EUB301 Performing Arts in Early Childhood


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:EUB301
Credit points:12
Equivalent:EAB536
Coordinator:Susan Chapman | s23.chapman@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

Early childhood performing arts has distinct pedagogical and curricular orientations, including play-based approaches. Through music, movement/dance, performance-based media, imaginative play, story and drama, children are provided with ways to experience, understand, appreciate and respond to their worlds. In doing so, they develop visual, aural, bodily-kinesthetic, and aesthetic literacies. 

This unit explores key ideas about effective curriculum, pedagogy, performing arts works and assessment in the performing arts in early childhood education from birth to eight. Your work in this unit will be linked to national and state curricular documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework, Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline and the Australian Curriculum: The Arts.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Plan performing arts learning experiences for early childhood that align to curriculum and include appropriate teaching strategies and resources.
  2. Apply critical and creative thinking to design innovative and inclusive performing arts learning experiences for early childhood.
  3. Critically reflect on the benefits of continued professional learning through utilising live arts performances as professional learning spaces.
  4. Reflect on and analyse performing arts experiences to inform planning and pedagogy, and build capacity as a performing arts educator.

Content

This unit examines the basic elements relevant to the art forms of dance, drama, performance-based media and music, and develops knowledge of the concepts, skills, and processes of the performing arts in early childhood education. It aims to foster a sound knowledge and personal appreciation of the performing arts in the care and education of young children.

Content includes:

  • Practical knowledge of performing arts techniques;
  • Theories and approaches underpinning quality early childhood performing arts programs;
  • Key ideas about effective curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in the performing arts in early childhood education from birth to eight;
  • Live performances as professional learning spaces and complementary learning spaces for children; and
  • Preparation for sequential planning across the performing arts to cater for a diverse range of learners.

Learning Approaches

The unit provides opportunities for practical exploration of  performing art forms via building a repertoire of relevant teaching strategies underpinned by relevant pedagogy, with a particular focus on play-based approaches.

In this unit you will learn through engaging in the following:

  • Pre-recorded lectures and online materials;
  • Practical activities in dance, drama, music and performance-based media arts in weekly workshops;
  • Attendance at a ticketed live arts performance (or viewed online);
  • Critical reflection on your teaching practices and teaching philosophy; and
  • Online modules tailored to performing arts education in early childhood curricula.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will gain feedback in this unit through discussion with peers and teaching staff at weekly workshops. You will receive written feedback on assessment items.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessment tasks in this unit:

  1. Reflective Learning Design - This task draws on your experiences in workshops to engage in planning for professional practice.
  2. Critique of live performance - This task connects the elements, concepts and processes of performing arts to real world demonstration of these in live performances and the benefits of these to teachers and children.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Reflective Learning Design

You will compile an illustrated digital journal that records your analysis of learning experiences you participated in during workshops. You will build on these analyses and learning experiences to design a unit plan with some detailed learning episodes. Your planning will also be informed by teaching strategies of the performing arts area, frameworks, curriculum documents, the concepts, substance and structure of the content, and your engagement with required readings and course content.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 60
Length: 2500 words or equivalent
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 4

Assessment: Critique (written)

You will reflect on a live arts performance (ticketed) that you have attended or watched online. Following the performance, you will critique it and your personal experiences to connect the performance with early childhood performing arts education. You will discuss the rationale for continuing your professional learning and identity development as a teacher of the performing arts, including how this will positively impact on children's learning.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 40
Length: 1000 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3, 4

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

  1. Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design
  2. Understand how students learn
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design, Critique (written)
  3. Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design

2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it

  1. Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design, Critique (written)
  2. Content selection and organisation
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design
  3. Curriculum, assessment and reporting
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

  1. Establish challenging learning goals
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design
  2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design
  3. Use teaching strategies
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design
  4. Select and use resources
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design

4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

  1. Support student participation
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design

5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

  1. Assess student learning
    Relates to: Reflective Learning Design

6 Professional Engagement: Engage in professional learning

  1. Engage in professional learning and improve practice
    Relates to: Critique (written)
  2. Apply professional learning and improve student learning
    Relates to: Critique (written)

7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

  1. Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
    Relates to: Critique (written)

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)

  1. Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
    Relates to: ULO1, Reflective Learning Design
  2. Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
    Relates to: ULO2, Reflective Learning Design
  3. Innovative: Create innovative future-focused learning.
    Relates to: ULO2, Reflective Learning Design
  4. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
    Relates to: ULO3, Critique (written)
  5. Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
    Relates to: ULO4, Reflective Learning Design, Critique (written)