Arts in Contemporary Asia

Introduction
This unit is delivered by Flinders University, South Australia.

The Arts Units will provide teachers with knowledge of the arts of Asia and skills to include them in curriculum. They recognise the different ways the arts can be defined and understood by adopting different conceptual orientations, and demonstrate why the arts of Asia are particularly relevant to curriculum in Australian schools. The content in the unit is informed by the definition of Asia and the learning emphases outlined in Studies of Asia; A Statement for Australian Schools (Curriculum Corporation, Carlton, Victoria).

Arts in Contemporary Asia - traditions and tensions aims to inform participants about contemporary issues and develop understanding of the likely implications of closer Asia-Australia relationships by:
increasing their knowledge and understanding of the arts of Asia through:

• recognising and discussing the changing role of the arts of Asia;
• examining the similarities and differences between established and emerging Asian and Australian art forms;
• exploring how the arts of Asia are responding to contemporary issues;
• examining the issues of continuity and change in the arts of Asia, within and across cultures.
  applying their knowledge and understanding of studies of Asia to the arts learning areas through such strategies as:
• exploring and analysing curriculum development issues related to infusing studies of Asia into the arts curriculum;
• planning and applying a range of teaching and learning strategies to infuse studies of Asia into the arts curriculum to meet the needs of all students;
• using school and state/territory policy and curriculum documents with regard to infusing studies of Asia into the arts curriculum.

Unit structure
Both Arts units are primarily designed for teachers from the arts learning area, and aim to increase:

• participant knowledge and understanding of the arts of Asia; and
• their capacity to apply this knowledge and understanding to the arts learning area in schools.

Each of the units takes full account of relevant state and territory curriculum documents, and the key arts concepts of: Creating, Making and Presenting; Arts Criticism and Aesthetics; and Past and Present Contexts. At the same time, it is recognised that interpretation and implementation of these units will vary between states and territories, and between education sectors to ensure they are appropriate to local curriculum requirements.

The units have also been constructed flexibly to meet the needs of the full range of potential participants. In particular, they are designed to:

• build on experience and extend participant understanding of Asia gained through other units;
• provide concepts and ideas that are challenging, and that stimulate participants to think and reflect, and then respond to the need to include the arts of Asia in their current practice;
• use a mix of aesthetic, cognitive, physical, sensory and social learning processes that are also appropriate to the classroom; and
• present learning experiences that emphasise that all students should experience all of the arts forms during their time at school.

In addition, the units will provide insights to the theory underpinning studies of Asia and their application in the classroom.

Both Arts units will provide teachers with knowledge of the arts of Asia and skills to implement them in curriculum. The content and learning materials outlined are:

• rigorous and challenging;
• appropriate for primary and secondary teachers;
• predicated on the need to adopt a variety of teaching and learning approaches in the classroom; and
• inclusive of both Asian Studies discipline content knowledge, and material that focuses on school curriculum needs and pedagogy in the arts learning area.

The content guidelines in both units are informed by the definition of Asia and the learning emphases outlined in Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australia's Schools. They also are designed for national applicability, and hence are not tied to any one state/territory or jurisdiction's curriculum requirements.

Aims and outcomes
This unit aims to inform about contemporary issues and develop understandings of the likely implications of closer Asia-Australia relationships by:

increasing knowledge and understandings of the arts of Asia through:

• recognising and discussing the changing role of the arts of Asia;
• examining the similarities and differences between established and emerging Asian and Australian arts forms;
• exploring how the arts of Asia are responding to contemporary issues in the region.
• examining the issues of continuity and change in the arts of Asia, within and across cultures.

applying knowledge and understanding of studies of Asia to the arts learning areas through such strategies as:

• exploring and analysing curriculum development issues related to infusing studies of Asia into the arts curriculum;
• planning and applying a range of teaching and learning strategies to infuse studies of Asia into the arts curriculum to meet the needs of all students;
• using school and local policy and curriculum documents with regard to infusing studies of Asia into the arts curriculum.

Assessment
A range of assessment strategies are appropriate for both Arts units including:

• assignments on specific topics
• case studies
• reports, both written and oral
• investigations
• reviews of exhibitions, performances and literature on the arts of Asia
• comparative analyses
• oral and written presentations
• development and writing of strategies for including the arts of Asia in the curriculum
• writing units of work for classroom application.

In undertaking such activities, participants are required to demonstrate:

• satisfactory completion of the task; and
• meeting of accreditation requirements where these apply.