Assessment type: Place-based visit and creation of a digital learning resource

Word count/time limit: 2000 (approx.) words

Assessment description (Booran Reserve – Glenhuntly, VIC)

This task has two parts and will assist you in understanding the importance of using authentic learning experiences, such as community resources* to support the teaching of History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business in the primary classroom.

Through research, evaluation and critical analysis as well as considering a range of pedagogical approaches, you will create a digital learning resource presented as a website (Weebly/Wix) on a site study visit with links to current and relevant curriculum/syllabus documents.

The purpose of this assessment is for you to understand the importance of using authentic learning experiences such as community resources to support the teaching of History or Geography education in the primary classroom, which is key to creating active and informed citizens. 

*Community resources are sites that enable place-based learning to occur. These can be historical, geographical, cultural, societal, sporting, natural, built, memorials, museums, locations, physical, virtual.

Assessment details

Part A: Visit to the community resource

Arrange a visit to a community resource in your city or surrounding areas. Prior to your attendance:

visit the website for your community resource and plan what you want to achieve while there.

access your relevant state- or territory-based curriculum/syllabus and decide which year level this community resource would be best suited to.

(Australian curriculum (ACARA) links and references please)

Organise a visit to the community resource for at least two hours. This replicates a two-hour time slot schools generally have on site.

During your visit, take lots of photos for use in your digital resource (to avoid copyright infringement).

Supporting resources

Preston, L. (2015). The Place of Place-Based Education in the Australian Primary Geography Curriculum. 

Geographical Education

, 

28

, 41–49.

Part B: Digital learning resource

Using your experience/s from Part A, your task is to create a digital learning resource using a digital tool (Wix, Weebly) and then critically reflect on how your chosen community resource supports the teaching of the Humanities. Reference to research literature is required. 

The site should contain the following separate pages:

Introduction and purpose: The introduction should include your name and the title of this unit and describe the purpose of the site and why you have created the content being housed. Include your photo to substantiate attending the site (100 words).

Context: A brief description outlining the significance of the community resource, its location, its purpose, and your own photos of your community resource visit with captions (100 words).

Links to conceptual knowledge and curriculum/syllabus: Provide details of the chosen stage/year level and content area selected. Include relevant cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities (100 words).

Learning experience and supporting resources: Create two learning experiences for the chosen year/stage that can be used by teachers to promote authentic learning using your chosen community resource (2 x 300 words each).

The learning experiences should be supported by four appropriate resources (e.g. a mix of web-based and text/visual resources). These should be annotated for their usefulness supporting the learning experience (8 x100 words for each resource).

Please note, these are not lesson plans and should not be written up as such.

Critical reflection: Drawing on your visit and using appropriate literature on place-based learning, site visits, museums or community resources, prepare a critical reflection which clearly states:

how and why primary teachers might use a community resource as an authentic learning experience to strengthen the History or Geography teaching and learning experiences for primary school-aged students

how it could be effective in engaging and deepening student learning (500 words).

Reference to research literature is required.

Considerations

As you develop your digital learning resource, make sure to address the following considerations:

Appropriate for use by teachers to promote authentic learning using your chosen community resource.

Included graphics/images to decorate your page (remember to use your own to avoid copyright infringement).

Effectively used hyperlinks to websites.

Quality design and ease of navigation with your site.

Visually appealing and engaging for teachers and students.

Utilised appropriate literature where relevant.