Unit Overview
- Description
This unit introduces students to key concepts, theories, and research concerning child and adolescent development, with particular attention to how learners acquire, retain, and apply knowledge. Students examine developmental and learning theories and consider their implications for student learning, curriculum planning, instructional decision-making, and classroom practice. The unit foregrounds the relationship between cognitive development, knowledge acquisition, memory systems, and effective teaching, enabling students to understand how learning is shaped by prior knowledge, attention, working memory, long-term memory, and opportunities for guided and independent practice.
The unit also examines theories of instruction and evidence-informed approaches to effective teaching, including explicit teaching, modelling, scaffolding, guided practice, feedback, and gradual release of responsibility. Students critically consider how teaching strategies, learning resources, and assessment practices work together to support children and adolescents in progressing towards mastery. Through engagement with research, professional standards, and applied classroom examples, students develop the capacity to make informed pedagogical decisions that are responsive to learners' developmental needs and grounded in robust understandings of how students learn.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Non-standard teaching period UWA (Perth) On-campus -
The timetable for this teaching period is not currently available. Please see the Important Dates page for the timetable release date and other key date information.
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) analyse key concepts and theories related to child and adolescent development, including the processes of knowledge acquisition.; (2) apply research on how children and adolescents develop and learn and identify the implications for teaching; (3) compare theories of instruction of effective teaching, including explicit teaching, within the framework of knowledge acquisition processes, cognitive load and memory systems; (4) explain the link between theories of instruction, teaching strategies and resources, and how they work together to support learners in progressing towards mastery; and (5) knowledge and understanding of common neuromyths and the impact of their perpetuation.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) essay and (2) digital artefact. Further information is available in the unit outline.
To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the essay and digital artefact components.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Rajinder Attar-Singh
- Contact hours
- 30 contact hours (150 hours total time commitment). Further information is available in the unit outline.
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.