Diploma of Education Support

Program Overview

The Diploma of Education Support provides students with the knowledge and skills to work as education support workers in various settings. The program covers topics such as teaching foundations, child development, literacy and numeracy support, and the role of education support. Graduates may find employment in schools, childcare centers, and community organizations, assisting teachers and students with instruction, behavior management, and administrative support.

Program Outline

Outline:

The Diploma of Education Support is an exit-only award for students in the 42B Associate Degree in Education Support. To be awarded the Diploma, students must complete 100 credit points consisting of all units listed in the schedule.

Year 1:

• EDU102 Foundations of Teaching: This unit introduces students to the study of teaching as a profession and provides opportunities for them to critically examine the nature of teachers' work.
• EDU104 Growth and Motor Development Across the Lifespan: This introductory unit prepares educators from a variety of disciplines to meet the maturational needs of diverse learners by providing a foundational base of knowledge regarding physical and cognitive development from conception through adulthood, with an emphasis on early childhood.
• EDU106 Academic Literacies: This unit helps students develop the skills they need to engage successfully with higher education, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.
• EES160 Foundations of Literacy Support: This unit introduces pedagogies appropriate for supporting the learning of literacy in classrooms.
Opportunities are provided for students to develop their personal literacy skills and identify where these skills can be applied in the context of education support.
• EES161 The Role of Education Support: This unit introduces concepts and theories that deepen and broaden students' understanding of the professional activity undertaken by education support workers in the classroom.
It discusses the practical skills required in work contexts and provides opportunities to critically examine the ethical and legal dimensions of education support.
• EES162 Foundations of Numeracy Support: This unit introduces pedagogies appropriate for supporting the learning of mathematics in classrooms.
The unit will provide opportunities for students to develop their personal numeracy skills and to identify where these skills can be applied in the context of education support.
• EES163 Education Support in Practice: This unit assists students to develop their understanding of working with children in the classroom in a support capacity.
It will provide opportunities to engage in practical activities through work-integrated learning, online collaboration, and discussion. The unit has a particular focus on the role of education support in supporting students with diverse learning needs.
• EPR130 Arts Education: Music & Visual Arts: In this unit, students will learn about Music and the Visual Arts as key areas of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum: The Arts.
They will become familiar with the research that supports the practice of arts education in early childhood settings and will develop practical skills in implementing arts-based learning experiences.

Careers:

Students who complete the Diploma of Education Support may find employment as education support workers in a variety of settings, including schools, childcare centres, and community organisations. Education support workers provide a range of support services to teachers and students, such as assisting with instruction, managing student behaviour, and providing administrative support. With further study, education support workers may also qualify to become teachers.