EDF1303: Understanding learning and learners

This assignment requires a poster to made that explores and demonstrates a learning theory, and how it can be used to analyse learning. I can’t find anything explicitly stating this, but I believe the word count was set at 800 words or equivalent (equivalent because images and diagrams can ‘count’ as more words than what they have). They said a physical poster is fine to make, but I highly recommend making it electronically with a program (I made mine in an A3 PowerPoint slide and exported it as a pdf); you have to submit it electronically anyway. The main feedback people had was that their poster looked more like an essay rather than a poster (because it was filled with walls of text). Personally, it was very hard to not make the poster look like walls of text (and I had about 550 words plus visuals), it really comes down to how well you can condense your information or utilise visuals. There is one tutorial near the due date that gives all students in that tutorial a chance to share ideas and understand the task in groups that were based on how far you’ve gone through it (not started, to finished), which proved helpful. I recommend starting this early, or at least gathering and writing up all your research early so you can turn it into a poster later on.

This is the major assignment, and has a word count of 2400 (give or take 10%). It can seem daunting in the early stages when the lecturers/tutors are introducing you to the assignment (the way it was described seemed weird to me), but just structure the essay based on the rubric and check in early with your tutor rather than later. The idea of the essay is to reflect on a ‘learning episode/experience’ you had in a formal setting, and analyse what occurred in terms of a chosen topic. The topic can be any topic from the textbook. I recommend looking at the topics, and trying to think of an experience to fit them, then pick the experience that a topic easily and explicitly links to (in turn, allowing you to write a lot about it). For example, my experience was about group work and peer-to-peer teaching, and I linked it to a topic that focused on the social facilitation of learning in a classroom. Biggest tip I can give is to

20 questions each quiz, all multiple choice. These are fairly straightforward and easy marks if you have the textbook. They are done through Moodle and have a set time on when they open and close. The tutorial leading up to and during the week of when the quiz closes often goes through practice questions with answers (some which come from the question bank itself). The first quiz has no time limit and can be attempted multiple times (but you will not be told your mark until the closing time). The second quiz has a time limit of 45 minutes and only 1 attempt (again, you won’t be told your mark until the closing time). The coordinators themselves encourage you to open your textbook if you don’t know the answer to a question, so don’t be afraid to do so with these quizzes.

2x Online Quizzes (10% ea., 20% total)
1x Academic Poster (20%)
1x Reflective Essay on Learning (60%)

If you want me to add something to this that I haven’t mentioned or what me to expand on something, pm me and I’ll try to edit it in.

Lectures
The lecturers are somewhat entertaining and try to keep the energy up with some interactive activities, however, it was a little annoying that not all the content would be sufficiently talked about simply because there was not enough time due to too much of it, or the lecturer taking up time with something else (e.g. anecdotes). Go to the first lecture or two, then decide if you’ll just watch the rest. The unit ‘ends’ at the end of week 10, so no lectures in week 11 or 12.

Tutorials
Tutorials are non-compulsory, but it’s good to go to them to meet others and get to know your tutor a little. Tutors use a slideshow that has various activities on them that relate to the week’s content. The unit runs on a flipped classroom model, which means students are doing the majority of the work, whilst the tutor facilitates it and keeps everything moving. Same as the lectures, no tutorials in week 11 or 12.

Readings
The readings start out short, but suddenly get very long. A majority of people didn’t really do the longer readings, including myself. I recommend just running over the lecture slides and noting down some of the main headings in the reading in your head, so that if you do go to the tutorials, you aren’t sitting there clueless.
Assessments

Dr Maria Gindidis and Dr Melissa Barnes are the main lecturers, but there are sometimes guest lecturers.

n/a

2.5 out of 5

Yes, with screen capture

Gindidis, M, Phillipson, S, Pruyn, M, & Pham, T. (Compilers). (2017). Understanding Learning and Learners. (Monash 2nd. Custom Edition) Pearson (ISBN: 9781488617973)

That was the prescribed textbook and was a new introduction to 2017. If you want to do well, it’s best to try and get a copy of the book somehow or borrow it when you need it. Quiz questions are based on the textbook, and it is quite helpful to use it as part of your references for the assignments.

1x 1-hour lecture, 1x 2-hour tutorial

2017, Semester 1

HD