Overview

This unit introduces pre-service teachers to different learning perspectives and how they relate to contemporary theories of learning. The unit challenges them to reflect upon their own belief system and how this aligns with contemporary approaches to teaching and learning and the capacity to create effective learning environments.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
04-November-2024
09-February-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-November-2024
Census date
29-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
27-December-2024
Results released date
04-March-2025
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Teaching Period 2
Location
Online
Start and end dates
07-July-2025
05-October-2025
Last self-enrolment date
20-July-2025
Census date
01-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
22-August-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Recognise and explain why learning is a complex concept
  • Describe and define learning theories and articulate their benefits and limitations
  • Describe and compare different learning perspectives and relate them to contemporary theories of learning
  • Relate and reflect upon personal beliefs about learning and teaching to contemporary theories and how this impacts on practice
  • Identify and predict factors that contribute to effective learning environments
  • Identify how research aligns with theories of teaching and learning and informs education

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture		 1.00  12 weeks  12
On-campus
Class		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Specified Activities
Various		 6.00  8 weeks  48
Unspecified Activities
Various		 5.50  12 weeks  66
TOTAL     150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Case Studies Group  60%  2,3,4,5 
Essay Individual  40%  1,3,6 

Content

  • Complexities of learning
  • What is a learning theory
  • Where do theories come from and how are they used
  • Benefits and limitations of learning theories
  • Application of learning theories to practice
  • World views and their impact on practice
  • Behavioural perspectives
  • Cognitive perspectives
  • Constructivist/Socio-cultural perspectives
  • Poststructural perspectives
  • Contemporary theories from different perspectives
  • Teaching and learning processes/pedagogy
  • Overview of how research is used in education

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.