Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
This unit is designed to establish a knowledge base for pre-service teachers in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in Visual Arts Education for secondary students in the junior and middle years of schooling (Years 7-10). An understanding of the national curricula which is specific to Catholic, State and Independent schools will provide the focus of this unit. The unit is also designed to develop pre-service teachers’ understanding of contemporary theory, concepts and skills in Visual Arts Education studies as applied in the junior secondary classroom context. A range of curriculum perspectives will be explored, including literacy, numeracy, ICT, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, students with special needs and effective teaching. There is a focus on effective teaching and classroom management, including student engagement, participation and inclusion.
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 - plan, implement and evaluate a range of Visual Arts learning and teaching activities for junior secondary students which involve a variety of pedagogical approaches and resources (including ICT) appropriate to these year levels and curriculum content (GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10)
LO2 - explain, develop and evaluate a variety of classroom strategies which cater for individual differences in student learning (e.g. cognitive, physical, social, cultural) and integrate general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities (including literacy, numeracy and ICT) in Visual Arts Education (GA4, GA5, GA9)
LO3 - examine the relationships between student learning and expertise, higher order thinking, learning task design, assessment, feedback and reporting in Visual Arts (GA4, GA5, GA9).
Graduate attributes
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
Content
The topics will include:
- factors in the educational context (international, national, state, territory and local levels) including curriculum policies and perspectives that shape the identity of Visual Arts in Years 7-10
- specific professional practices related to teaching and learning in Visual Arts (eg. OHS, safe practices in art making, art criticism and art history including the selection of imagery and materials, copyright, appropriate artwork content)
- an understanding of how effective teaching, including curriculum rigour, engagement, participation and inclusion, is a key factor in effective classroom management
- general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities including the integration of literacy, numeracy and ICT and local, state, territory and national perspectives in Visual Arts Education
- planning sequences of Visual Arts learning activities in art making, art criticism and art history relative to specific school context and identified factors impacting teaching and learning
- the relationship between reflexive learning and effective concept formation to build higher order thinking in Visual Arts Education
- catering for a diverse range of learners in art making, art criticism and art history
- discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Visual Arts Education
- effective use of resources for teaching, including ICT’s and technologies specific to Visual Arts Education
- pedagogical strategies to promote problem solving and critical thinking in Visual Arts Education
- feedback, assessment and reporting in art making, art criticism and art history
- extending and challenging learners in art making, art criticism and art history.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop the pre-service teacher’s understanding of effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. The pre-service teacher will build an understanding of teaching strategies through critical reading, lecturer modelling, discussion, and practice in tutorials. The pre-service teacher’s skills of professional communication and ability to work collaboratively will be practised through group work. The pre-service teacher’s teaching skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing curriculum appropriate for a Visual Arts Education context. The pre-service teacher will continue to gather and reflect upon evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
Teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approach, including, for example:
- Weekly face-to-face lectures and / or online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)
- Hands-on tutorials and discussions that promote peer learning
- Microteaching opportunities
- Self-directed reading and research
- Collaborative learning opportunities
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that the pre-service teacher can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and the professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on pre-service teachers acquiring content knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge in order for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.
The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. By completing Task 1 the pre-service teacher will apply knowledge of assessment strategies. In Task 2 pre-service teachers develop a program of work for senior students over a period of time.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Lesson planning demonstrating an understanding of sequencing, a variety of appropriate pedagogical approaches, behaviour management, safety considerations and a range of resources to engage student learning in a nominated educational setting. This lesson plan must address general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities. The lesson must include examples of ICT resources to engage students in their learning and also highlight evidence of literacy and numeracy teaching strategies that have been applied to the Art Education lesson. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10 |
Assessment Task 2: Implementation and evaluation of a sequence of learning and teaching activities within which provision is made for assessment of student learning and feedback | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA5, GA9 |
Representative texts and references
Relevant Australian, state and territory curriculum documents and study designs for secondary school students.
Appropriate Visual arts and Design Education journals and websites
Addison, N., Burgess, L., Steers, J., & Trowell, J. (2010). Understanding art education; Engaging reflexively with practice. New York: Routledge
Bates, J. (2000). Becoming an art teacher. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2010). Curriculum construction (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Burton, J.M., & Hafeli, M.C. (2012). Conversations in art: The dialectics of teaching and learning. Reston, Va: National Art Education Association.
Eisner, E. W., & Day, M. D. (Eds) (2004). Handbook of research and policy in art education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun E. (2009). Models of Teaching (8th ed.). Boston; London: Pearson
Marsh, C. (2012). Pedagogies for Practice. Sydney: Pearson Australia.
Maras, K. (2013). What ACARA ‘forgot’: Opening up a space for a conceptual framework in the Australian Curriculum for Visual Arts. Journal of Australian Art Education, (35)1&2, 24-37
Maras, K. (2009). Children as art critics: mapping a continuum of aesthetic learning in visual arts education. The International Journal of Learning, 16(7), 251-262.
Null, W. (2011). Curriculum: From theory to practice. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Sellars, M. (2013). Reflective practice for teachers. Warriwood, NSW: Footprint Books.