| Unit name | Developing Subject Knowledge in the 21st Century |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0070 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Alf Coles |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Education is organised around the world into subjects and disciplines. The changing conditions of the 21st Century (from climate change, to new technologies, to population aging) however, mean that there are increasing calls to rethink what subjects should be taught and whether subjects, or disciplines, are indeed needed at all. There are increasingly lively debates about what might constitute a set of ‘21st century skills’ and proposals for interdisciplinary and project-based learning to address ‘wicked problems’ that exceed individual disciplinary expertise. These debates about what should be taught, about what forms of knowledge and ways of knowing should be valued, are a perennial concern in education and form the basis for significant political and professional upheaval on a regular basis.
In this context, school and university leaders, policy makers and educators need to develop a robust and critical understanding of debates around knowledge and knowing, subjects and disciplines in education. The overarching aim of this unit is to introduce students to these debates and to the theoretical and empirical literature that address them.
Uniquely this unit enables students to explore these issues through a combination of lectures and an independent guided study on a topic of their choice. This study can take a number of forms, as long as students identify an area of subject/disciplinary/interdisciplinary knowledge that they wish to explore. For example, a teacher or lecturer might explore an area of their own subject and consider how it could be developed or adapted to address and critique 21st century conditions. An educational administrator might explore a wider area of curriculum change – for example, cross-curricular activities develop the capacity to address risk or build resilience amongst students. The taught sessions will provide contextual support and critical theoretical resources for the independent study, including the resources for critical exploration of the claims that the 21st century constitutes a radical and disruptive shift from previous eras.
The aims of the unit are to:
Upon successful completion of the unit students will be able to:
The unit will be taught through 8 x 2 hour teaching sessions comprising lectures, group discussions and individual presentations on the guided independent study. Alongside these lectures, students will undertake a guided independent subject study exploring a particular area of knowledge/knowing in education and the ways this might change in contemporary contexts. This focus area is agreed and negotiated with the course tutor. In the first month of the course, students will meet a subject specialist for a 1 hour tutorial on their chosen broad area who will provide relevant subject specific readings. Students will choose a framework to guide and enable critical evaluation of their inquiry. Students will be supported through an individual presentation and feedback during a taught session.
Formative Assessment
Students will hand in two formative pieces of writing over the course of the unit. These will be shared with other students on the course and feedback on this writing will support the final assignment.
Summative Assessment (ILO 1-4)
The final assignment will be presented as a continuous piece of writing of 4000 words which:
Coles, A, Dillon, J., Gall, M., Hawkey, K., James, J., Kerr, D., Orchard, J.,Tidmarsh, C., Wishart, J. 2017, Towards a teacher education for the Anthropocene. In Peter Blaze Corcoran, Joseph Weakland, Arjen Wals (Eds.) Envisioning Futures for Environmental and Sustainability Education . Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.
Fadel C et al (2015) Four Dimensional Education: the competencies learners need to succeed, Center for Curriculum Redesign: Harvard, MA
Hynes, M. (2015). Indifferent by nature: A post-humanist reframing of the problem of indifference. Environment and Planning A , 0308518X15594621. National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education
NACCCE (1999). All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education. London: DfEE. Also available at:http://sirkenrobinson.com/pdf/allourfutures.pdf
Muller, J. (2000) Reclaiming Knowledge: Social Theory, Curriculum and Education Policy. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Perkins, D and Chua, E (2012) Learning that Matters: An Expanding Universe, Project Zero: Independent Schools of Victoria/Australia
Young, M (2008) Bringing Knowledge Back In, London: Routledge
http://www.pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/An%20Expanding%20Universe%20WEB%20VERSION.pdf
In addition, there will be an individualised reading list provided during a tutorial which will take place with a subject specialist early in the course. This will include, amongst others, one of the ‘Teaching [Mathematics/English/Geography] as if the Planet Matters’ series of books edited and written by staff at the School of Education
