Graduate Certificate of Education (Trauma-Responsive Education)

2022 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Career opportunities
• Participation requirements
• Mandatory student checks
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

Childhood trauma is a prevalent problem. In Australia, four out of ten students have been exposed to traumatic events. Young people who face traumatic events when they are still developing emotionally and mentally may suffer lasting damage. Children and adolescents with adverse experiences such as abuse, violence, displacement, and neglect can find it difficult to make friends, concentrate in classrooms, and respond to fast-paced changes. Left unaddressed, trauma may push children to social disengagement and school failure.

Guided by social justice and practice architecture theory, the Graduate Certificate of Education (Trauma-Responsive Education) (TRE) provides participants with the skills and understandings necessary to create safe and trusting learning environments for all students, including those impacted by trauma. Educators are often the first responders to children with traumatic experiences and, with the relevant knowledge and skills, they can play critical roles in creating a safe and supportive learning environment. With deep understandings of events, experiences, and effects of trauma, educators will respond effectively to the specific needs and conditions of trauma-impacted children and adolescents. This course offers theoretical insights and practical strategies that enable participants to design and enact trauma-responsive care and learning experiences.
The course consists of four units:

1. Trauma and Trauma-Responsive Practices. This unit Offers multidisciplinary accounts events, experiences, and effects of trauma; and presents strategies for recognising and responding to needs and conditions of traumatised children as well as individuals exposed to secondary trauma.
2. Trauma and Learning. This unit focuses on how traumatic experiences of violence, displacement, neglect, and abuse affect the learning experiences and attainment of children.
3. Refugee Trauma and Education. This unit closely examines the effects of forced displacement and its implications for educational provisions and engagement.
4. Trauma Responsive Educational Practice Inquiry. This unit prepares participants to investigate what trauma-responsive practices look like, what assumptions and values underpin the practices, and what needs to change and why.

In each of these units, the assessment tasks are designed for participants to demonstrate their learning through critical appraisal of policies, practices, and scholarly sources, with a focus on application to real-world contexts.

Indicative student workload

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period for each credit point undertaking required teaching, learning and assessment activities.

Career opportunities

This Graduate Certificate of Education (Trauma-Responsive Education) is intended for educators, carers, humanitarian professionals who work in educational settings. The course equips participants with the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions required for meaningfully supporting trauma-impacted children and adolescents. Graduates will be able to put their expertise into practice in a range of contexts, including schools, early childhood education and care centres, refugee resettlement settings, and other social services.

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. Click here for more information.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year and your study load. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website or our handy Fee estimator to help estimate your tuition fees.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as photocopying or travel.

Course Learning Outcomes

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate of Education (Trauma-Responsive Education), students must successfully complete 4 credit points of core units and AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit).

Course structure

Core Units

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

• Contact Student Central