The Task

Part A (use of the Backwards Design template provided via studydesk is required: no word count)

This part of the task requires you to build on your understanding of 'Diversity' and to apply this understanding to the planning of an authentic, summative assessment strategy.

The authentic assessment strategy must:

1. relate directly to a group of learners you have taught previously (provide a brief description of the chosen context)
2. address a substantive unit of work
3. be based on a curriculum document suited to your sector and location

You are required to submit:

i. A Backwards Design Plan for your chosen unit of work. (An 'Example Backwards Design' is provided on Study Desk to assist you and sits within the Template for Assignment 2.)
ii. A copy of one assessment instrument including task sheet/s and rubric/s. The rubric/s must be task specific and not generic rubrics provided by an educational authority (such as QCAA).

Part B (approximately 1500 words)

This part of the task requires that you provide an educational justification for the authentic assessment strategy that you have developed in Part A. It is expected that you will use relevant and current literature to justify:

I. The validity, reliability and authenticity of the strategy; as well as,
II. With specific reference to flexibility and fairness, explain how the assessment strategy could be designed/ implemented/ modified in order to cater for the diversity of learners' needs within the chosen context.

Part C (Capstone of the course – approximately 600 words)

This part of the task requires your response to the overall philosophy of this course in relation to your understanding and explanation of professional engagement as specifically outlined in Standard 6 of the Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers: in particular 6.2 specifically stating that graduates should 'understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning'.

A major goal of the EDG3000 course has been the development of this understanding with a focus on the benefits of collaboration in developing an inclusive learning community. To provide evidence that you have met this standard you are required to:

i. Reflect upon and evaluate your performance within the online expectations of the EDG3000 course: use the performance scales provided (as in Coversheet for Assignment 2)
ii. Justify your above evaluation of your performance as a collaborative participant throughout this course.
iii. Identify implications for you as a soon to be teacher

Part A: Backward design task

Purpose

Most lesson plans are limited in the sense that the educator focuses more on the activity, and the learning outcome is somewhat muddled. However, through the means of a backward learning plan, the educators gain a framework for exploring and determining the problem areas and learning outcomes they would like to assess from the curriculum, based on which they define the lesson plan (Gottleib and Ernst-Slavit, 2014). Through this example, we will be looking towards the course design for a literature class, where the focus will be to enable an effective understanding of language acquisition and semantics in a culturally diverse classroom.

Stage 1: Established goals

The perception towards a literary character is often defined by the cultural background of the reader, and for each student, this perception can vary based on their diverse background (Gay, 2013). The perception of a character for many students is made, irrespective of the occurrence in the book. While unavoidable, this cultural learning paradigm limits their learning output (Gottleib and Ernst-Slavit, 2014). In view of this, this backward plan focuses on the following conceptual movement:

1. Students will see the characters in the essence of their evolution with the progression of the story. For example, the development of honesty or courage in character by the end of the story.
2. Student will use specific terms to describe the character' personality

General Learning Outcome

1. Students will gain the ability to summarise the reading material
2. Students will be able to analyse the text beyond the prejudice and initially formed stereotypes.
3. Collaborative and dialogue-based learning standards will give them a holistic and parallel perspective of the story
4. Students will be able to identify the annotation behind the literature and reflect upon what the author means.

(Some parts of the solution has been blurred due to privacy protection policy)