Critical Analysis and Evaluation

In this task students are required to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts relating to the teaching and learning of Computer Education in the Senior Secondary School. To do this, students will need to draw upon literature from a range of conceptual perspectives to critically analyse and evaluate a selected, subject specific resource or planning document.

Students will be provided with resources relevant to computer education and information about the target audience for this resource will also be provided (e.g. a particular school and class cohort).

For example, students may be provided with a Digital Technologies scope and sequence and a copy of a QCAA unit overview for Year 11 Digital Solutions.

Students will be asked to draw upon literature from computer education to critically analyse and evaluate this material using a number of different lenses. Students must demonstrate, through this analysis, a critical understanding of the teaching area, the challenges in transitioning from Digital Technologies to Digital Solutions, and an awareness of the potential learning needs of the selected student cohort.

You have been provided with two sample teaching, learning and assessment plans, for Unit 1 in year 11, and Unit 3 in Year 12. Unit 1 is complete, Unit 3 is partially complete. You will complete Unit 3, developing Sample Learning Experiences suitable for a Year 12 cohort, and annotate this to demonstrate critical analysis of the following:

1. In developing your learning experiences, you should draw on an investigation of approaches to teaching computer science education nationally and internationally, and how these address the trends and challenges in computer science education. You should relate this to the decisions you have made regarding learning activities for Unit 3. (500 words)

2. Your learning experiences should evidence your understanding of the content, objectives, frameworks and assessment processes outlined in the Queensland Senior Digital Solutions Syllabus and demonstrate critical analysis of how these relate to your selected learning experiences. You should annotate your learning experiences to clearly show you understand these aspects. (500 words)

3. Your learning experiences should align to curriculum learning outcomes and evidence critical analysis in this alignment. You should annotate your learning experiences to clearly show you understand how your activities develop curriculum learning outcomes. (500 words)

4. Your learning experiences should demonstrate your understanding of how students learn in the computer education classroom within the senior years of schooling, evidencing critical analysis of your selected activities to support this. You should annotate your learning experiences to clearly show you understand these aspects. (500 words)

5. You should contextualise your teaching, learning and assessment plan for a particular cohort of Year 12 students, and use your recent practicum experience to detail a school context and fictional cohort of year 12 students. This context can be used to substantiate your decisions of the other four criteria elements. (500 words)

Your annotation can be made on in a copy of the Unit 3 document using call out boxes, or in a separate document using footnotes.

There are some minor variations in the document between v1.1 and v1.2 of the syllabus, and you may address either version in the task.

Each of the five elements should be approximately 500 words.

Assignments are submitted via Learning@Griffith

If in the unfortunate event you require an extension or special consideration, you will need to submit a request via the university website.