Latest Module Specifications
Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026
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Description This module supports the students in planning for teaching specifically in technology classroom environments. In planning for context and situation, students will focus on developing and using planning tools (task and topic Analyses, workshop matrices, on-going process sheets, working drawings, risk matrices, and health and safety materials) to help organise and structure learning activities. The precision in planning allows for focused reflection and for students to concentrate on the effectiveness of practice in a complex and dynamic teaching and learning environment. Reciprocal teaching methodologies will be used to engage students in peer demonstrations, constructive critique, and refining of pedagogical practices as they apply to the practical classroom. Understanding the complexity and dynamics of a practical classroom will build confidence in their capacity to enable learning prior to the initial school placement. The principles underpinning Universal Design for Learning within technology, engineering and graphics education will be introduced. Students will be taught in labs reflective of authentic technology classrooms. In order to engage students in activities synonymous with teaching, reciprocal teaching methodologies will be used whereby students will engage in peer demonstrations, constructive critique, and the development and refinement of appropriate pedagogical practices and strategies in the practical workshop. Building on this, students’ awareness and capacity to manage associated risk and safety concerns will be interrogated through simulated practical classroom activities. Finally, students will engage with authentic assessment practices provoking reflection on levels of capability and to aid in lesson planning. Lectures will simultaneously provide students with the prerequisite knowledge on applied pedagogy, planning and evaluation principles with specific emphasis on practical education. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Identify the relationships between theory and practice in design based education, qualifying classifications of declarative, conceptual, procedural, causal, and conditional knowledge. 2. Demonstrate awareness of the potential safety risk when teaching a technology class at post-primary level and develop appropriate planning tools. 3. Demonstrate links with other subject disciplines and relate new concepts and principles to real life applications as part of a strategic pedagogical approach. 4. Build appropriate learning aids to scaffold conceptual, experimental, experiential, and reflective opportunities. 5. Devise a set of teaching activities/projects for the strategic development of practical craft skills from imitation through to naturalisation. 6. Demonstrate a capacity to effectively communicate using and in conjunction with digital and static media (projectors, models, white/black boards, etc). 7. Identify and integrate analogy, metaphor, simile and examples as appropriate to support pupil comprehension. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Indicative Content Within the context of the Junior Cycle Applied Technology, Engineering and Graphics syllabi, students will be taught about planning generally (defining aims and objectives, lesson planning, planning a scheme of work, planning for progression, and task and topic analysis), and subject specific planning (prescribed project design, design of project based learning, planning for design based learning, methods of evaluation, identification of qualities and differentiation between qualities). This module places a particular emphasis on health and safety as the typical environment for technology subjects is lab based. There is therefore a particular focus on workshop logistics, auditing tools, risk identification, assessment and control measures. Finally, students will work on presenting material and explaining concepts within technology classrooms, and will therefore consider demonstration techniques, attention span, communication, scaffolding, visual aids, physical resources, supporting and applied activities through strategies such as analogy, metaphor, simile, differences and examples, self and peer audit, synthesis, and reflection for improvement. Students will be introduced to the key principles of universal design for learning where they will also define the role of reflection within design based tasks appropriate to the stage of development. Students will consider individual pupil needs within the technology classroom (e.g., gifted students, students with learning difficulties, students with physical difficulties) and consider the characteristics of an effective teacher-pupil relationship. Students further will be introduced to the Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List Books:
Articles:
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Other Resources None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||