EDES100 Understanding Learning and Teaching

Assessment 1: Self-learning portfolio

Description of task

Pre-service teachers create a critically reflective account of their development and personal learning journey through explanatory links to relevant learning and/or development. The essay should answer the question: 'Who am I as a learner?' In your reflection, you must draw on content from week 2, including specific reference to Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model. Your reflection must also be supported with links to evidence-based research and should include reference to journal articles. Writing in first person is allowed for this assignment.

AT1 Guide

Spend some time thinking about your first assessment task and what your own bioecological map looks like. Draw this map on a piece of paper.

Next, begin drafting your assignment. Use the following points to guide you through this process:

• Provide an introduction highlighting what you plan to discuss throughout your essay (this can be written last).

• Write down a definition for each of the five systems within the bioecological model. Remember to paraphrase and to acknowledge your source.

• Think of specific examples from your childhood or schooling years that fit into each of the five systems within the bioecological model of development. For example, you might place your teacher in your microsystem. You might also discuss the positive relationship you have with this teacher and the impact you believe this has had on your learning.

• Next, think about what evidence you can provide from within the literature to support your belief about the benefits of positive teacher/student relationships.

• Next, think about what evidence you can provide from within the literature to support your belief about the benefits of positive teacher/student interactions on learning. Use the ACU library website or Google Scholar to search for a research article in support of this belief. Include details of this article in your assignment and remember to cite their work.

• Continue to identify each of the remaining systems. Provide a definition, a specific personal example, and evidence to support your analysis (not necessarily in this order). You might choose to use the same example and apply it to each of the five systems, or you might decide to provide separate examples for each. The choice is yours. What is important here (the end goal) is that you demonstrate your understanding of this model and how it connects to your personal learning journey.

• Lastly, think about how you might conclude your essay. You will need to summarise the key points discussed within the body of your paper.

• Evidence-based research should be linked back to you as well. For example, if you were bullied at school or had a learning issue that affected your learning or one of the systems, then you could use a peer-reviewed journal article or other research to support your discussion.

• Criterion 1 relies on evidence-based research that makes links to who you are as a learner.

• Keep to the word limit.

• The similarity percentage should be under 15-20%.

• Develop a strong understanding of APA referencing formatting to elevate writing. Pay particular attention to in-text citations - use page numbers for direct quotes, et al., for 3 or more authors. Criterion 4

• Reference all ideas and works in-text that are not your own. This is to avoid plagiarism .

• Format the reference list using APA 7 referencing (Centre 'References' and start the reference list on a new page, each entry has a hanging indent, arrange all references in alphabetical order).

• Query successful

Writing Tips to Help You Succeed

• Include an introduction that sets the scene for the reader and outlines what you plan to cover throughout the body of your paper.

• Use a clear structure to organise writing with an introduction, body, and conclusion. A strong topic sentence to introduce the key idea and one topic per paragraph. Use the introduction to outline key ideas in the paper. Each paragraph in the body has only one key idea. The conclusion is to sum up key ideas and avoid introducing new information here.

• Spend time unpacking the rubric, look at how each criterion is marked and how you have showcased this in the paper.

• Using the set text is always recommended, it will help showcase your connection and understanding of the unit content.

• Edit as you write to check for flow and clarity. Try to paraphrase key ideas instead of using long quotes. Please edit and re-read your work as spelling errors are unacceptable. Include clear sentence structure and check grammatical errors. Criterion 4

• Content is required to come from module 2 . You are not to choose Piaget, Bandura or any other theory not identified in the appropriate module.

• All of Bronfenbrenner's systems must be explained and an explicit link to your learning must be included for each one. Criterion 2

• Evidence based research should be linked back to you as well. For example, if you were bullied at school or had a learning issue that affected your learning or one of the systems, then you could use a peer-reviewed journal article or other research to support your discussion.

• Query successful

alphabetical order, and use the correct formatting for each reference, check the use of capital letters and italics).

• High quality references will support your writing with evidence that is credible. General websites have not been through the same type of rigor to determine quality. Use peer-reviewed journal articles (hint: filter library searches for peer-reviewed articles).

• The paper must have references in the body of the essay .

• The references that appear in the paper must appear in the reference list and vice versa.

• If the research does not have an author or year, then avoid it.

• Use academic sources rather than websites. Do not use YouTube as a source.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The assessment is a 1000-word (+/- 10%) critical reflective essay for pre-service teachers titled "Assessment 1: Self-learning portfolio". The primary question to be answered is "Who am I as a learner?". The essay must be written in the first person and draw on content from week 2, specifically making reference to Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model. The reflection must be supported by evidence-based research, including peer-reviewed journal articles, and all sources must be cited using APA 7 referencing. A low similarity percentage (under 15-20%) is required. The structure should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Academic Mentor's Approach to the Assessment

The academic mentor guided the student through the assessment process by breaking it down into a series of manageable, sequential steps. The overall approach was to ensure the student understood the core requirements and could methodically build their essay, integrating theoretical concepts with personal reflection and academic evidence.

Step 1: Initial Conceptualization and Planning

The mentor first advised the student to spend time thinking about their own personal learning journey and how it relates to Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model. The student was prompted to physically draw a bioecological map of their life. This hands-on exercise helped the student visualize and categorize the various systems and influences (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem) that have shaped them as a learner. This step was crucial for personalizing the abstract theory and generating specific, relevant examples.

Step 2: Drafting the Essay - Section by Section

The mentor then guided the student through the drafting process, focusing on each key section of the essay:

1. Introduction: The student was advised to draft the introduction later, once the main points of the essay were clear. This ensured the introduction accurately reflected the essay's content and purpose. The introduction would set the scene and outline the main arguments.

2. Defining the Model: The mentor instructed the student to first provide a clear definition for each of the five systems of the bio-ecological model. The emphasis was on paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism and properly acknowledging sources.

3. Integrating Personal Examples and Evidence: This was a core part of the process. For each system, the student was told to:

   • Provide a specific personal example from their childhood or schooling.

   • Link this personal example to their learning journey.

   • Find evidence-based research to support their reflections. For instance, if the personal example was about a positive teacher-student relationship, the student had to find a peer-reviewed journal article on that topic. The mentor specifically directed the student to use the ACU library website or Google Scholar and avoid un-rigorous sources like general websites or YouTube. This step ensured the essay was not just a personal story but a well-supported academic piece.

4. Conclusion: The mentor advised the student to conclude by summarizing the key points discussed in the body of the paper, tying everything back to the central question: "Who am I as a learner?" No new information was to be introduced here.

Step 3: Focusing on Academic Rigor and Formatting

The mentor also placed a strong emphasis on the technical aspects of academic writing, highlighting the importance of:

• APA 7 Referencing: The student was guided on how to correctly format in-text citations and the final reference list, including details like using page numbers for direct quotes and creating a hanging indent.

• Plagiarism Avoidance: The mentor stressed the importance of paraphrasing and proper citation to keep the similarity percentage low. The student was reminded to reference all ideas that were not their own.

• Proofreading: The student was encouraged to edit and re-read their work carefully to check for spelling and grammatical errors, which are unacceptable for a university-level assignment.

Learning Objectives and Outcome

This step-by-step approach ensured the student covered all the required learning objectives. The final outcome was an essay that not only met the technical requirements but also demonstrated a deep understanding of the concepts. The key learning objectives covered were:

• Critical Reflection: The student learned to critically reflect on their personal experiences and link them to broader theoretical frameworks.

• Application of Theory: The student demonstrated an understanding and application of Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model by using it as a lens to analyze their own development.

• Academic Research and Writing: The student practiced finding and integrating evidence-based research from academic sources, correctly citing them, and structuring a formal academic essay.

• Plagiarism and Referencing: The student developed a strong understanding of APA 7 referencing and the importance of avoiding plagiarism.

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