EDAR500 - The Arts Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (F-6)

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

EDAR504 The Arts Curriculum , EDAR560 The Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy (B-12)

Unit rationale, description and aim

Teachers must be equipped with knowledge and skills in The Arts disciplines and pedagogy in order to provide learning experiences for children.

This unit is designed to provide pre-service teachers with a critical pedagogical and theoretical knowledge and understanding of curriculum practice in Arts education in diverse primary classrooms. Consideration is given to how Arts curriculum is shaped by broader educational policies and how the Arts make a unique inclusive contribution to the education of all students. Unit content includes the study of Australian Curriculum: The Arts, and other state/jurisdictional documents and resources, in Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts. Pre-service teachers will consider their own role in Arts making as artists and as pedagogues by participating in Arts based experiences in the university classroom. Through understanding how Arts knowledge is represented in curricula and Arts practices in broader society, pre-service teachers will create authentic activities and resources of contemporary relevance to support inclusive, ethical Arts learning in the 21st century primary classroom. 

This unit will challenge students to investigate and reflect on how to plan and implement culturally responsive Arts experiences in the primary classroom for diverse student needs, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Outline a broad knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the Arts as distinct forms, of their place in communities and within the Australian Curriculum and relevant state-based documents (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9; APST 2.1, 6.2)

LO2 - Combine knowledge of distinct Arts pedagogies, theoretical foundations and assessment strategies to describe how children engage in, through and about the Arts in the F-6 classroom. (GA5, GA9; APST 1.2, 2.1, 5.1)

LO3 - Evaluate a range of resources, including digital resources, for engaging diverse students in their learning in Arts education (GA3, GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA10; APST 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.4, 4.5)

LO4 - Apply current theories and pedagogy to design and implement learning sequences employing a range of teaching strategies that engage and respond to the needs of diverse learners and respects the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners (GA1, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9; APST 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1).

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

Content

Following an introduction to The Arts as an area of study in the curriculum, The Arts disciplines will be investigated as distinct subject areas. Subject-specific investigations may consider ways to integrate The Arts into the primary classroom.

Introduction to Arts education

• Theoretical and pedagogical perspectives of Arts education
• An overview of the various disciplines comprising the key learning area ‘The Arts’
• The role of the Arts in society and the relationships between artist, audience, artistic output and society
• The Arts’ contribution to learning
• Curriculum / learning framework policy implementation in The Arts

The Arts disciplines

• An introduction to the concepts, elements, and practices of each distinct Arts discipline
• Curriculum structure and practices of making and responding in each Arts discipline
• Educational Arts research in the 21st century
• Strategies for facilitating learning in and through the Arts, including play-based pedagogies, creative and collaborative exploration, and acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of knowing
• Planning, implementing and evaluating learning experiences in each art form
• Strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the strengths and needs of diverse learners
• Appropriate resources, including art outputs from diverse cultures, ICTs, which engage learners in The Arts
• The integration of ethically resourced information and communication technologies in The Arts
• Literacy and Numeracy strategies and their application in The Arts
• An overview of assessment strategies
• Relevant sources of professional learning for teachers in The Arts

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

In this unit, pre-service teachers will have the opportunity to experience Arts education in action. Through engagement in and reflection on authentic Arts making and responding activities, they will build knowledge and skills in The Arts.

Through application of the above, pre-service teachers will build their knowledge of the Arts curriculum and Arts-specific pedagogy, developing the ability to work autonomously, and locate, organise and synthesise information through undertaking planning tasks. The ability to work collaboratively will be developed through designing teaching and learning activities, culminating in presentations to the class and/or an audience. Reflective practice will be promoted through critical reflection on these learning experiences.

The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video etc. Participants will be involved in a variety of learning and teaching strategies including:

• face-to-face lectures and/or online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)
• professional readings for both independent and collaborative tutorial work
• practical tutorials including Arts making and responding activities
• individual and collaborative learning opportunities

This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. 

Technology Enhanced Learning

The unit will include a Learning Environment Online (LEO) site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between on campus content and school practices. It may include:

• Lecture and tutorial notes/guides
• Webinars, podcasts, videos
• Reviews/quizzes
• Discussion board to exchange ideas and refine learning.
• Focussed readings addressing a wide spectrum of Arts education and practices.

Lectures will be recorded for this unit and available to students for reflection and extended study. Pre-service teachers will be able to access recorded lectures through the LEO site.

Face-to-face/Online Learning support

Students enrolled in both face to face and online learning modes are required to regularly log into the LEO to access recorded lectures and important announcements, to communicate with other students and lecturers, and to submit assessment and access feedback and grades. Students who are enrolled in either face to face or online learning will have equal access to support from the lecturer in charge and tutors.

Additional equipment requirements for online learning:

• Reliable broadband access is recommended.
• Headset with microphone to listen to podcasts, view videos and interact in synchronous classes.

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement of the unit learning outcomes and to develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Assessment tasks will address the full range of Arts subjects offered in the various jurisdictions and comprise two assessments.

Assessments in this unit engage pre-service teachers in practical tasks that mimic the ‘real-world’ of schools. The ability to design learning and teaching sequences, and capacity to think analytically and work autonomously, will be developed through undertaking individual and shared tasks. Arts skills will be developed through preparing special interest tasks and sharing these with peers. Reflective practice is encouraged through critical reflection on these learning activities.

Minimum Achievement Standards

The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks, representing all Arts disciplines, to meet the learning outcomes of the unit. In addition, they must attain a Pass in Assessment 2 and achieve a minimum overall passing grade of 50%.

Electronic Submission, Marking and Return

Assessment task submission and return of marked assessment will be done through Turnitin on the Learning Management System. Tasks will be marked and returned three weeks after the assessment is completed.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Arts Curriculum Documents - various state/territory and national authorities

Russell-Bowie, D. (2015). MMADD about the arts! An introduction to primary arts education (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. 

Other Arts references

Australia Council for the Arts. (2012). Protocols for producing Indigenous Australian music (2012). (2nd ed.). Surry Hills, NSW: The Australia Council for the Arts.

Dinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2018). It's arts play: Young children belonging, being and becoming through the arts. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Dinham, J. (2019). Delivering authentic arts education: Visual arts, drama, music, dance, media (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.

Roy, D., Baker, W., & Hamilton, A. (2019). Teaching and the arts: Early childhood and primary education (3rd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N., & O'Toole, J. (2017). Education in the arts (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press Australia.

Further references

Daubney, A. (2017). Teaching primary music. London, UK: Sage Publications.

Poston-Anderson, B. (2012). Drama: Learning connections in primary schools (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Rank, K. (2014). Teaching primary dance : A primer for generalist primary teachers. Carlton South, Vic: Education Services Australia.

Scarratt, E., & Davidson, J. (2012). The media teacher's handbook. New York: Routledge.