ASSIGNMENT 2: MULTIMODAL PRESENTATION

This assessment requires students to work in cooperative learning groups (max of 3 members per
group) to demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary adolescent development theory,
research and practice as it applies to today’s Australian classroom context.

What you need to do: To successfully complete the assessment students need to refer to the
following vignette:

“Kayla is a Year 7 student who is physically more mature than her peers. She excels in sports and
visual arts at school. She liked maths and science, but now often complains of forgetting class
content and not being able to keep up. Some students have said that she can be withdrawn and
doesn’t share personal information. Other staff members have mentioned that she sometimes
doesn’t show up for class. You notice that she has difficulties with peers of her own age and hangs
around with older students who have been previously reprimanded for using illicit drugs. She has a
supportive home environment however her parents have very limited English language skills, and
are struggling financially. She has said to you that she actually wants to do well at school and
hopefully do visual arts at university, but just needs more help.”

Based on the content covered in this unit you must analyse Kayla’s vignette and:

1. Identify some of the key developmental issues (e.g., brain development, physical
development, social development, cognitive development, moral development etc.) raised
in the vignette;

2. Find and use contemporary research on adolescent development and teaching to offer and
demonstrate how you would assist Kayla. Your approach must demonstrate the use of a
variety of strategies which are designed to increase Kayla’s success at school whilst at the
same time being developmentally appropriate. Your approach must address more than one
developmental issue (e.g., brain development, physical development, social development,
cognitive development, moral development etc.);

3. Clearly justify with contemporary research the suggested approach to assist Kayla. You must
identify and cite research that influenced your approach;

4. Articulate the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed approach to assist Kayla;

5. Provide a personal reflection on how adolescent development theory, research and practice
can influence your personal teaching approach. Your reflection must include mention of:
What you have learnt as part of this unit including how this knowledge informs the specific
strategies you will use to support students’ well-being and safety, and work sensitively and
confidentially with parents/caregivers and other professionals. You must also describe how
this knowledge about adolescent development will influence your future teaching practice
(in terms of teaching strategies and your interaction with students) in reference to at least
one of your chosen teaching areas (E.g., Maths, English etc.).
What you will need to submit: Groups will create and submit electronically via vUWS a multimodal
video presentation. Your group is encouraged to use a variety of different audio-visual and text-
based methods and ICT resources to create the video presentation. Your group’s digital multimodal
presentation can incorporate digital photographs, video clips, slides, sound files and interactivity
(e.g., links to resources) to address the key assessment criteria for this assessment. The video
presentation should be a maximum of 15 mins (videos must not exceed 15mins!). Your group must
submit a SINGLE FILE in AVI, MPEG4 or WMV format.

Save your submission to a USB flash drive (PC formatted), and place it in an envelope with your
group details on the outside of the envelope clearly marked. Submit the USB by placing the
envelope in the unit’s assignment box in building J. REMEMBER TO KEEP A COPY. After the
assessments are graded, please contact your tutors to collect your USB flash drive.

 Important Information
The teaching staff in this unit will identify videos that may be used as exemplars for future student
cohorts and/or as evidence of student quality for NSW Education Standards Authority accreditation
purposes. If you do not wish to have your work used as an exemplar and/or as evidence of student
quality please inform your tutor (via email) that you wish to opt out of your report being used for
such purposes. By submitting your work you acknowledge that your work may be de-identified and
reproduced in part or in full as an example for future students and for course accreditation. If you do
not wish to have your work used as an exemplar and/or as evidence of student quality please inform
your tutor (via email) that you wish to opt out of your video being used for such purposes.

The video presentation must have the following components:

 The start of the video must clearly identify in writing each of the group members including
full name, student ID and the semester/date (E.g., Semester 1H, 2017) that your
assessment is being submitted (Does not count to time limit of presentation);

 Section A: Critical analysis of the vignette including: Identification and explanation of key
developmental issues;

 Section B: Demonstration of a set of developmentally appropriate intervention strategies to

assist Kayla;

 Section C: Research based justification (including strengths and weaknesses) of proposed

approach to the student;

 Section D: A separate Individual Personal Reflection by each of the students involved in the
group (This must be part of the video and not as a separate submission);

 Section E: References (Does not count to time limit of presentation).

EXAMPLES OF ASSIGNMENT 2
Past exemplars/excerpts of assignments identified as a distinction/credit/pass can be found in the
assessment folder on the Unit’s vUWS site.
SECTION A: BOU

Identify some of the key developmental issues (e.g., brain development, physical development,
social development, cognitive development, moral development, socioeconomic development etc.)
raised in the vignette;

Ability to identify and explain key developmental issues raised by the vignette
HD: Comprehensively and critically identifies developmental issues. Identifies competing themes
where appropriate. Provides concise and perceptive analysis of their significance in relation to
development of the student.

“Kayla is a Year 7 student who is physically more mature than her peers. She excels in sports and
visual arts at school. She liked maths and science, but now often complains of forgetting class
content and not being able to keep up. Some students have said that she can be withdrawn and
doesn’t share personal information. Other staff members have mentioned that she sometimes
doesn’t show up for class. You notice that she has difficulties with peers of her own age and hangs
around with older students who have been previously reprimanded for using illicit drugs. She has
a supportive home environment however her parents have very limited English language skills,
and are struggling financially. She has said to you that she actually wants to do well at school and
hopefully do visual arts at university, but just needs more help [academically].”

Physical Development:
 Year 7 – adolescent; age bracket..
o Reference
 Physically more mature – early developed women, increased issues

At puberty, increased physical growth combines with social and cultural pressures (Golombek,
1983). Adolescents are concerned about these physiological changes, and resulting social pressures
(Shertzer & Stone, 1981). They are concerned about their rate of development and how it compares
with their peers. Self-doubts about appearance are accentuated by the impossible physical ideal
perpetuated in the media.
Teens are also reaching puberty at a younger age. This means the gap between physical changes
and emotional maturity is widening (McCoy, 1982).

 Hangs around older students – early physical development = hangs with maturity at her level
o Which links to…

Social development:
 She has difficulties with peers of her own age
o Research: social development issues in Adolescents
 She can be withdrawn and doesn’t share personal information – inability to socialise with
peers due to maturity and brain development disparities
o Which links to…
Brain development:
 Not being able to keep up – lower level of brain development and/or function for
understanding concepts
o Research: Adolescent brain development
 Needs more help
Adolescents strive to become independent while still maintaining some sense of security. One
important developmental task of this stage is the separation from one’s family. The confusing
issue for adolescents, however, is that they are still dependent on their families for their physical
and psychological needs. Another cause for confusion is the mixed messages sent by families. At
one end, parents may call for independence and responsibility from their teens. At another they
may treat their adolescents as a child. Adolescents are forced to choose between adult rules and
peer rules. They find themselves struggling to resolve these issues and become autonomous.
Adolescent behaviour, consequently, often appears confused and inconsistent.
Due to insecurity, adolescents conform in attempting to emulate the group they wish to join
(Sherzer and Stone, 1981). Irrespective of the socioeconomic level, crowds or cliques are part of
the adolescent world (Dunphy, 1980). Adolescents are sensitive to criticism and rejection.
Hypersensitivity is an occasional problem for teenagers. They become upset by perceived
rejection. The search for identity often leaves teens feeling isolated and alone. Those that are
different are often ostracised and called by slang names such as “nerd” and “geek.”
Demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary Adolescent Development research and
theory
HD: Demonstrates exceptional critical understanding and application of research into adolescent
development in relation to the identified themes.

Demonstration of the critical application of such theory and research to the Australian classroom
context
HD: Clearly articulated selection of strategies to assist student. Rationale for selection of strategies is
explicitly linked to key theoretical insights. Presents convincing demonstration and critique of
significant developmental theory and research.

Ability to produce an engaging multimodal video presentation

HD: The multimodal presentation is consistently imaginative and highly engaging. Consistent
evidence of groups planning and cooperation. Presentation is consistently coherent, clearly and
imaginatively conveys key concepts and ideas. A variety of audio visual techniques and methods are
used throughout the presentation. Presentation meets stipulated requirements in relation to length
and format.

Clearly and coherently reflect on specific learnings in this unit and their implications for their
philosophy and practice as a teacher.
HD: Individual reflection provides insightful analysis of specific & significant learnings and
demonstrates how a critical understanding of explicit theoretical perspectives has enhanced
personal teaching philosophy and ethical practice.

Demonstrate competence in applying unit content to chosen teaching area

HD: Confidently and convincingly demonstrates competence by providing a range of concrete
techniques and methods relevant to their chosen teaching area directly linked to developmental
knowledge which is highly critical and insightful in relation to their chosen teaching area.

Communication of individual reflection

HD: Communicates with outstanding clarity, confidence and engagement. Conveys enthusiasm and
presence.
SCRIPT: Section A:
Critical analysis of the vignette including: Identification and explanation of key developmental
issues;

Minutes 1 – 5; re-enactment of the vignette – LINK/HIGHLIGHT TO DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES

“Kayla excels in sports and visual arts at school.”
1.1
Kayla (K) passing a football (playing sport)
1.2
K drawing a picture (visual arts)

“She liked maths and science, but now often complains of forgetting class content and not being able
to keep up.”
2.1
Looking distraught in class/Have students around raising their hands as though they know the
answer

“Other students have said that she can be withdrawn and doesn’t share personal information.”
3.1
Circle of peers talking, with K looking obviously out of place and refusing to contribute to
conversation

“You notice that she has difficulties with peers of her own age and hangs around with older students
who have been previously reprimanded for using illicit drugs”
4.1
K hanging around a new group of people, who look older (fake moustaches possibly?) who are
doing drugs (?)/looking suspicious

“She has a supportive home environment; however, her parents have very limited English language
skills and are struggling financially”
5.1
K with her parents
5.2
Have K see her parents handing over money to someone

“…but just needs more help”

6.1
K discussing the problems with a teacher/psychologist
SCRIPT: Section B:
Demonstration of a set of developmentally appropriate intervention strategies to assist Kayla;
Filter and organise key information
Encoding information in long term memory
Memorise and master key terms, processes and information before moving onto content that builds
upon these concepts
(Goll, 2004; Quiroga, Crosby & Iding, 2004)

McDaniel, M., & Pressley, M. (Eds.). (2012). Imagery and related mnemonic processes: Theories,
individual differences, and applications. Springer Science & Business Media.