ECE5001 Aesthetics in Early Childhood Arts

ECE	5001	84088	3, 2008	EXT	Aesthetics in Early Childhood Arts	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE004
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070101

Staffing
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Noel Geoghegan
Moderator: David Cleaver

OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html

RATIONALE

Aesthetics education is concerned with cultivating the capacity to regard art and non-art with a particular kind of imaginative attention, in order to become increasingly discriminating and critically reflective in one's responses. According to Abbs (1989), aesthetics is `a particular mode of responding to and apprehending experience', and this `mode of response operates through the senses and feelings'. In order to be able to support children's aesthetic development, teachers need to firstly develop their own understanding of aesthetics as a philosophy and to refine their own aesthetic perceptions and judgements through disciplined study and exercises.

SYNOPSIS

Through an exploration of significant writings on aesthetics and a range of practical experiences, this course aims to develop student's own knowledge and appreciation of aesthetics. Since the ability to appreciate art and non-art aesthetically is closely linked to the ability to think philosophically, this course requires students to engage in philosophical inquiry. Readings and practical exercises guide students through a program of work designed to challenge and extend student's aesthetic perceptions and judgements in relation to art and non-art. Students will also consider the implications of their own learning for early childhood education.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the nature of aesthetics as a philosophy; (All assessment items)
make informed aesthetic judgements in relation to art and non-art; (Reflections, Essay)
critically analyse the literature associated with aesthetics; (Essay)
reflect on the implications of aesthetics for early childhood education. (Reflections)
demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing including correct spelling, grammar, and bibliographic referencing. (Reflections, Essay)

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Exploration of the nature of aesthetics;	5.00
2.	Analysis of the aesthetic response;	10.00
3.	Origins and development of aesthetic experience;	10.00
4.	Aesthetics and practitioners in the expressive arts;	10.00
5.	Aesthetic practice in various cultures;	5.00
6.	Critical analysis of philosophy and academic theory on aesthetics;	20.00
7.	Implications for early childhood educators concerning aesthetics.	40.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Gaut, Berys & Lopes, Dominic McIver (eds) 2005, The routledge companion to aesthetics, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/ . The gateway to education resources is here... http://www.usq.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

Carlson, A 2000, Aesthetics and the environment: the appreciation of nature, art and architecture, Routledge, London.

Franklin, MB & Kaplan, B (eds) 1994, Development and the arts: critical perspectives, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.

Lindqvist, G 1995, The aesthetics of play: a didactic study of play and culture in preschools, Uppsala University, Uppsala.

McLean, J 1996, An aesthetic framework in drama: issues and implications, National Association for Drama in Education, Brisbane.

Scruton, R 1997, The aesthetics of music, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Thompson, CM 1995, The visual arts and early childhood learning, The National Art Education Association, Reston, VA.
(Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/ . The gateway to education resources is here... http://www.usq.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm)

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessment	40.00
Directed Study	30.00
Private Study	90.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date
JOURNAL	20.00	20.00	16 Jan 2009
REFLECTIONS ON 8 READINGS	40.00	40.00	23 Jan 2009
ESSAY	40.00	40.00	13 Feb 2009

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

1.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.
2.	If requested, students will be required to provide a copy of assignments submitted for assessment purposes. Such copies should be despatched to USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request being made.
3.	The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media.
4.	In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the Examiner's convenience.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc..) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html. *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the state of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

This version produced 16 Jun 2008.