School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Science of Maths Instruction
  • Unit Code

    SOL6130
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Lorraine HAMMOND

Description

Competency with mathematics is essential for success in life, yet many children and adults report experiencing maths anxiety. One reason for this is mathematics builds in complexity and solving higher order maths problems depends on prior knowledge such as algorithms, the step-by-step procedure for solving problems, that further depend on basic maths facts such as times tables. Maths anxiety is generally the result of poor achievement, not the cause of it and research on effective maths instruction shows that when children can do basic arithmetic with immediate and accurate recall unconsciously, it reduces the cognitive demands when performing related tasks or problems. The unit begins by dispelling common myths about teaching maths and demonstrates how an understanding of cognitive load has seen the adoption of high impact mathematics instruction in schools to optimise learning. Exemplar maths scope and sequences will be examined to demonstrate how to plan for the explicit teaching of concepts which when interleaved and reviewed systematically lead to stronger recall. Key scientific findings pertinent to teaching math, including the role of inquiry-based learning and leading a school toward adoption of science-based math instruction in classrooms, will be outlined in the unit.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Students undertake one unit at a time in the fully online, accelerated delivery mode (7 weeks).

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse contemporary and historical theories and models of maths instruction.
  2. Synthesise research findings on effective maths instruction and examine these in the context of a school-based context.
  3. Annotate how to apply spaced, interleaved and retrieval practice to a sequence of mathematics content for professional audiences.
  4. Critically reflect on the role of teacher knowledge and resources necessary to improve pedagogical practice for mathematics in a school-based context.

Unit Content

  1. Contemporary and historical theories and models of maths instruction
  2. Examination of research findings on effective maths instruction in relation to a school-based context
  3. Application of apply spaced, interleaved and retrieval practice to a sequence of mathematics content for professional audiences
  4. The role of teacher knowledge and resources necessary to improve pedagogical practice for mathematics in a school-based context

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentComparative analysis of historical and contemporary theories and models of maths instruction for a school;-based context50%
ReportApplying teacher knowledge and resources to design spaced, interleaved and retrieval practice to a sequence of mathematics content to improve pedagogical practice for mathematics50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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