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M.Ed on Education and Innovation: EDUENG3 - Curriculum Design, Development and Progression in English Language and Literacy

Course Description

This course focuses on curriculum design and development principles and practices in English language and literacy and their application in the English language classroom. Students will develop in-depth understanding of relevant principles and practices, and critically reflect on curriculum development for language and literacy skills in the UAE context. This evaluative process will allow them to apply relevant principles and effective practices from current research to develop medium to long-term English language learning pathways that foster English language and literacy skills progression. Students will also learn to critically self-evaluate their professional practice, knowledge and skills in terms of promoting and optimising curriculum progression and embedded assessment in the classroom.

Books

Education in the United Arab Emirates by Kay Gallagher (Editor)
ISBN: 9789811377358
Publication Date: 2019-05-30
This book provides an overview of the evolution of education in the United Arab Emirates from its humble beginnings in palm frond huts, to today's proliferation of prestigious international schools and global university branch campuses. The chapter authors are academic experts who have extensive first-hand experience of contemporary developments in the country's various educational sectors. The book addresses innovations and transformations in Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, K-12 Schooling, Language Education in Arabic and English, Quality Assurance, Special Needs, STEM Education, and Teacher Education and Professional Development.
Handbook of Adolescent Literacy Research by Leila Christenbury (Editor); Randy Bomer (Editor); Peter Smagorinsky (Editor)
ISBN: 9781593858292
Publication Date: 2008-09-26
The first comprehensive research handbook of its kind, this volume showcases innovative approaches to understanding adolescent literacy learning in a variety of settings. Distinguished contributors examine how well adolescents are served by current instructional practices and highlight ways to translate research findings more effectively into sound teaching and policymaking. The book emphasizes social and cultural factors in adolescents' approach to communication and response to instruction, and sections address literacy both in and out of schools, including literacy expectations in the contemporary workplace. Detailed attention is given to issues of diversity and individual differences among learners. Winner--Literacy Research Association's Edward B. Fry Book Award
Visible Learning for Literacy, Grades K-12 by Douglas Fisher; Nancy Frey; John Hattie
ISBN: 9781506332352
Publication Date: 2016-04-12
What if someone slipped you a piece of paper listing the literacy practices that ensure students demonstrate more than a year's worth of learning for a year spent in school? Would you keep the paper or throw it away? We think you'd keep it. And that's precisely why acclaimed educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie wrote Visible Learning for Literacy. They know teachers will want to apply Hattie's head-turning synthesis of more than 15 years of research involving millions of students, which he used to identify the instructional routines that have the biggest impact on student learning. These practices are "visible" for teachers and students to see, because their purpose has been made clear, they are implemented at the right moment in a student's learning, and their effect is tangible. Yes, the "aha" moments made visible by design.

Course Resources

Week 1

Introduction to the Course

Course Outline Curriculum reforms in the UAE History of English in the UAE K-12 Curriculum

Required readings

Kippels, S., & Ridge, N. (2019). The growth and transformation of K–12 education in the UAE. In Education in the United Arab Emirates (pp. 37-55). Springer. Chapter 3
Gobert, M. T. (2019). Transformation in English language education in the UAE. In Education in the United Arab Emirates (pp. 113- 126). Springer, Chapter 7

Recommended readings

Matsumoto, A. (2019). Literature review on education reform in the UAE. International Journal of Educational Reform, 28(1), 4-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056787918824188

Week 2

Curriculum Progression and development

Overview of models and trends in curriculum development

Classroom-level curriculum development

Required readings

Shawer, S. F. (2017). Teacher-driven curriculum development at the classroom level: Implications for curriculum, pedagogy and teacher training. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 296-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.12.017
Bailey, A. L., & Heritage, M. (2014). The role of language learning progressions in improved instruction and assessment of English language learners. Tesol Quarterly, 48(3), 480-506. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.176

Recommended readings

Alsubaie, M. A. (2016). Curriculum development: Teacher involvement in curriculum development. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(9), 106-107. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1095725.pdf

Week 3

The English language curriculum: Progression pathways

Required readings

Burroughs, R., & Smagorinsky, P. (2009). The secondary English curriculum and adolescent literacy. In Handbook of Adolescent Literacy Research, 170-182.
Grant, J. O., & Pauly, H. M. (2016). Five, Oops, I Mean Six Big Ideas of Literacy. Colleagues, 13(1), 10. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/colleagues/vol13/iss1/10

Recommended readings

Ziegenfuss, R. G., Odhiambo, E., & Keyes, C. (2014). How Can We Help Students Who Are English Language Learners Succeed? Current Issues in Middle Level Education, 19(1), 58- 62. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1087693.pdf

Week 4

The English language curriculum: Progression pathways

Required readings

Various curriculum documents for local and international curricula. - Ministry of Education English Language Curriculum:
National English Language Curriculum Framework (MoE, UAE - 2018)
National curriculum in England: English programmes of study

Recommended readings

Weekes, T., & Jones, P. (2021). The challenges of mapping literacy development across the years of schooling. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 44(2), 11-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03652069
Jackson, F. (2020, December 1). Developing Curriculum Progression – forwards, backwards, up, down and across. Cambridge Assessment International. https://blog.cambridgeinternational.org/developing-curriculumprogression-forwards-backwards-up-down-and-across/

The challenges of mapping literacy development across the years of schooling

Week 5

Classroom strategies for curriculum progression Part 1

Laying the Groundwork for Visible Learning for Literacy

Required reading

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin Press. Chapter 1 (pp. 1-34)

Visible Learning Chapter 1 : Laying the groundwork for visible learning for literacy

Week 6

Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 2

Surface Literacy Learning

Required reading

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin Press. Chapter 2 (pp. 35-70)

Visible Learning Chapter 2 : Surface literacy learning

Week 7

Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 3

Deep Literacy Learning

Required reading

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin Press. Chapter 3 (pp. 71-104)

Visible Learning Chapter 3: Deep Literacy learning

Week 8

Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 4

Teaching Literacy for Transfer

Required reading

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin Press. Chapter 4 (pp. 105-131)

Visible Learning Chapter 4: Teaching literacy for Transfer

Week 9

Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 1

Meeting the UAE standards

Required readings

Teacher Standards for the UAE: [here]
UAE inspection framework: [here]

Recommended reading

Hakuta, K., Santos, M., & Fang, Z. (2013). Challenges and opportunities for language learning in the context of the CCSS and the NGSS. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(6), 451-454. https://doi.org/10.1002/JAAL.164

Challenges and Opportunities for Language Learning in the Context of the CCSS and the NGSS

Week 10

Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 2

Teacher Reflection and Pupil Voice

Required readings

Marcos, J. M., Sanchez, E., & Tillema, H. H. (2011). Promoting teacher reflection: What is said to be done. Journal of Education for Teaching, 37(1), 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2011.538269
McIntyre, D., Pedder*, D., & Rudduck, J. (2005). Pupil voice: comfortable and uncomfortable learnings for teachers. Research papers in education, 20(2), 149-168. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520500077970

Week 11

Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 3

Determining Impact, Responding When Impact Is Insufficient, and Knowing What Does Not Work

Required reading

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin Press. Chapter 5 (pp. 133-169)

Visible Learning Chapter 5 : Determining impact, responding when the impact is insufficient, and knowing what does not work