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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Education

Faculty of Education : Guide to Courses

Objectives of the Faculty

With its responsibility through teaching, scholarship and research to advance and disseminate knowledge in the field of education and training, the Faculty will:

Departments of the Faculty

Department of Language, Literacy and Arts Education

The Department of Language, Literacy and Arts Education offers studies at the undergraduate level to prospective 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). Students from other undergraduate courses may apply to take Language, Literacy and Arts Education subjects.

The Department also offers studies at graduate and postgraduate level including specialist training for practising professionals in TESL and LOTE. Students may undertake study by research for Master of Education, Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education.

Department of Science and Mathematics Education

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 also offers subjects at graduate and postgraduate level. Students may also undertake study by research for Master of Education, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Education. 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.

Department of Early Childhood Studies

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, Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies.

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 Master of Education, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Education.

The Department's research interests focus primarily on early childhood development and education, and on professional practices and programs in children's services.

Department of Learning, Assessment and Special Education

The Department of Learning, Assessment and Special Education offers Undergraduate teaching in professional studies to intending primary and secondary teachers.

The Department also offers studies at graduate and postgraduate levels to prepare those working in the area of special education (e.g. 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.

Department of Education Policy and Management

The Department of Education Policy and Management offers studies in the fields of school systems, leadership 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 and also offers study at graduate and postgraduate level. Students may undertake study by research for Master of Education, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Education.

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.

Department of Vocational Education and Training

Situated at Hawthorn, the Department of Vocational Education and Training focuses on the preparation of teachers and 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.

Centre for the Study of Higher Education

The Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) offers studies and research supervision for Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy 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; multimedia 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.

Special note: Kew Campus

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 close proximity to the main Parkville campus, at 234 Queensberry Street, Carlton in June 1997.

Careers for Education graduates

Opportunities for employment exist in all branches of education - early childhood, primary and secondary - and in areas such as industry training, and public and private employment generally.

Bachelor of Early Childhood (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 in the Catholic and Independent school systems.

Courses in Vocational Education and Training prepare graduates for roles 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 role of the Faculty Office

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.

The Education Faculty has a General Manager whose responsibilities include:

The General Manager is assisted by course advisers to provide these services.

Where to go for advice

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: change of address, course planning, credit, deferment, enrolment and re-enrolment, HECS liabilities, leave of absence, prerequisites, results, review of progress, selection, special consideration, subjects offered by other faculties/institutions, withdrawal from the course, and withdrawal or addition of subjects.

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. +61 3 9344 8285.

Kew Campus

Faculty Office staff are available at the Kew Campus, 4 Madden Grove, Kew. Tel. +61 3 9854 3340.

Hawthorn Campus

The Faculty Office at the Hawthorn Campus, 442 Auburn Road, Hawthorn, can be contacted on telephone +61 3 9810 3320.

Faculty courses

Undergraduate

PreService

Postgraduate

Graduate certificates

Graduate diplomas

Postgraduate diplomas and degrees

Higher degrees

Libraries of the Faculty

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.

Library holdings
Education Resource Centre Library
Located at Parkville Campus, the book collection is located within the Education Resource Centre and houses 280,000 volumes (plus microforms) and 750 journal titles. The Kew collection holds 55,000 monographs, 425 journal titles and 100 audio-visual items.
Media Services
This Unit contains a wide range of audio-visual material, for example, teaching kits, charts, video cassettes, computer software, etc. which is available to students.
Department of Vocational Education and Training Library
Located at the Hawthorn Campus, this library holds 50,000 monographs, 892 journal titles, 10,600 audio-visual items including 3300 video cassettes.

Loans

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 Hawthorn campus, the loan period varies for different items.

Services

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 campus has an online catalogue located in the library which provides 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.

Telephone numbers

Parkville

Information Desk 9344 8316

Loans Desk 9344 8313

Media Services (Parkville)

Information Desk 9344 8633

Loans Desk 9344 8336

Kew

(Until June 1997 and then at Parkville)

Information and Loans 9854 3315

Audio-visual Information 9854 3304

Hawthorn

Information and Loans 9810 3357

Audio-visual Information 9810 3365

Further information on courses

For general information on courses contact the relevant Faculty office.

Kew

Until June 1997 and then at Parkville.

Tel. 9344 8285 or 9854 3340

Hawthorn

Tel. 9810 3320

Parkville

Tel. 9344 8285

Attendance at lectures

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.

Workloads

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, except for BECS students who are allowed to enrol in 116.7 points per year.

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.

Policy on assessment of individual and joint work

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.

Written work

Work submitted for assessment in all subjects within the Faculty of Education must meet the requirements of satisfactory expression, presentation and referencing.

Students must show a satisfactory command of all elements of the conventions of written expression, including spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing and text structure. If there are problems in any of these areas, it it the student's responsibility to put strategies in place to deal with them. The University's Learning Skills Unit at 260-262 Faraday Street, Carlton, telephone 9344 4698 is able to help with these and other study-related problems.

Students should normally present word-processed assignments, except in the case of assignments involving scientific or mathematical notation, which may be hand-written. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the assignment is legible and clearly laid out.

All debts to works consulted in preparing assignments must be acknowledged, and a full bibliography of all such works must be included. Particular departments or lecturers may require particular referencing systems, notice of which will be given in the initial assessment statements in the subjects. Otherwise, any generally recognised, consistent system will be acceptable.

Unsatisfactory progress

'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 have not met the required academic standard, may receive a letter at the end of the year requesting them to appear before the Faculty's Progress Committee to discuss their results and any problems that may have affected them. The Committee's concern is to look at the options available for enabling a student to progress at a satisfactory rate. However, in some circumstances, Faculty may recommend to the Academic Board that a student's enrolment be terminated because of poor academic progress.

The Education Faculty has initiated a mid year 'Student at Risk Program' for Undergraduate students. Results are monitored so that any student considered at risk of failing their year may be given extra assistance.

Selection information

Admission to the first year of the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies and the Bachelor of Education (Primary) 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, through the Targeted Access Program.

For information on the entry requirements for pre-service courses offered at the Hawthorn Campus contact the Faculty Office at Hawthorn. Tel. 9810 3320.

School experience dates

The dates for school experience are provided in the School Experience and Professional Practice General Manual.

Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Graduate Diploma in Education and Bachelor of Teaching dates

Dates for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Graduate Diploma in Education and Bachelor of Teaching may vary from the Principal Dates listed under 'General Information' at the beginning of this handbook.

1. No further new student intake.

2. Subject to approval.

3. No further intake.

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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Education 
Status:                   OFFICIAL 1997
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