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Course Procedure - Combined Teaching

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Procedure sets out the requirements and processes of combined teaching in award courses at the University of Canberra (University).

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Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to:

  1. award courses Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels 5 to 10; and
  2. undergraduate and postgraduate coursework units (units).

(3) This Procedure is to be read in conjunction with the:

  1. Course Policy;
  2. Course Procedure - Courses and Course Components;
  3. Course Procedure - Courses and Course Components (Development, Revision, Suspension and Closure);
  4. Course Procedure - Monitoring, Review and Improvement (MRI);
  5. Academic Staff Qualifications and Professional or Industry Experience Equivalence Policy and Academic Staff Qualifications and Professional or Industry Experience Equivalence Procedure;
  6. Course Delivery by Third Party Providers Policy and Course Delivery by Third Party Providers Procedure;
  7. Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures;
  8. Unit Outline Procedure.
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Section 3 - Procedure

(4) The University recognises that there may be overlap in the content of units in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses when students are being introduced to new areas of study.

(5) Co-taught units are two units at different AQF levels that are combined and taught together.

(6) Academic qualification requirements for teaching co-taught units are in accordance with the Academic Staff Qualifications and Professional or Industry Experience Equivalence Policy and Academic Staff Qualifications and Professional or Industry Experience Equivalence Procedure and are based on the role and responsibilities undertaken by the individual academic staff member such as Unit Convener or Tutor.

(7) The Course Procedure - Courses and Course Components provides AQF and unit level requirements for co-taught units. Units that may be co-taught are:

  1. UG level 1 to 4 units with level H (honours) units and/or level G (graduate (G)) units; and
  2. PG level (postgraduate) units and UG level units that are AQF 7 or higher.

(8) The content and structure of co-taught units must address the educational needs of the student cohorts, including learning characteristics, prior skills and knowledge and application of skills and knowledge.

(9) Co-taught units are differentiated by the required knowledge and skills and application of knowledge and skills as described in the AQF for the level of course in which the unit is taken. The AQF level is provided in the corresponding Course Assurance Summary, which must identify the units as being co-taught.

Enrolment

(10) Units that are co-taught at different AQF levels will have the same unit title, aside from the designated level.

(11) The unit summary of a co-taught unit is written to align with the corresponding AQF level of the unit and must include a statement that the unit is co-taught.

(12) Students must enrol in the co-taught unit that is an academic requirement of the course they are enrolled in and in accordance with the Enrolment Policy and Enrolment Procedure.

Unit outline

(13) Each co-taught unit must have a unit outline, which is written in accordance with the Unit Outline Procedure.

Review and approval

(14) The process for approving and reviewing a co-taught unit is in accordance with the Course Procedure - Courses and Course Components (Development, Revision, Suspension and Closure) and Course Procedure - Monitoring, Review and Improvement.

(15) Co-taught units should be developed/revised simultaneously to ensure the content and structure, including learning activities, learning outcomes and assessment design of the two units are consistent with this Procedure and are quality assured utilising the Co-taught Unit Quality Assurance Checklist.

Learning outcomes

(16) The unit learning outcomes of co-taught units must be consistent with the:

  1. AQF level of the unit as described in the associated Course Assurance Summary; and
  2. the unit level as described in the Course Procedure - Courses and Course Components. 

(17) Learning outcomes in the higher AQF level unit must have increased breadth and/or depth of skills and knowledge, and application of skills and knowledge to ensure the AQF learning outcome descriptors are met and for coursework units align with the course learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the respective courses. This may be achieved by modifying the learning outcome(s) in the lower AQF level or including extra learning outcome(s) in the higher AQF level.

(18) Co-taught units enable the different student cohorts to learn from each other as they each bring a range of knowledge and skills attained through completion of their coursework, prior learning, professional and/or life experiences.

Summative assessment

(19) Assessment requirements of co-taught units must:

  1. be in accordance with the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures; and
  2. align to the unit learning outcomes of each unit.

(20) Summative assessment must align to the learning outcomes of each unit that is co-taught and require:

  1. different summative assessment tasks and summative assessment rubrics; or
  2. the same summative assessment task with different summative assessment rubrics.

(21) For summative assessments that are group-based, students must be grouped according to the unit in which they are enrolled.

Formative and learning activities

(22) Formative activities in co-taught units must align to the unit learning outcomes of each unit.

(23) Students enrolled in co-taught units:

  1. require separate tutorials or other small group teaching activities such as laboratories (where appropriate); and
  2. may meet separately or together for activities such as learning activities and study groups.

Exceptions

(24) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) has delegated authority to approve exceptions to this Procedure.

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Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities

Who
Responsibility
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC)
  • Approve exceptions to this Procedure.
Students
  • Enrol in the:
    • appropriate level of the co-taught unit(s) as required for their enrolled course; and
    • appropriate tutorial group or other group teaching activities associated with the unit enrolled.
  • Complete summative assessment in accordance with the Unit Outline for co-taught units.
Unit Conveners
  • Ensure:
    • the unit outline for each co-taught unit is in accordance with the Unit Outline Procedure.
    • content and structure of each co-taught unit meets the educational and learning requirements of the different student cohorts.
    • the learning outcomes are written to align with the AQF level of each unit.
    • the summative assessment and summative assessment rubrics of co-taught units are in accordance with the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures and differentiated to align with the AQF level of the co-taught units.
    • groups for summative assessments which are group-based are based on the unit which the student is enrolled in.
    • small group class activities are timetabled for each unit and students are aware they must enrol in the class activity aligned with the AQF level of the unit they are enrolled in (where appropriate).
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Section 5 - Definitions

Term
Meaning
Combined teaching/co-teaching
The combined delivery of two units at different AQF levels.
Coursework
A method of teaching and learning that leads to the acquisition of skills and knowledge that does not include a major research component.
Graduate unit G
The designation G in a unit title denotes a unit that does not assume undergraduate studies in the discipline of the unit content. Units at G level represent initial or intermediate postgraduate skills and knowledge.
Postgraduate course
One of the following Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) qualifications that has been approved by the University’s Academic Board:
  • graduate certificate;
  • graduate diploma;
  • masters degree (coursework); and
  • masters degree (extended).
Postgraduate unit (P)
The designation PG in a unit title denotes a unit which extends studies beyond undergraduate, including Honours, and graduate level. Units at PG level represent advanced postgraduate knowledge and skills.
Research unit (R)
Units designed to provide students with research training.
Summative assessment
Has the same meaning as the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures.
Summative assessment rubric
Has the same meaning as the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures.
Undergraduate course
Has the same meaning as the University of Canberra (Admission) Rules 2022.
Unit levels (undergraduate units)
Means units ranging from level 1 (introductory) to level 4 (advanced) that provide scaffolded learning from foundation level skills and knowledge progressing to a broadening and deepening of knowledge and skills in first year units to fourth year units.
Unit outline
The official and approved information about a unit offering.