Known as 'special topics in education' or 'reading units', these are individually negotiated units that allow students to investigate issues or topics of particular interest to them. They may be taken as 6 cp or as 12 cp in scope, the latter providing an opportunity for those enrolled in our coursework MEd (or our Graduate Certificate) to engage in a small scale action research or similar project, if they wish.

 

Often a reading unit is used to allow a student to follow up in greater depth an issue encountered during one of the set-curriculum units, especially EDLT381/481, Education of the Gifted and Talented. Students have also used them to investigate issues of direct relevance to their own school situation or to their local district/region. Examples of topics chosen by recent students are:

• Special programs for young (early childhood) gifted children

• Giftedness/talent within the arts

• Gifted students in rural areas

• Curriculum differentiation for creatively gifted students

• Compiling and trialing a school policy document on gifted and talented students

• Planning, implementing and evaluating an inservice program on talent development

• Gender issues in education of the gifted

• Curriculum applications of computer technology for gifted students in small rural schools

• Provision for gifted learning disabled students

• Multi-age teaching and the gifted

• Self-directed learning and gifted students

MEd(Hons) students can use them for a literature review relevant to their research area or even for a pilot study for their planned research project.

They certainly allow for flexibility in choice of content and for some individualisation of the curriculum for undergraduate or postgraduate students.

Before you enrol in a reading unit you need to contact one of our G&T teaching team (see below) to check that someone is able to act as your coordinator for it (usually your supervisor, at Masters level) and to begin to negotiate its content.

Do not sit by your mailbox waiting for a prepackaged set of material to arrive, for there isn't one! As stated above, these units are developed through individual negotiation - and normally this is to be finalised before the beginning of the semester in which you are enrolled in the reading unit.

If you have any further questions about reading units feel free to contact one of us.

 

G&T Teaching Team 2008
Peter Merrotsy
Howard Smith
Susen Smith