EDC2400 Assignment 1 – Task Sheet

ASSIGNMENT 1  
Topic: Critical reflection of Module 1 & 2 content
Format: Critical reflection journal
Due date: 11th January, 2021
Total marks: 30 marks
Weighting: 30%
Word count: Reflection activities – min 200 words; max 400 words
Critical reflection – min 300 words; max 500 words

Context:
During this course, you will need to respond to reflection activities
throughout the module 1 & 2 content booklets. These critical reflections
will cover a range of topics about special education, inclusion and
students with additional educational needs.

The reflection activities are designed to help you engage in ongoing

personal, critical reflection of your knowledge, beliefs and attitudes
regarding students with additional educational needs and the educational
community’s responsibilities in meeting the needs of all students.

This assessment is not designed to be a summative assessment piece.

Rather, it is designed to be an accumulation of ongoing, formative tasks
throughout the semester. That is, students should contribute to their
critical reflection journal progressively throughout the first two modules of
the semester. As an extension activity - students can post their reflections
into StudyDesk forums and receive feedback from both their peers and
the course teaching team prior to submitting their final critical reflection
journal.
TASK DETAILS FOR CRITICAL REFLECTION JOURNAL

Please see the ‘Elements of a quality reflection’ document for

additional information on this task (Located on StudyDesk in the
Assignment 1 tab)
Part A:
Presentation of two initial reflection activities relating to the Core Critical
Reflection Focus (week 1).
You will write an initial reflection response to the core critical reflection
activity. You will work through the Critical Reflection Module booklet and
participate in the critical reflection tutorial. The tutorial will be presented
live or you can engage with the recording. You will then re-write or adjust
your reflection response to encompass the key elements of a critical
reflection response.
Both reflection responses will be copied into the submission template
(provided on StudyDesk) to demonstrate your understanding of ‘how’ to
include the key elements of a critical reflection response.
Part B:
Presentation of four reflection activity responses (two from Module 1 &
two from Module 2).
The critical reflection responses must respond to the Critical Reflection
Activities as per the Module 1 and 2 booklets
Reflection activity – ________ (Module __ prompt __)

Copy your reflection responses into the Critical Reflection Journal

template (provided on StudyDesk) to demonstrate your engagement
with, understanding of and critical reflection of Module 1 & 2 content.
Please note: The reflection activity prompt does not need to be included
in the critical reflection journal template

Part C:
Presentation of a critical reflection statement.

In 300 – 500 words, discuss the most important insights (at least 2) you
have gained through engaging in the module 1 & 2 content.

These insights may include (but are not limited to):

  Additional knowledge that you have gained from the content and
how this will impact on the remainder of your pre-service education
and/or your future career as a teacher
 How the knowledge gained from modules 1 & 2 may have
changed/added to your attitudes or beliefs about previous
experiences that you have had either personally, or as a pre-service
teacher (e.g. the use of appropriate strategies with a student with
special educational needs in professional experience placement)
 Changes in your attitude and/or beliefs about students with special
educational needs (e.g. attitude towards inclusion of students with
disabilities in mainstream classrooms)
 An analysis of overall community and/or educational system
attitudes towards students with special educational needs, and how
these attitudes affect student outcomes
 Possible strategies that individual teachers may be able to use to
reduce the educational disadvantage often experienced by students
with special educational needs
 Insights regarding one of the forum discussions you engaged in.
The impact that it had on your knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, and
why.
 Your overall response to the critical reflection process. How did you
find the process, and why? How will you use this in your future
teaching?

FORMAT GUIDELINES
It is important that your assignments are professionally presented. 

 Ensure you have filled out your details in the first box of the
template
 Ensure that all reflection responses are professionally worded and
respectful towards all stakeholders discussed in the response
(Disrespectful and/or inappropriate comments will not receive any
marks in the final assessment)
 Maintain confidentiality in all areas of the reflection responses. That
is, do not name schools, teachers, students, parents etc. unless
express permission is given by the individual
 Demonstrate academic literacy with attention to spelling, grammar,
punctuation and sentence construction
 Use Times New Roman 12 font with 1.5 or double line spacing
It is a requirement that references are used within reflection activity
responses.
A minimum pass requirement for each reflection activity is the use of at
least one reference from the course text and at least one reference from
the course module booklets
When used in a reflection activity response, full references should
be listed at the end of that response using correct APA 7 th style.
A final, complete reference list will be included at the end of the
Critical Reflection Journal.
Full references (both those included at the end of the reflection activity
response, and those in the final reference list) are not included in the
reflection activity word limit.

SUBMITTING THE ASSIGNMENT

This assignment must be submitted using the critical reflection journal
template provided on StudyDesk.
This assessment item must be submitted through the EDC2400
Assignment 1 submission link.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Your assignment will be assessed according to the criteria and weights
below. A detailed marking criteria sheet will be available on Study Desk.

Criteria Mark

1. Original response to Critical Reflection

Activity and updated response 5 marks out of 30

2. Original responses to module 1 forums 10 marks out of 30

3. Original responses to module 2 forums 10 marks out of 30

6. Critical reflection 5 marks out of 30