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Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Identity, Holistic Profiling, Responses
Module Code SI721 (ITS) / ISE1003 (Banner)
Faculty DCU Institute of Education School Inclusive & Special Education
Module Co-ordinatorPaula Lehane
Module TeachersLeanne Connolly, Sylwia Kazmierczak-Murray
NFQ level 9 Credit Rating 10
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
Coursework Only
Description

This module focuses on understanding, acknowledging, accepting, celebrating, and responding holistically to the developing and diverse identities of learners across a range of educational settings. It aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of practicing teachers regarding the use of inclusive, person-centered, strengths-based approaches to education. Understanding these approaches will allow the teacher participants to consider how a holistic profile that records a learner’s strengths, interests and difficulties can be effectively and ethically developed. To support this holistic understanding of learners, participants will be introduced to different theories of human development that address (among others) the personal, social, cognitive, and emotional development of learners. Teacher participants will also be introduced to a range of formal and informal assessment tools. In learning about these tools, the teacher participants will develop an understanding of key assessment principles and concepts (e.g. reliability, validity). Teacher participants will also develop their skills in critically evaluating formal test scores and professional reports so that they become more adept at developing contextualised, personalised and evidence-based educational priorities for their learners.

Learning Outcomes

1. Reflect on the development of learner identities and the factors that impact on their formation.
2. Adopt a strengths-based approach to understanding their learners and developing planning documents..
3. Explain key concepts and principles of assessment and how they should be applied in their day-to-day practices as teachers.
4. Select appropriate assessment tools/techniques across a range of domains and be able to justify their use with their chosen learners.
5. Use a range of assessment techniques and tools in a valid, reliable, ethical and authentic manner.
6. Collate, interpret, analyse and synthesise all information available on learners in a contextualised, critical, accurate, systematic and fair manner,
7. Develop holistic profiles of learners to include their strengths, interests, difficulties, learning characteristics and current level of educational performance.
8. Compose contextualised, evidence-based priorities for learners based on the holistic profiling process.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Portfolio Preparation375Lectures and Seminars: Campus, Synchronous and Asynchronous online Independent Study Assessing, gleaning, working with learners in school Assignment Assignment compilation in addition to school-based preparation above
Total Workload: 375

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Learner Identity

Strengths Based Approaches

Development across the lifespan

Inclusive Education and Principles

Formal Assessments

Informal Assessments

Understanding Professional Reports

Personal & Social Development

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories:
Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module.
Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • Aguilar, E.: 0, Coaching for equity: Conversations that change practice., John Wiley & Sons.,
  • Allen, K.A. & Kern, P. .: 0, Boosting School Belonging: Practical Strategies to Help Adolescents Feel Like They Belong at School, Routledge.,
  • Carter, J.: 2021, SEND Assessment: A Strengths-based Framework for Learners with SEND., Routledge.,
  • Forlin, C.: 2017, Ethics, Equity, and Inclusive Education., Emerald Group Publishing.,
  • Guerin, A.(editor): 2018, Belonging: Rethinking Inclusive Practices to Support Well-Being and Identity., Brill Sense.,
  • Gorski, P.C & Pothini, S.G (2019).: 2019, Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education,, 2nd Edition., Routledge.,
  • Greenstein, L.M.: 2017, Restorative Assessment: Strength-Based Practices That Support All Learners., Sage.,
  • Hamre, B., Morin, A. & Ydesen, C.: 2020, Testing and Inclusive Schooling: International Challenges and Opportunities., Routledge,
  • Jung, L.A, Frey, N., Fisher, D. & Kroener, J: 2019, Your Students, My Students, Our Students: Rethinking Equitable and Inclusive Classrooms., ASCD,
  • Rogers, C.R., Lyon, H., & Tausch, R.: 2013, On becoming an effective teacher: Person-centered teaching, psychology, philosophy, and dialogues with Carl R. Rogers and Harold Lyon., Routledge.,
  • Shulman, J.H. & Mesa-Bains, A.: 2018, . Diversity in the Classroom: A Casebook for Teachers and Teacher Educators,, 1st edition., Routledge.,
  • Sobsey, D., Forlin, C., & Scorgie, K. (Eds.).: 2017, Working with Families for Inclusive Education: Navigating Identity, Opportunity and Belonging., Emerald Group Publishing.,
  • Valle, J.E. & Connor D.J.: 2019, Rethinking Disability: A Disability Studies Approach to Inclusive Practices ., 2nd ed., Routledge:,
  • Wehmeyer, M.L.: 2019, Strength-based Approaches to Educating All Learners with Disabilities : Beyond Special Education., Teachers’ College Press.,
  • Wehmeyer, M.L & Kurth, J.: 2021, Inclusive Education in a Strengths-Based Era: Mapping the Future of the Field., Norton Professional Books.,
  • Zacarian, D., Alvarez-Ortiz, L and Haynes. J.: 2017, . Teaching to Strengths : Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence, and Chronic Stress., Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.,
  • Zacarian, D & Silverstone, M.: 2020, Teaching to Empower: Taking Action to Foster Student Agency, Self-Confidence, and Collaboration, ASCD.,
  • Gonzalez K. & Frumkin, R.: 2021, Trauma Informed Classrooms, BRILL, 9789004465367
Other Resources

None

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