Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit introduces you to teaching music, visual and media art, focusing on process, content and skills. Rich in tradition, arts experiences enable children to develop and express diverse cultures and communities, both locally, nationally, and globally. Focus is given to supporting diverse learners, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, through respectful and responsive pedagogical practices.
Beyond artistic value, The Arts contribute to critical and creative thinking, social and behavioural development, academic performance, motivation, and communication skills. It promotes culturally inclusive and responsive teaching, aiming to equip you with the ability to teach diverse learners effectively. Providing children with opportunities to create, respond and learn through the arts will give you an advantage in the classroom.
Building on prior knowledge and experiences, you will learn to plan culturally safe and inclusive arts experiences. You will explore relevant curriculum documents, pedagogies, strategies, and resource evaluation techniques aligned with learning goals. You will develop skills and capabilities with integrating arts practices into general classroom activities, offering you creative ways to engage students.
The unit aims to consolidate theoretical understandings and develop key teaching competencies in The Arts through practical, reflective activities, including the creation of performances and artworks.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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.
Explain broad knowledge and understanding of music...
Learning Outcome 01
Defend the contribution of music and visual/media ...
Learning Outcome 02
Design music and visual/media art learning experie...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply a range of discipline-specific teaching stra...
Learning Outcome 04
Evaluate pedagogical decisions in music and visual...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
· Music Education
o Introduction to Classroom Music
o Embodied learning in Music
o Elements of Music
o Music-specific pedagogies
o Planning and sequencing learning in Music
o Composing Music in the classroom
o Performing self-composed Music, and Music composed by others
o Responding/Appreciating to Music
o Safe and correct use of instruments
o Assessment in Music
o Music across the curriculum; connecting with other Arts subjects, learning areas, General Capabilities and Cross-curriculum Priorities
· Visual and Media Arts Education
o Introduction to Visual and Media Arts: techniques, histories and traditions
o Embodied learning in Visual/Media Arts
o Elements of various Visual Art forms and Media Arts
o Visual/Media Arts pedagogies
o Planning approaches for Visual/Media Arts
o Creating Visual/Media Arts works in a variety of media
o Presenting Visual/Media Arts works
o Responding/Appreciating to Visual/Media Arts works
o Safe Visual/Media Arts practice
o Assessment in Visual/Media Arts
o Visual/Media Arts across the curriculum; connecting with other Arts subjects, learning areas, General Capabilities and Cross-curriculum Priorities
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy in this unit is grounded in formative learning and assessment experiences developed through shared practical tasks that mimic the ‘real-world’ of schools. Arts skills will be collaboratively developed through tutorial experiences and assessments shared with peers. Reflective practice and evaluation of teaching pedagogies is encouraged through critical reflection in learning and assessment.
The two assessment tasks allow the development of content and pedagogical knowledge and skills for music and visual/media arts. They explore different approaches to engaging with The Arts with primary-aged learners. Task 1 asks pre-service teachers to practice planning and teaching a selected music concept using their peers as learners, and then to reflect on their pedagogical approach to supporting diverse learners. Task 2 provides an opportunity for pre-service teachers to explore cross-curricular links with The Arts through the design, development and justification of an educational resource kit for visual/media art forms.
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate the achievement of each learning outcome. To pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to complete all assessment tasks and achieve an overall Pass grade.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Presentation: Micro-teaching a...
Assessment Task 1: Presentation: Micro-teaching and Evaluation
Select two concepts, one for music and the other for visual arts, to be introduced to primary students. Identify a relevant year level with reference to curriculum. Plan a lesson segment to introduce each concept, including teaching strategies suitable for the intended learning and specified year level, and to address a full range of learning needs. Make two recordings (one for each concept) that demonstrate (1) teaching the lesson segment to a small group of your peers, and (2) evaluating of your planning and delivery of the lesson. Use peer feedback and academic literature, to explain and justify pedagogical decisions and to make suggestions for improvements. Submit your plan and recordings.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Teacher Resource Kit De...
Assessment Task 2: Teacher Resource Kit
Design two educational resource kits to support teachers to engage primary learners in Music and Visual or Media Arts. The kits should integrate the selected arts discipline with a cross-curricular concept, topic or theme from another teaching area. You should include curriculum links to The Arts and at least one other teaching area, Arts lesson and assessment ideas, and relevant Arts pedagogies and resources. Issues of cultural sensitivity, student safety and inclusion should be considered. Prepare an infographic that provides a visual summary of the kit and justifies its relevance to supporting primary students learning in The Arts.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
In this unit, you will experience arts education in action by engaging in and reflecting on authentic arts-making and responding activities. You will participate in music making and practicing your visual art and media art skills culminating in class presentations. Practical tasks will take into consideration the prior learning experiences and learning needs of pre-service teachers to facilitate highly accessible learning experiences. These tasks also take into consideration cultural sensitivity, acknowledging Australia’s multicultural make-up. Reflective practice will be promoted throughout these learning experiences. Through this practical approach, you will build knowledge and skills in The Arts.
You will simultaneously build practical skills relevant to The Arts curriculum, along with knowledge of ways to teach the arts through a range of cultural and arts-specific pedagogies, methodologies and strategies. By engaging in the literature, group discussions, reflection on practical tasks and creative experimentation, you will locate, organise and synthesise information. Scaffolded and sequenced tutorial activities will model teaching strategies before you undertake micro-teaching tasks. The unit will provide you with the opportunity to work collaboratively and be able to discuss and share ideas.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level standards:
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating toOrganise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toUse curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toKnow and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating toImplement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toSet learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toPlan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating toInclude a range of teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toIdentify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDescribe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Core Content
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the AITSL Core Content:
Relating toWhy teaching practices must adapt as a student’s familiarity with the knowledge of a subject increases, including when to move from scaffolded practice to independent practice, and why this is important.
Relevant learningLO3, LO5
Relating toThe key features of coherent and deliberate planning and sequencing of tasks and lessons including curriculum-aligned learning objectives, clear descriptions of how students will show evidence of mastery, the common progression of learning in a subject area and the critical curriculum knowledge needed for students to progress.
Relevant learningLO1, LO3, LO5
Relating toHow to explicitly model new skills and content through ‘worked examples’ that clearly demonstrate how to complete the task, followed by a progressive removal of scaffolding as students become more proficient.
Relevant learningLO3, LO5
Relating toThe content covered in the Australian Curriculum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority across stages and subjects.
Relevant learningLO1, LO3, LO5
Relating toExplicitly teach the concept of cultural safety and explore practical examples of what it can look like in a classroom context.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Representative texts and references
Recommended Texts and Documents
Dinham, J. (2022). Delivering authentic arts education (5th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Curriculum Documents
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). Australian Curriculum: The Arts, Version 9.0. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
New South Wales Education Standards Authority. (2024). Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024). NSW Curriculum. https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/creative-arts/creative-arts-k-6-2024/overview
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (n.d.). Victorian Curriculum: The Arts, Version 2.0. Victorian Curriculum F–10. https://f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au/overview/aboutVictorian Curriculum F–10+1Victorian Curriculum+1
Recommended References
Barber, S., Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, & Simon Fraser University. (2022). Why the expressive arts, led by teachers in schools, matter for refugee children. In The Canadian Press. Canadian Press Enterprises Inc.
Byrne, R., Murphy, R., Ward, F., & McCabe, U. (2024). Towards a model of playful music learning for primary classrooms: recommendations based on a review of literature. British Journal of Music Education, 41(3), 242–253. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051724000123
Caldwell, B., & Vaughan, T. (2012). Transforming education through the arts. Routledge.
Ewing, R. (2010a). The arts and Australian education: Realising potential. Australian Education Review 58. Melbourne, Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Gibson, R., & Ewing R. (2020). Transforming the curriculum through the arts (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Howard, K. (2018). The Emergence of Children’s Multicultural Sensitivity: An Elementary School Music Culture Project. Journal of Research in Music Education, 66(3), 261–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429418784594
Lloyd, M. A. (2024). Planning with Purpose and Intent: Designing Lesson Objectives and Assessments to Embed Social Emotional Learning in Elementary General Music. Journal of General Music Education, 38(2), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527646241271268 (Original work published 2025)
Lyu, L., & Sokolova, A. (2023). The effect of using digital technology in the music education of elementary school students. Education and Information Technologies, 28(4), 4003–4016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11334-8
Martin, A., Mansour, M., Anderson, M., Gibson, R., Liem, G., & Sudmalis, D. (2013). The role of arts participation in students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes: a longitudinal study of school, home, and community factors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 709–727. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032795