School Experience as Breadth (EDUC20080)

Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability(Quotas apply)
Semester 1
Semester 2
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This subject will provide an understanding of your university studies within Victorian schools through a substantial school based experience.

The subject includes a placement of 20 hours within a Victorian school classroom, offering an opportunity to collaborate as a Tertiary Student Assistant (TSA) under the guidance of a qualified teacher*. 

The subject is structured to provide a school experience for students in one of two main streams:

  1. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences including Languages (HASS)
  2. Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM)

The TSA placement is supplemented by university-based workshops that will provide insight into the Victorian school system, contemporary approaches to teaching and learning as well as current issues in education.

Placement settings are arranged by Faculty of Education and placement hours can be negotiated by students with their supervising teacher.

*Due to the nature of this breadth subject, we encourage you to carefully consider your ability to commit to the in-person off-campus placement requirements before enrolling. Withdrawals can have a detrimental impact on schools who are relying on our students to assist in their classrooms.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students will:

  • demonstrate a greater understanding of issues related to the learning area as demonstrated through the TSA experience;
  • appreciate the diversity of students within different schools and the impact of this on student learning;
  • have a greater awareness of the complexity of issues impacting education and schools;
  • appreciate how schools and education systems contribute to society;
  • demonstrate improved self-reflection and practical skills.

Generic skills

This subject requires students to demonstrate and improve a range of generic skills. Students will:

  • be able to effectively manage themselves, their time and their skills to complete a workplace project through more highly developed planning and organising skills;
  • be able to use effective interpersonal and communication skills through interaction with a range of diverse colleagues, supervisors, and students;
  • demonstrate improved analytical, problem-solving, research, and report-writing skills through dealing with and incorporating into their reports, a range of issues that emerge within their placement;
  • develop an awareness of the legal and ethical frameworks of schools and the education sector.

Last updated: 9 April 2025

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

Placement Information Form

All applicants must complete a Placement Information Form prior to the commencement of the subject.

Working with Children Check

All applicants must have a valid Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of the placement:

Link

Academic Requirements

Meeting the below requirements does not guarantee selection for a particular placement setting. In assigning settings Faculty of Education can consider prior academic performance.

For the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) stream:

Successful completion of 75 points of Level 1 subjects as well as a previous or current enrolment in at least 25 points of Level 2 subjects, across undergraduate Arts, Music degrees.

For the Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) stream:

Successful completion of 75 points of Level 1 subjects as well as a previous or current enrolment in at least 25 points of Level 2 subjects, across undergraduate Biomedicine, Commerce, Design, Science degrees.

For Languages (other than English) as part of the HASS stream:

A language major, minor, or else a first/advanced language background in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, French, German, and/or Italian. The major/minor may be undertaken concurrently with this subject.

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

None

Recommended background knowledge

For the Languages stream: An intermediate level of communicative competence or higher in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, French, German, and/or Italian.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 9 April 2025

Assessment

DescriptionTimingPercentage

1. Reflective Statement (Please see below)

  • 1200 words
Early semester30%

2. Interactive Classroom Presentation: As a group (up to 4) students present an interactive presentation on a Current Contextual Issue in Education

  • 15 minutes
Mid semester30%

3. Topic report/paper: This is an individual paper prepared from the joint presentation group. Students write a topic/report based on a Current Contextual Issue in Education that was presented in the workshop

  • 1600 words
End of semester40%
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 80% attendance at all tutorials, seminars and workshopsThroughout the teaching periodN/A
Hurdle requirement: 100% attendance on placementN/A

Additional details

1. Reflective Statement (1200 words), due early semester 

Students can choose from the following topics or negotiate another with their tutor

  • Personal / Professional Identity
  • Guided Observation of Classroom Experience
  • Teaching & Learning Activity
  • Classroom Initiative or Challenge

 

Last updated: 9 April 2025

Quotas apply to this subject

Dates & times

  • Semester 1
    Principal coordinatorMerryn Dawborn-Gundlach
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours36 Hours (16 hours workshops and 20 hours of placement)
    Total time commitment170 hours
    Teaching period 3 March 2025 to 1 June 2025
    Last self-enrol date 7 March 2025
    Census date31 March 2025
    Last date to withdraw without fail 9 May 2025
    Assessment period ends27 June 2025

    Semester 1 contact information

    Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach <merryn.dawborn-gundlach@unimelb.edu.au>

  • Semester 2
    Principal coordinatorMerryn Dawborn-Gundlach
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours36 Hours (16 hours workshops and 20 hours of placement)
    Total time commitment170 hours
    Teaching period28 July 2025 to 26 October 2025
    Last self-enrol date 1 August 2025
    Census date 1 September 2025
    Last date to withdraw without fail26 September 2025
    Assessment period ends21 November 2025

    Semester 2 contact information

    Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach <merryn.dawborn-gundlach@unimelb.edu.au>

What do these dates mean

Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:

  • Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
  • And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
       -  Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
     

    Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.

Additional delivery details

Quota: 65 students per semester

  • This subject has an enrolment quota and places are limited.
  • Students must complete a Placement Information Form (which will be sent to enrolled students) prior to the commencement of the subject.
  • If the subject is full, spaces may become available as others withdraw. 

Last updated: 9 April 2025

Further information

Last updated: 9 April 2025