EEE755 - Numeracy, Social Justice and New Pedagogies

Year:

2023 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online

For D303 and D304 students only:

Trimester 3: Online

Credit point(s): 1
EFTSL value: 0.125
Cohort rule:

Students commencing in 2020 must be enrolled in course D303, D304, E761, E762, E763, E764 or E765

Prerequisite:

D303 or D304 course students must have passed 24 credit points of study at levels 1, 2 & 3 with a minimum WAM of 60%

Corequisite:

EEE754

Incompatible with:

EEE751

Study commitment

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

Scheduled learning activities - campus

Time engaging in learning activities is expected to total a combined equivalent of 8-10 hours per week.

This includes engagement with materials, responses to tasks, independent study and 1 hour online lecture + 2 hour workshop (on-campus at Burwood or online) per non-placement teaching week (approx. 6-9 weeks).

Scheduled learning activities - online

Time engaging in learning activities is expected to total a combined equivalent of 8-10 hours per week.

This includes engagement with materials, responses to tasks, regular forum posting and responding to others, scheduled synchronous online discussions and independent study during non-placement teaching weeks (approx. 6-9 weeks).

It is highly recommended that you attend scheduled synchronous discussions in CloudDeakin throughout the trimester.

In-person attendance requirements

Students who are completing professional experience placements are not required to attend classes or scheduled synchronous sessions during the placement.

Content

This Unit introduces students to the development of a critical perspective in statistics.

This is facilitated by two instructional objectives: 

  1. understanding mathematics and connecting mathematics across the disciplines.
  2. Becoming an accomplished critic of statistical texts requires both an understanding of the mathematics and an awareness of how people use numbers persuasively to win arguments and influence public policy.

This Unit is grounded in the belief that mathematics and science are not ethically and morally neutral, but are social enterprises that have a significant social responsibility. It is therefore essential to explore the uses of mathematics, such as standardised testing, in their social and political context. Unless these contexts become a regular part of the learning of mathematics, the social significance of mathematics is lost and it becomes a field of abstract calculations.

This Unit has a strong focus on national issues of social justice, including the consideration of issues of current and historical concern to Indigenous Australians. It also takes an international focus, recognising that at the societal level mathematics is mediated by various institutions and people and is therefore subject to the political and ideological forces in that society. If teachers are to be the kind of critics who enable and enhance social justice, it is important to recognise that the practice of mathematics is a social process, with significant consequences for individuals and for communities, and essential to the democratic enterprise.

The Unit adopts a pedagogical approach that encourages questioning, argumentation and problem posing, as well as the use of multiple forms of representation, such as writing, drawing, graphical displays and models, to enable students to become competent and critical users of data. 

Unit Fee Information

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