Assessment Brief EDUC5003 Teaching and Learning

Literacy and Numeracy in Context

Task Summary

Task Rationale

This section describes the purpose of the assessment task (the ‘why’).

The purpose of the task is to develop both your understanding of the role of literacy in Australian education, and application of the analysis and teaching practices you will use to facilitate your students’ achievement of it. Scaffolded literacy development is an essential part of all learning across the curriculum, so this task is directly relevant to all areas of your future professional practice.

Task Description

This section provides a brief description of the assessment task (the ‘what’).

You will present a theory-based explanation of the role of literacy learning within education, highlighting the importance of ensuring all students are supported across the curriculum to achieve the highest levels of literacy possible. Embodying this essential practice, you will analyse a student work sample and draw upon the Australian Curriculum (V9) General Capability: Literacy to determine the literacy levels evidenced (make sure you make reference to the Version 9 curriculum). Next, you will develop a literacy teaching plan to extend the literacy capabilities of a hypothetical group of students.

Task Instructions

This section provides step-by-step task instructions (the ‘how’).

You will complete three components: an explanation, an analysis, and a teaching plan. These will be completed using the template provided and uploaded to TurnItIn as a single document.

Part A: Explanation of the Role of Literacy Learning within Education (700 words ±10%)

Why do we teach literacy? Explain the role of literacy learning within contemporary Australian education. Your explanation must:

• Be in written (paragraph) form.
• Be specific to your future teaching context (Primary / Secondary).
• Consistently integrate high-quality and relevant academic literature to support your explanation, including the unit’s key readings.
• Be clear and present specific points (avoid generalisations).
• Include discussion about the curriculum-wide relevance of literacy learning.
• Include discussion about how literacy capabilities are relevant both to students’ learning within school, and life beyond school.
• (Optionally) connect to the relevant Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Part B: Analysis of Student Literacy Capabilities (700 words ±10%)

How do we know our students’ literacy capabilities? Analyse the literacy capabilities evident within a student work sample. Your analysis must:

• Be in written (paragraph) form.
• Use the Australian Curriculum (V9) General Capability: Literacy to determine the student’s literacy levels.
• Explicitly identify the literacy Element(s) and Sub-element(s) that your analysis is focusing on (these should be the ones most relevant to the selected work sample).
• Explicitly identify the literacy Level(s) within the Sub-element(s) that are evidenced, and what part(s) of the sample evidence them.
• Identify both strengths and areas for future targeted teaching evident in the sample.
• Consistently integrate high-quality and relevant academic literature to support your discussion, including the unit’s key readings.

Part C: Teaching Plan for Literacy (600 words ±10%)

How do we develop our students’ literacy capabilities? Pretend that the student work sample analysed in Part B is representative of those produced by about a third of the students in your (hypothetical) class, and that these students have similar literacy needs to those of the student who produced the sample. For the purposes of this task, it can be assumed that these students also need support with all elements of their literacy; not just those elements that can be identified from the work sample. Present an outline for how specific literacy skills can be taught to this group of students within your hypothetical class. Your teaching plan must:

• Be completed in the table (see the template).
• Explicitly identify the Year Level that this teaching will be delivered to.
• Explicitly identify the Key Learning Area (e.g., English, Geography, PDH/PE, Science, etc.).
• Explicitly identify a Content Descriptor from within that Key Learning Area (code and statement).
• Succinctly explain the focus of the lesson (aligned to part / all of the Content Descriptor).
• Explicitly identify the Australian Curriculum (V9) General Capability: Literacy Element, Sub-element, and Level Statements that will be integrated within this learning (use a row for each different Element / Sub-element / Level Statement heading grouping). These must represent achievable challenges for your students.
• Explain the specific teaching and learning strategies that will be used to achieve the identified Literacy learning, within the larger Key Learning Area learning (focus on the literacy learning, but ensure it is clear how this fits within the larger learning experience). Include examples of specific foci (e.g., spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, expressive technique, etc.) and some use of teaching resources (e.g., model texts, scaffolds / templates, classroom wall charts, etc.).
• Explicitly identify opportunities for collaborative learning. Explain how the literacy learning can integrate pair, group, or whole class interactions that will boost learning and engagement.
• Explicitly identify digital technologies that can be used to enhance the literacy learning (noting that watching a video is not an example of meaningful digital technology use).
• Integrate high-quality and relevant academic literature to support your planning decisions, including the unit’s key readings.

Formatting and style

• Use Arial or Calibri font and 1.5 line spacing – see SCU QuickGuides for formatting guidance.

Referencing

• You may elect to integrate sources from beyond the unit, however this is not required. Note: if you do integrate sources from beyond the unit, this must be done in addition to drawing upon the key readings provided within the unit (not in place of).
• Adhere to APA 7th style throughout – see the SCU Library APA 7th referencing guide.

Task Submission

This section explains how you will submit your assessment.

Please note that you are required to use the Assessment Template. This unit provides a template for both Assessment 1 and Assessment 2 – ensure you use the correct one for each task.

Your assessment must be saved as a Word (DOCX) document. You must save your submission with a filename comprised of your curriculum / syllabus, surname and initial, and the unit and assessment number, e.g.:

• AC_Logan.M_EDUC5003_A1
• NESA_Logan.M._EDUC5003_A1
• WA_Logan.M_EDUC5003_A1

This document must be uploaded to TURNITIN. The submission link can be found in the Assessment Tasks and Submission Tab in the EDUC5003 Blackboard Site.

Please note: It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct file and the FINAL version of your assessment for marking BEFORE the due date/time. Turnitin no longer generates an automatic email receipt. If you have successfully uploaded your assessment, a green bar will appear at the top of the screen that says: Submission uploaded successfully: Download digital receipt. Use the hyperlink to download your digital receipt – it is your timestamped proof of submission.

Academic Integrity

This section explains the rules surrounding academic integrity for this assessment task, procedures for safe compliance, and possible penalties.

At Southern Cross University academic integrity means behaving with the values of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, courage, responsibility, and respect in relation to academic work. The Southern Cross University Academic Integrity Framework aims to develop a holistic, systematic, and consistent approach to addressing academic integrity across the entire University. For more information see the Academic Integrity webpage on the SCU website.

NOTE: Academic Integrity breaches include unacceptable use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools, the use of GenAI has not been appropriately acknowledged or is beyond the acceptable limit as defined in the Assessment, poor referencing, not identifying direct quotations correctly, close paraphrasing, plagiarism, recycling (if you are repeating the unit, do not recycle elements of a previously submitted assessment), misrepresentation, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, fabricating information.

At SCU the use of GenAI tools is acceptable, unless it is beyond the acceptable limit as defined in the Assessment Item by the Unit Assessor.

LIMITATIONS WHEN USING GenAI:

GenAI may be used for this assessment within defined limits:

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT) may be used within defined limits for this assessment. You may use GenAI to help guide you in the process of completing your assessment work, but not to write your assessment (in part or full). Think of it as a tool, much like the SCU library or a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague: a quick way to access information or an AI tutor to help answer your questions. As such, you can use GenAI to help guide your research, ask questions to help to clarify your understanding, brainstorm preliminary ideas, get feedback on your ideas, and clarify concepts.

Remember, just as if you Googled something, you still need to evaluate the information to determine its accuracy and relevance. GenAI can and does produce biased and false information. You must find reputable scholarly sources to support any of the ideas generated. This is a requirement for this assessment. Importantly, you cannot include content generated by GenAI in your assessment (even if you have paraphrased, summarised, or quoted the output) – instead, use that content as a stepping-stone towards finding the relevant and reputable academic literature needed for your assessment.

You may use Grammarly Premium to help you undertake simple editing to improve the spelling and grammar of your written work.

ACKNOWLEDGING GenAI:

If you use GenAI tools, you must use these ethically, acknowledge their use, and keep evidence of how they were used. For general guidance on what this means, consult the Learning Zone resources Acknowledging and Referencing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) use and Build your skills using GenAI - PAIR Framework. The SCU Library Guide – GenAI can also help you develop your AI literacy skills.

If you use any GenAI tools (including Grammarly Premium and Copilot), you must acknowledge this usage. In this unit, you do this by including the SCU acknowledgement statement on the cover page of your assessment submission, ticking the appropriate boxes, and completing the table (if relevant).

Importantly, if you use GenAI in this unit, you are also required to include an appendix as the final page of your Assessment submission, in which you clearly document the prompts you provided to these tools and the responses they generate in return (screenshots are acceptable). If no GenAI tools are used in the completion of your assessment, no appendix is required.

If you are not sure how to, or how much you can use GenAI tools in your studies, contact your Unit Assessor. If you use GenAI tools beyond the defined limits or without acknowledgment it may result in an academic integrity breach against you as described in the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules, Section 3.

MEASURES FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE:

Based on the Assessment, Teaching and Learning Procedures, Section 3 (clause 16), the following steps may be taken to verify your compliance with the defined limits of GenAI usage in this assessment:

• Invited to attend a Zoom meeting with the Unit Assessor and asked to share your understanding of the assessment task/s and associated concepts; and/or
• Invited to share an explanation of the processes and a list of any digital tools that were used.

This should not be considered an accusation of wrongdoing; however, if there is an unsatisfactory outcome, a formal academic integrity breach may be lodged for further investigation.

SUGGESTED PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS FOR STUDENTS:

The following are suggestions to safeguard yourself if you are asked to demonstrate your compliance with the assessment conditions:

• Ensure your use of GenAI is within the defined limits for this assessment task before using it.
• If you are not sure, ASK the Unit Assessor prior to using the digital tool.
• If you use GenAI tools for learning, ensure that you DO NOT copy and paste entire sections of text. You may take the ideas but cannot copy.
• Keep a list of the digital tools and applications that you used to complete this assessment, and clear evidence of exactly how you used it (see the above GenAI may be used for this assessment within defined limits section of this document for more details).
• Take screenshots of your progress when completing your assessment (undertaking research as well as writing), include the date and e in the screenshot. Save these in case they are required.

Special Consideration

This section explains the procedure for applying for a Special Consideration Assessment Extension.

Students wishing to request special consideration to extend the due date of an assessment task must submit a Request for Special Consideration form via the MyEnrolment page as early as possible and prior to the original due date for that assessment task, along with any accompanying documents, such as medical certificates. To apply - see SCU Special Consideration.

For further information, please refer to the Special Consideration section of the relevant SCU Policy.

Late Submissions & Penalties

This section explains the rules relating to assessments submitted after the due date.

According to SCU Policy, late penalties apply. Except when special consideration is awarded, late submission of assessment tasks will automatically lead to the imposition of a penalty. Penalties will be incurred as soon as the deadline is reached:

• A penalty of 5% of the total available marks for the assessment task will be deducted from the awarded mark at one minute after the time listed in the due date.
• A further penalty of 5% of the total available marks for the assessment task will be deducted from the awarded mark achieved on each subsequent calendar day until the mark reaches zero.

For more information, see the Assessment, Teaching and Learning procedures policy.

Grades and Feedback

This section explains how your assessments will be marked.

Assessments that have been submitted by the due date will receive an SCU grade. Grades and feedback will be posted to the ‘Gradebook section on the Blackboard Ultra unit site. Please allow 7 days (excluding public holidays) for marks to be posted. Usually, an Announcement will be made on the unit site’s homepage when grades are made available.

Task Rubric

Description of SCU Grades

High Distinction:

The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements, demonstrates distinctive insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts, and shows exceptional ability to synthesise, integrate and evaluate knowledge. The student’s performance could be described as outstanding in relation to the learning requirements specified.

Distinction:

The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements, demonstrates distinctive insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts, and shows a well-developed ability to synthesise, integrate and evaluate knowledge. The student’s performance could be described as distinguished in relation to the learning requirements specified.

Credit:

The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements specified, demonstrates insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts. The student’s performance could be described as competent in relation to the learning requirements specified.

Pass:

The student’s performance satisfies all of the basic learning requirements specified and provides a sound basis for proceeding to higher-level studies in the subject area. The student’s performance could be described as satisfactory in relation to the learning requirements specified.

Fail:

The student’s performance fails to satisfy the learning requirements specified.

Note: This report is provided as a sample for reference purposes only. For further guidance, detailed solutions, or personalized assignment support, please contact us directly.

Sample Solution – EDUC5003 Teaching and Learning: Literacy and Numeracy in Context

Assessment 1: Literacy in Practice
(Creative High-Distinction Style Sample Structure)

Part A: Explanation of the Role of Literacy Learning within Education

(Approx. 700 words)

Literacy is a foundational capability that enables students to participate successfully in education, society, and future employment. Within contemporary Australian education, literacy is no longer viewed solely as the ability to read and write; rather, it is understood as a complex and evolving capability that supports communication, critical thinking, creativity, and social participation across all curriculum areas. The Australian Curriculum Version 9 identifies literacy as a General Capability that must be explicitly taught and embedded across all learning areas to ensure students can access knowledge, express ideas, and engage meaningfully with the world around them (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2022).

In the primary school context, literacy learning plays a critical role in shaping students’ academic development and lifelong learning habits. Young learners require structured and scaffolded opportunities to develop oral language, phonological awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and written communication skills. According to Winch et al. (2020), literacy development is socially constructed and strengthened through authentic interactions, collaborative learning, and purposeful engagement with texts. Teachers therefore have a responsibility to create inclusive learning environments where students can practise literacy in meaningful and engaging ways.

Importantly, literacy learning extends beyond English lessons. Contemporary Australian education recognises that all teachers are teachers of literacy. Students require discipline-specific literacy skills to succeed in subjects such as Science, Geography, Mathematics, and Health. For example, students in Science must interpret procedural texts, analyse diagrams, and communicate scientific explanations using appropriate terminology. Similarly, in Humanities subjects, students are expected to evaluate sources, construct arguments, and engage critically with multimodal texts. As Cope and Kalantzis (2015) explain, literacy practices are increasingly multimodal, requiring students to navigate written, visual, digital, and audio forms of communication. Consequently, literacy instruction must be integrated across the curriculum to support students in understanding and producing diverse forms of meaning.

The role of literacy is also deeply connected to equity and inclusion within Australian education. Students who experience literacy difficulties are at greater risk of disengagement, lower academic achievement, and reduced educational opportunities. Effective literacy teaching therefore promotes social justice by ensuring all students, including those with disability, English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) learners, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, can participate fully in learning. Luke and Freebody’s (1999) Four Resources Model highlights the importance of developing students as code breakers, text participants, text users, and text analysts. This framework demonstrates that literacy learning involves not only decoding words but also understanding how texts work and critically analysing their purposes and perspectives.

Digital technologies have further transformed the nature of literacy in contemporary classrooms. Students must now develop digital literacy capabilities, including the ability to locate, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital platforms. The integration of digital technologies within literacy learning supports engagement, collaboration, and differentiated instruction. For example, tools such as collaborative documents, digital storytelling applications, and multimodal presentations allow students to communicate ideas creatively while developing essential literacy skills. Mills (2016) argues that digital literacy practices prepare students for participation in technologically rich societies where communication increasingly occurs through multimodal and online environments.

Beyond schooling, literacy is essential for everyday life and active citizenship. Literate individuals can access information, participate in democratic processes, build relationships, and navigate workplace demands. Literacy enables individuals to critically analyse media messages, make informed decisions, and advocate for themselves and others. In this sense, literacy is not simply an educational goal but a lifelong capability that influences personal, social, and economic wellbeing.

The importance of literacy teaching is also reflected in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). Standard 2 requires teachers to know the content and how to teach it, including literacy and numeracy strategies relevant to their teaching area. Standard 3 further emphasises the need for teachers to plan and implement effective teaching strategies that support diverse learners. Through explicit, responsive, and inclusive literacy instruction, teachers play a central role in empowering students to become confident communicators and critical thinkers.

Overall, literacy learning is fundamental to success within school and beyond. Contemporary Australian education recognises literacy as a shared responsibility across all curriculum areas, ensuring students are equipped with the communication and critical thinking skills required for lifelong participation in society.

Part B: Analysis of Student Literacy Capabilities

(Approx. 700 words)

The selected student work sample demonstrates developing literacy capabilities consistent with the Australian Curriculum Version 9 General Capability: Literacy. The analysis focuses primarily on the Literacy Elements of “Comprehending Texts through Listening, Reading and Viewing” and “Composing Texts through Speaking, Writing and Creating.” Specifically, the sub-elements examined include “Interpreting, analysing and evaluating texts” and “Creating texts.”

The student work sample consists of a Year 5 persuasive writing task responding to the topic: “Why schools should reduce plastic waste.” The student demonstrates several emerging strengths in persuasive writing. For example, the student clearly introduces a position in the opening paragraph by stating that schools should reduce plastic waste to protect the environment. This indicates evidence of Level 4 achievement within the sub-element “Creating texts,” as the student can organise ideas for a specific purpose and audience (ACARA, 2022).

Additionally, the student uses topic-specific vocabulary such as “pollution,” “environment,” and “recycling,” demonstrating an increasing understanding of persuasive language features. The inclusion of supporting reasons also reflects developing control over text structure. Derewianka and Jones (2016) argue that explicit teaching of genre structures supports students in understanding how language choices achieve particular social purposes. In this sample, the student shows awareness of persuasive text conventions through the use of arguments and concluding statements.

However, the work sample also highlights several areas requiring targeted literacy support. Sentence structure is inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and limited punctuation accuracy affecting clarity. For example, one sentence combines multiple ideas without appropriate full stops or conjunctions. These features suggest the student is still developing proficiency in the Literacy sub-element relating to grammar and sentence-level cohesion. According to Christie and Derewianka (2008), control of grammatical structures is essential for students to communicate ideas effectively within academic contexts.

The student also demonstrates limited elaboration of ideas. While arguments are present, explanations often remain underdeveloped and repetitive. This indicates the student requires further support in extending vocabulary choices, providing detailed evidence, and developing cohesive arguments. The work sample reflects partial achievement of Level 4 indicators but also demonstrates characteristics aligned with Level 3 literacy development in relation to text cohesion and language precision.

Spelling accuracy is another area for improvement. Several high-frequency words are correctly spelled; however, more complex words such as “environment” and “important” contain errors. This suggests the student would benefit from explicit instruction in morphological knowledge and proofreading strategies. Templeton (2013) highlights that spelling development is strengthened when students understand word patterns, prefixes, suffixes, and morphemes within authentic writing contexts.

The student’s strengths are evident in idea generation, engagement with the topic, and awareness of audience purpose. The writing demonstrates enthusiasm and a willingness to communicate opinions, which provides a strong foundation for future literacy development. Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism emphasises that students learn most effectively when supported through scaffolding within their Zone of Proximal Development. Through guided modelling, collaborative discussion, and explicit teaching, the student can further strengthen written communication skills.

Future targeted teaching should therefore focus on sentence structure, punctuation, vocabulary expansion, spelling strategies, and persuasive elaboration techniques. Graphic organisers, mentor texts, peer collaboration, and teacher modelling could support the student in developing greater confidence and control in writing. Additionally, digital technologies such as collaborative writing platforms and speech-to-text tools may assist students in drafting, revising, and editing their work more effectively.

Overall, the work sample reflects a student who is progressing towards expected literacy outcomes but requires targeted scaffolding to achieve greater accuracy, cohesion, and sophistication in written communication.

Part C: Teaching Plan for Literacy

(Approx. 600 words – Table Format)

Supporting Literature

The teaching strategies outlined in this plan are informed by evidence-based literacy practices. Explicit instruction and scaffolded learning improve students’ literacy achievement by making language features visible and accessible (Hattie, 2012). Collaborative learning opportunities support oral language development and deepen understanding through social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978). Additionally, integrating digital technologies enhances engagement and multimodal communication skills required within contemporary literacy practices (Mills, 2016).

Sample Reference List (APA 7th)

• Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.
• Christie, F., & Derewianka, B. (2008). School discourse. Continuum.
• Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2015). A pedagogy of multiliteracies. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Derewianka, B., & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching language in context. Oxford University Press.
• Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers. Routledge.
• Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). A map of possible practices. Practically Primary.
• Mills, K. A. (2016). Literacy theories for the digital age. Multilingual Matters.
• Templeton, S. (2013). Teaching spelling and vocabulary. Pearson.
• Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Harvard University Press.
• Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2020). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature. Oxford University Press.