FACULTY OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND LAW
CHANGE TO AN EXISTING TOPIC FORM
This form should only be used to amend existing topics (a list of existing topics is available at:
http://stusyswww.flinders.edu.au/topic.taf). New topics should be submitted on the New Topic
Proposal Form.
If you only want to make changes to the Teaching Mode/Location or to Topic Coordinator then you
do not need to complete this form. Instead please email the details to
[email protected].
If you only want to make changes to the Topic Requisites/Assumed Knowledge, please seek
approval from the Topic Coordinator and email the details to [email protected].
If you want to make changes to topic availabilities please contact your school Administrative
Officer as there is a separate process for these request.
For all other changes please complete this form by placing an X in the relevant box(s) (double
click on the box and select “Checked” as the default value) and then answer the subsequent
questions.
Topics must be developed according to the: Course and Topic Development, Approval and Management
policy; and the Evaluation, Monitoring and Review of Academic Programs and Teaching policy.
1.
Current Topic Code and Title:
2.
The reason for the change is:
3.
The change is to take effect from:
4.
Year:
Semester:
Discontinue the topic
(This will remove the topic entirely from the system and as a result it can never be offered again)
Change the title of the current topic:
(New Version Required)
New Title (150 characters max):
5.
NB: to ensure the topic name is updated in the relevant course rules, please complete a Minor
Change to an Existing Course form available at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/ehl/for-staff/courseand-topic-approval.cfm
6.
Change the Field of Education Code to :
(New Version Required)
Before submitting a change to the Field of Education Code please contact the Faculty General
Manager, Mr Simon MacDonald ([email protected])
7.
Change Result Type (grade) to:
University (normal grading eg HD, DN, CR, P, F)
Non-Grade Pass Only
Change the topic unit value:
(New Version Required)
Current Unit Value:
New Unit Value (eg 4.5, 9 or 18 units):
8.
If unit value is greater than 4.5 units, provide an explanation for the increased topic weighting being
necessary for the academic purposes of topic:
9.
Change Topic Coordinator/Convenor:
(If this is the only change to be made to the topic, then you do not need to complete this form.
Please email the name of the new Topic Coordinator to [email protected]).
New Topic Coordinator/Convenor:
Change Department(s) teaching the topic and/or percentage taught by each:
10.
New Department(s) and/or percentage:
Change Activity Duration and/or Frequency:
Tuition Pattern
Please refer to the university Standard Student Workload policy under Appendix B, Clause 2:
http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/student/assessment-policy.cfm
For guidance - in terms of student contact and face-to-face teaching, in first level a maximum of three (3)
hours teaching for 4.5 unit topics, and in general no more than two (2) hours for an upper-level topic, with
a maximum of three (3) hours as more independent learning should be required on the part of the
student. Again where there are legitimate reasons for different time commitments, approval will be given
when a case is made.
Current details:
Activity
(e.g. Lecture)
Duration
(e.g. 1hr, (60 mins))
Frequency
Requires timetabling
(e.g. 3 times per week)
(Y/N)
11.
New details (choose only from the following activities to complete the table):
Lecture
Tutorial
Seminar
Workshop
Intensive Workshop
Field Placement
Field Trip
Industry Placement
Activity
(e.g. Lecture)
Language Laboratory
Project Work
Supervised Study
Independent Study
Film Screening
On-Line Exercises
On-Line Tutorials
On-Line Lecture
Duration
(e.g. 1hr, (60 mins))
Computer Laboratory
Clinical Placement
Clinical Orientation
Excursion
Laboratory
Practical
Negotiated Program
Frequency
Requires timetabling
(e.g. 3 times per week)
(Y/N)
2
Change Availability of Topic
12.
(i.e. change when the topic is
being offered or the
availability’s location)
Please contact your school Administrative Officer as there is a
separate process for these requests
Change the Topic Requisites and/or Assumed Knowledge:
(If this is the only change to be made to the topic, then you do not need to complete this form. Please
seek approval and email the details to [email protected]).
Degree restrictions
Prerequisites
Co-Requisites
Anti-Requisites / Equivalent Topics
Assumed Knowledge
13.
Current details (copy and paste from the website http://stusyswww.flinders.edu.au/topic.taf):
New details:
Change the Syllabus:
Current Syllabus: (copy and paste from the website http://stusyswww.flinders.edu.au/topic.taf)
14.
New Syllabus:
Change the Educational Aims:
Current Aims: (copy and paste from the website http://stusyswww.flinders.edu.au/topic.taf):
15.
New Aims:




Change the Expected Learning Outcomes:
Current Expected Learning Outcomes:
(copy and paste from the website http://stusyswww.flinders.edu.au/topic.taf):
New Expected Learning Outcomes:
16.
(Please refer to guidelines at end of form. Please choose one of the examples below to use as a lead
statement for the expected learning outcomes)
[On completion of this topic students will be able to:]
[It is expected that as a result of work in this topic, students will:]
[It is expected that on completion of this topic students will have:]
[For successful completion of this topic students will:]



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Change the Innovation and Enterprise content:
Does the change of syllabus/aims/outcomes result in the topic becoming an ‘innovation and
enterprise topic’?
17.
Yes
No
(Pursuant to the University’s association with the Fox School of Business, an ‘innovation and enterprise topic’
is defined as a topic where a Fox-linked module contributes to at least 40% of the topic content.
Change the Assessment Methods (these are only published for 1st year topics):
(All assessment must be of a kind appearing on this list. There is a University expectation that a variety of
assessment methods will be available to students and that no topic should be assessed by a single method
carrying a 100% weighting. Please provide the weighting only for exams. The weighting for an exam can be a
range e.g. 40-60%).
Add
Delete
Assignment(s)
Aural
Examination(s) (% weighting = )
Fieldwork
Laboratory exercise(s)
Laboratory participation
Library exercise
Oral
Placement
Practical work
Project
Seminar
Test(s)
Tutorial participation
Tutorial presentation
Other
18.
Will the proposed changes impact on the extent to which this topic contributes towards the
acquisition of each of the Graduate Qualities (for undergraduate topics only)?
Yes* (please complete the box below)
19.
No (please go to item 20.)
* The School Teaching and Learning Committee (or equivalent) must confirm, by signing the
Approval section below, that the course(s) in which this topic is offered will continue to meet the
Graduate Qualities.
Please indicate the extent to which the
amended topic contributes towards the
acquisition of each of the Graduate
Qualities. Mark with a “√”.
Graduates:
Limited
contribution
(implicit
component of
topic
curriculum)
Contributes
(explicit
discussion)
Significant
contribution
(explicit
component of
assessment)
Not
applicable
(N/A)
 who are knowledgeable
 who can apply their knowledge
 who communicate effectively
 who can work independently
 who are collaborative
 who value ethical behaviour
 who can connect across boundaries
4
Resource Requirements
20.
21.
Will additional staff resources be required
to support the topic changes? If yes,
please specify.
No
Will the changes impact on any other
resource requirements? If yes, please
specify.
No
Yes. Please specify:
Yes. Please specify:
(e.g. library, ICT, support for flexible delivery,
equipment, physical resources)
22.
Have these resource requirements been
approved by your School Dean?
Yes
No
APPROVAL:
Name:
Topic Coordinator:
Signature:
Date:
Name:
Approval of School Teaching
and Learning Committee
(or equivalent)
Signature:
Date:
Name:
Approval of Executive Dean
(or delegate)
Signature:
Date:
Once approved by the School Teaching and Learning Committee, please submit an electronic copy
in Word and a signed PDF copy of the form to Olga Pinto ([email protected]) in the
Faculty Office.
Updated February 2017
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Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Guidelines for Expected Learning Outcomes
The University has undertaken a compliance review of all of its coursework degrees to ensure that
course learning outcomes are at the appropriate level of the Australian Qualification Framework
(AQF). In order to ensure course level learning outcomes can be met the topic level learning
outcomes also need to be at an appropriate level, noting that courses may, and would often have a
progression of topic levels within a program of study. However postgraduate and Honours courses
cannot include topics coded at levels 1000 - 6000.
The AQF places Honours, Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas at Level 8. Topics coded
7000 and 8000 may appear interchangeably in those awards, and consequently in Masters degrees.
However, as a minimum at least 18 units in a coursework Masters must be coded at 9000.
Further information on AQF level learning outcomes is available at: http://www.aqf.edu.au/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/AQF-2nd-Edition-January-2013.pdf
The learning outcomes stated on the topic proposal form will be reproduced on the University Web
and accessible to students via WebCT.
Learning outcomes are derived from aims – they represent the translation of aims into specific,
tangible, attainable terms. Learning outcomes convey to students what they will learn by describing
what students will be able to do or accomplish.
Examples of the sort of lead statements that can precede a list of learning outcomes are:
• On completing this topic students will be able to:
• It is expected that as a result of work in this topic, students will:
• It is expected that on completion of this topic students will have:
• For successful completion of this topic students will:
Each outcome should then complete the sentence thus begun. The rest of the sentence will relate in
some way to a skill, knowledge or attribute you expect students to develop.
Bloom's Taxonomy of Education Objectives (revised version) contains some useful words for stating
expected learning outcomes, such as remember, apply, analyse, evaluate and create. (See Krathwol,
David; Anderson, Lorin; et. al. (2000). A taxonomy of learning for teaching: A revision of Bloom’s
taxonomy of educational objectives. NY: Addison-Wesley-Longman.
Ideally a topic should have outcomes at a range of levels on this scale. It is helpful if you can keep
each outcome fairly simple; try to avoid mixing up different skills or aspects of the subject-matter in
one outcome. This is particularly important if different skills or aspects are to be assessed via
different methods.
Outcomes should be concrete, so words that describe a process, like 'examine', are more
appropriate in descriptions of aims than in statements of expected learning outcomes. Outcomes
should indicate what you will be looking for when you are assessing students. Some good words to
use are found at
http://www.flinders.edu.au/Teaching_and_Learning_Files/Documents/useful%20verbs%20for%20ILO
s.pdf. Avoid using comparatives such as “increase”; “more”; “further”, etc, as these words imply a
need to diagnose where students are at the outset of the topic before being able to evaluate whether
they achieved the outcomes intended for them in the topic concerned.
Because the link between outcomes and assessment is essential, it is very helpful to think about your
assessment strategies and criteria when framing your expected learning outcomes.
For BEd topics there is potential for confusion in referring to Flinders students and school students.
For consistency, it is suggested that Flinders BEd students be referred to as pre-service teachers.
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