Course Title: Educating Gifted and Talented Students

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Educating Gifted and Talented Students

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

TCHE2565

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

360H Education

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2016,
Sem 1 2017

Course Coordinator: Dr Tasos Barkatsas

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7423

Course Coordinator Email: tasos.barkatsas@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.03.06


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

In this course you will explore concepts, frameworks and theories of gifted and talented, approaches to identification, and develop curriculum for gifted students. You will explore differentiated curricula developed for teaching diverse gifted and talented students with different learning styles in mixed-ability classrooms, and teaching and learning models for engaging gifted and talented students.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Your learning in this course is focused on development of the following program level capabilities:

  • Determine and apply the specialist knowledge and professional skills required to creatively solve problems, demonstrating expert judgment and ethical responsibility relating to your professional practice
  • Critically analyse, synthesize and reflect on complex theories and recent developments, both local and international, to extend and challenge knowledge and practice in education
  • Professionally communicate with specialist and non-specialist audiences, as producers and consumers of knowledge, about philosophical and pedagogical propositions, processes and outcomes
  • Engage with complex bodies of knowledge and multiple professional skills in order to contribute to your professional identity and career within contemporary contexts


At the conclusion of this course you will be assessed on the following learning outcomes: 

  • Compare and contrast various conceptual frameworks and theories of gifted and talented and explain how they can impact on students’ learning experiences
  • Demonstrate skills in relation to identifying gifted and talented students and their learning styles and reflect critically on identification approaches as professional practice
  • Evaluate teachers’ beliefs, competencies, attitudes and strategies for teaching gifted students effectively and reflect on your own beliefs and competencies
  • Evaluate the different programming options of ability grouping, enrichment, extension and acceleration and explain how they apply to the educational needs of gifted students
  • Develop curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and talented students.
  • Critically evaluate differentiated curriculum and explain how it can meet the needs of gifted students


Overview of Learning Activities

You will participate in a range of face-to-face and online learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, class and online discussion, group activities, community engagement and individual investigations. You will be expected to engage with various community and/or professional organisations and develop a plan or strategy for your future professional learning.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. Learning resources will include textbook, notes, reference lists, library resources and relevant software including online.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes. Assessment will include:

Assessment task 1: Reflective journal (2000 words, 50%)
You will keep a professional journal. You will document and reflect on a range of issues relating to the development and characteristics of gifted and talented learners and analyse these by using one of the methodologies that will be covered in the course.
(Learning outcomes 1, 2, 4)

Assessment task 2: Individual project (2000 words, 50%)
You will research educational responses to a gifted and talented issue. You will design a short integrated unit that addresses the issue including its social, cognitive and affective dimensions in the context of a particular educational setting.
(Learning outcomes 3,5,6)

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: http://www.rmit.edu.au/policies/academic#assessment