Arts education micro-credential to elevate students' social skills
Arts researchers have launched a new micro-credential for primary school educators, designed to build knowledge, skills and capability to teach the arts online.
The digital course is offered on CQUniversity’s Be Different Platform with the program free to teachers nation-wide.
Created in response to a recent study of primary students’ arts learning online during COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia, the micro-credential draws from feedback provided by primary teachers, parents and students.
The Emerging Priorities Program: An examination of primary teacher, student and parent experiences of arts learning online during COVID-19 lockdowns study found that online arts learning helped children to develop social skills, self-confidence and communication.
The study was funded by the Australian Government through the Emerging Priorities Program and was led by CQUniversity’s Dr Linda Lorenza and University of Technology Sydney’s Associate Professor Don Carter.
Research partners included the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Southern Queensland, Canberra University, the University of Melbourne and the University of South Australia.
“We had heard anecdotes of some innovative teaching occurring during the COVID lockdown period,” Dr Lorenza said.
“This study enabled us to explore what teachers and students were doing in the arts and what worked online.”
Dr Lorenza explained that the study was undertaken in three stages, with the final including development of best-practice digital exemplars.
“The 10-hour micro credential includes arts learning activities for teachers of Year 1 and 2 students in dance, drama, media music and visual arts,” she said.
“These demonstrate where and how teachers can incorporate the personal social capability in the learning process.”
Additional modules include School Refusal, The Arts Curriculum and Re-Engaging Students, the Signature Pedagogies and Personal and Social Capability.
Associate Professor Don Carter said the comprehensive course prioritised the range of skills and attributes found to build social capability of students.
“Responses to the survey highlighted the importance of students’ connections to their teacher and to other students,” Dr Carter explained.
“The personal social capability is one of the seven general capabilities in the Australian curriculum. These digital exemplars focus on how that capability can be nurtured in arts learning activities for primary-aged students.”
While the micro-credential is intended for Australian teachers, the online course may also be of interest to pre-service teachers, parents and carers of primary school children.
The content can also be adapted for an international context which Dr Lorenza said was embraced by overseas teachers after returning from an education conference at Trinity College Dublin.
“The micro-credential is available for anyone to access,” Dr Lorenza said.
“It will be of benefit to those seeking to enhance their pedagogical practices to specifically embrace the development of primary school aged students’ socialisation and self-management skills through enriching arts learning experiences.
“Irish teacher educators intend to access that resource and share it with their students as they approach a new arts curriculum for Irish primary schools.
“Australia is leading the way in arts curriculum and this resource is set to help many primary teachers worldwide.”
More information on the research project can be found on the EPP arts learning online study website.
The PDC138261 (EPP Arts Learning Online) micro-credential can be accessed through CQUniversity’s Be Different platform.
This project was funded through the Commonwealth Department of Education Emerging Priorities Program. This does not represent the views, opinions, or advice of the Australian Government.
