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Overview

Course Prescription

A reflective examination of the theory and practice of educational leadership including the leadership of teaching and learning. Emphasis will be placed on the synthesis of a substantive and integrated knowledge base, which can be applied to authentic work situations and a personal practice context. Focuses on contemporary leadership practices that are central to effective educational leadership.

Course Overview

We look forward to engaging with you over the next semester as you begin or continue on your educational leadership journey. This course is designed to complement your leadership knowledge, skills, and disposition in the educational context you are currently working in. The overall aim of this course is to assist you in improving educational outcomes for those you serve.  
The course will explore leadership theory and how it links to leadership practice. We examine the complexity of leading learning in educational settings with a focus on leading professional learning and developing adaptive expertise. Further, we explore theories of interpersonal effectiveness, with a specific focus on problem-solving conversations. Teaching and learning in this course is aimed to provide you with opportunities to directly apply theory to your context. We will explore leadership and leadership practice that is context appropriate and student-centred, and explore ways to apply this knowledge to your work situation.

Workload Expectations

This course is a 30-point course.
Students are expected to:- spend 20 hours per week engaging with course activities, readings and assignment-related preparation. Some weeks you may spend more time learning than in others.- keep up with all the readings, activities and tasks in the weekly learning cycle- attend the synchronous zooms or actively watch the recording
Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements through electronic communication (verbal or written) with the course director or lecturer.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Restriction

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City
Auckland Online

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes you need to select which mode you will enrol in:

Campus Experience Delivery Mode
Students are expected to prepare for the on-campus experience by engaging with the course learning material on the CANVAS learning platform. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. The on-campus experience is a bi-weekly 3 hour class and focuses on gaining a deeper grasp of educational leadership concepts and how they can be applied in context. In the alternate week a one hour Zoom drop-in session is offered.  These are interactive on-campus classes and are not be recorded so attendance in person is needed to learn from these.
 Online Delivery Mode
Course learning material is provided on CANVAS. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. An additional synchronous Zoom teaching session is offered every week.  Where appropriate, aspects of these synchronous sessions will be recorded for students to watch later.  In the alternate week a one hour Zoom drop-in session is offered.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course is a 12-week course with 12 modules. Each week follows this cycle: • Before each week, you'll hear from your lecturer to orient you to the week's learning foci and highlight key information.

On-Campus Delivery OptionDuring the week, students will: - engage with learning materials, readings and activities on CANVAS (a learning and collaboration tool). While this mainly involves independent learning (e.g. reading articles and modular materials, taking notes, listening to podcasts or watching videos).  - Attend an on-campus class each week with the lecturer and their peers to ponder questions, collaborate, and consider how the theories they've learnt can be applied to practice. - Students can reflect on and self-diagnose their learning needs. Where required, students can ask questions on discussion boards or on Zoom. This weekly schedule complements assignments designed to deepen learning and support theory-to-practice application. Students are also encouraged to set up study groups if they prefer social in-person learning.

On-line Delivery OptionDuring the week, students will:- engage with learning materials, readings and activities on CANVAS (a learning and collaboration tool). While this mainly involves independent learning (e.g. reading articles and modular materials, taking notes, listening to podcasts or watching videos), students will also be required to interact with peers in social learning (e.g. collaborative discussions, peer review).- Attend a Zoom each week with the lecturer and your peers (can view recording if unable to attend) to ponder questions, collaborate, and consider how the theories they've learnt can be applied to practice.- Students can reflect on and self-diagnose their learning needs. Where required, students will ask questions on discussion boards or at Zoom.This weekly schedule complements assignments designed to deepen learning and support theory-to-practice application. Students are also encouraged to set up study groups if they prefer social in-person learning.

Module

There are twelve modules for this course covering the following topics:

1. Powerful educational leadership
2. Leading professional learning
3. Developing adaptive expertise
4. Exploring deliberate acts of facilitation
5. Inquiry and evaluative thinking
6. Leading inquiry
7. Solving complex problems
8. Building relational trust
9. Understanding theories of action
10. Effective problem-solving conversations

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Course materials are made available on the learning platform Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the lecturer .Canvas materials are copyrighted: they may be used by students to improve education in educational establishments but may not be used commercial purpose.
Throughout this course, the following textbooks will be used:
Le Fevre, D., Timperley, H., Twyford, K., & Ell, F. (2020). Leading powerful professional learning: Responding to complexity with adaptive expertise. Corwin.
Timperley, H., Ell, F., Le Fevre, D. M., & Twyford, K. (2020). Leading professional learning: Practical strategies for impact in schools.  Australian Council for Educational Research.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

This course is best suited to educational professionals with experience in leading. Therefore, to do well in this course, we recommend students have the following experience: • At least three years in an education-related profession where responsibilities directly impact students' learning outcomes. • At least 1 year of experience in a leadership role(s) or leading projects. In this role, you should have been responsible or jointly responsible for coordinating groups of educational professionals to improve students' learning outcomes.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Additional Information on Academic integrity

The course uses turnitin.

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

To pass this course students must submit all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees. At the end of every semester, students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees. Student feedback has been considered in the planning of this course.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.