues located in each library which provide information on the holdings of all University of Melbourne Libraries. Seating for study purposes is available in all libraries.
During Orientation Week and the first few weeks of term, students are invited to introductory tours and catalogue skill classes.
Library guides describing services, facilities and detailed borrowing regulations are available in all libraries.
Information Desk 9344 8316
Loans Desk 9344 8313
Information Desk 9344 8633
Loans Desk 9344 8336
Information and Loans 9854 3315
Audio-visual Information 9854 3304
Information and Loans 9810 3357
Audio-visual Information 9810 3365
For general information on courses contact the relevant Faculty office.
Tel: 9344 8285
Tel: 9344 8285 or 9854 3333
Tel: 9810 3317
Friday 5 April - Sunday 14 April
Monday 8 July - Sunday 14 July
Monday 30 September - Sunday 6 October
The Faculty will be closed on:
The dates for school experience are provided in the School Experience and Professional Practice Handbook.
Dates for the Graduate Diploma in Education and Bachelor of Teaching may vary from those listed above.
Opportunities for employment exist in all branches of education -- early childhood, primary and secondary -- and in areas such as industrial training, and public and private employment generally.
BECS graduates' career opportunities will include professional roles as teachers, directors, coordinators and administrators in kindergartens and child care centres, as children's services advisers, as well as a diversity of other specialised roles in the rapidly developing field of early childhood services.
BEd(Secondary) graduates are employed by the Directorate of School Education and in Independent and Catholic schools. Graduates with certain specialisations also find employment in non-teaching positions in government agencies and private industry, environmental agencies and related industries, library and information settings, private music teaching and professional performing groups.
BEd (Visual Arts) graduates are employed by the Directorate of School Education, Independent and Catholic school systems as teachers in secondary schools. Some graduates seek employment as community arts organisers or recreation officers for municipal councils. Others gain private sector employment.
BEd(Primary) graduates are employed by the Directorate of School Education and in Independent and Catholic schools as primary teachers to work across levels Prep to Grade 6 and all areas of the primary school curriculum. Alternatives to classroom teaching exist in child and education-related areas in both the government and private sectors, including the media and service industries.
BSocSc(InfoMgt) graduates have the knowledge and skills required to enter general administrative careers in business. They are able to be members of project teams and to liaise between computer users and specialist data processing staff. The student's vocational interests and second major study selection will influence career paths. Options include accounting, economics, librarianship, legal records management, computer studies, information services management, and office systems administration. Students choosing a humanities discipline may seek a vocation in journalism, publishing or general administration. Those choosing a science discipline may find employment in administration in a science or technology-based organisation.
The Bachelor of Teaching enables graduates to be registered as primary or secondary teachers and to gain employment in the Directorate of School Education, and the Catholic and Independent school systems.
The DipEd (Parkville Campus) enables graduates to be registered as secondary teachers and to gain employment in the Directorate of School Education, and the Catholic and Independent school systems.
Courses in Vocational Education and Training prepare graduates for roles including industry trainers, consultants to a wide range of organisations, TAFE teaching, adult and community educators, vocational teachers and higher education teachers.
There are graduate diploma courses which provide avenues for teachers to develop further qualifications (in, for example, administration, movement and dance, computer science, mathematics and technology studies) or to meet particular requirements for specialist or consultant positions in schools (such as special education teacher, curriculum coordinator, student welfare).
The Department of Language, Literacy and Arts Education offers studies at the undergraduate level for education of teachers of primary, secondary and adult learners in English language and literacy, English as a Second Language, and Languages Other Than English (especially Asian languages). The Department teaches subjects within the Faculty's undergraduate programs. Students from other undergraduate courses may apply to take Language, Literacy and Arts Education subjects.
The Department also offers study at graduate and postgraduate level. This includes specialist training for practising professionals in TESL, LOTE. Students may undertake study for research for MEd, PhD and DEd.
The Department of Science and Mathematics Education is concerned with the education of primary and secondary teachers of mathematics, science, computer education, physical and outdoor education and health education. The Department aims to assist teachers, schools and school systems to achieve high quality learning by providing appropriate undergraduate courses for pre-service teachers and a range of professional development activities for practising teachers, and researching problems of teaching and learning, in mathematics and science education.
The Department teaches subjects within the Faculty's undergraduate programs.
The Department also offers subjects at graduate and postgraduate level. Students may also undertake study by research for MEd, PhD, and DEd. Graduate courses which enable teachers to upgrade or refresh their knowledge of the discipline of mathematics or computing at the same time as furthering their studies in education are also available.
Situated at Kew, the Department of Early Childhood Studies prepares early childhood professionals for work in early childhood settings in roles as diverse as directors, teachers, coordinators, administrators and assistants in kindergartens and the child care field. The Department offers subjects within the three year (seven semester) undergraduate program, BECS.
It also offers study at the graduate level for practising professionals in the field to upgrade their qualifications and knowledge. Students may also undertake study by research for MEd, PhD and DEd.
The Department's research interests focus primarily on early childhood development and education, and on professional practices and programs in children's services.
The Department of Learning, Assessment and Special Education offers teaching in professional studies to intending primary and secondary teachers. Subjects are taught within the Faculty's undergraduate courses.
The Department also offers studies at graduate and postgraduate levels to prepare those working in the area of special education (eg Educational and School Psychology, Deafness Studies, High Intellectual Potential children, children with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities), as well as in the area of assessment, curriculum development and policy, and improved practice in teaching, for practising primary and secondary teachers.
The Department includes the Deafness Studies Unit, the CHIP (Children with High Intellectual Potential) Unit and the School Support Unit (offering consultancy services to the school community).
The Department's key research areas are in the psychological factors in learning and behaviour, development and education of children with special needs, implications of the study of learning for curriculum, teaching and assessment, and teacher's work, knowledge and development.
The Department of Education Policy and Management offers studies in the fields of school systems and management, educational policy, educational administration, history and philosophy of education and education in today's society.
The Department offers subjects within the Faculty's undergraduate programs.
The Department also offers study at graduate and postgraduate level. Students may also undertake study by research for MEd, PhD and DEd.
Key areas of research are in the fields of leadership and management of schools, theoretical and social foundations of education policy and comparative and international studies of systems of education and training.
Two research Centres are associated with the department, the Centre for Program Evaluation (CPE) and the Youth Research Centre (YRC). The CPE provides consultative services in program evaluation and policy research in education and training. The YRC has achieved a growing national and international reputation in the area of youth behaviour and policy.
Situated at Hawthorn, the Department of Vocational Education and Training focuses on the preparation of teachers or trainers for TAFE, industry and the community, and the development of administrators and managers of those activities. Students are predominantly adults in full-time work.
Courses are conducted for awards at Diploma, Certificate and Bachelor degree levels. Subjects are also offered for postgraduate study.
Research in the Department includes a focus on workplace culture, work organisation and management technology, vocational training and adult education and training.
The Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) offers studies and research supervision for MEd and PhD degree candidates pursuing advanced studies in the field of higher education. The graduate program is closely aligned with academic staff research into higher education policy and process. Staff also undertake contract research on higher education issues.
In addition, the CSHE provides consultative services, induction and in-service courses for University teaching staff on undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning; academic leadership; multi-media technology for teaching use; and evaluation of teaching and courses. As an adjunct to these activities, the CSHE supplies and operates various education technology services.
Faculties : Next:Educ(Hawthorn) | Prev:Eco & Comm | Search | Help
Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Education
Status: Official 1996 Date created: Oct 4 1995 Last modified: Oct 4 1995 Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Maintained by: Faculty of Education
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995,1996.