Study breadth in education

Course code: EDUC10054
Level: 1

Exploring a range of drawing and painting methods, you will investigate ‘sensory knowing’ with reference to artful pedagogy, children’s early symbolisation through art, visual perception and visual design.

Through studio practice linked to learning theories, you will develop a folio of work that demonstrates artful skills and expression.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10053
Level: 1

Learn about improvised drama and theatre from the perspective of performer and audience, its application in the community and how it can be used in contemporary theatre, as a tool for learning and other life skills.

You will take part in weekly drama/theatre improvisation workshops, culminating in a class presentation, and conduct a research project looking at the work of leading improvisors.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10058
Level: 1

Explore the nature of pop, rock, blues and folk musicians' informal learning practices, by forming your own band and selecting, composing/arranging, recording and performing your chosen music.

You will learn how musicians acquire some or all of their skills and knowledge informally, conduct research (including site visits), discuss and analyse music videos, music related digital technologies and selected readings.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20077
Level: 2

Explore the art making processes of printing and collage, and their diverse purposes as forms of communication and social engagement.

You will experience a range of printmaking techniques including lino printing, etching, screen printing and collographs, as well as collage-making techniques. Drawing on your printing and collage artmaking, you will engage in a collaborative art exchange with children artists from a local school, and in a negotiated community project.

This subject is for students with varied prior experiences in visual arts practice.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20078
Level: 2

Explore the principles of performance-making across a range of different cultures and theatrical traditions.

You will examine how and why theatre is devised and how performance-making affects and is affected by audiences. Along with a teaching artist, you will participate in the development of an ensemble performance for a designated audience and performance venue.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20085
Level: 2

The subject explores the ways young people use music, including digital technologies and the internet, to compose, perform and record for their audiences both real and virtual. Classes will involve practical singing and song writing activities alongside research inquiries involving virtual and real-life youth music site visits, readings and discussion.

Opportunities will be provided to engage with digital music technologies, musical instruments and recording studio sessions.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10048
Level: 1

Focus on the integral connection between play, the arts and engagement for children and young people.

Through practical workshops linked to theory, you will interpret and examine playful, creative and artful experiences, and learn how to plan for and experience direct artful/playful interactions with children.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10049
Level: 1

Even with little formal arts background you can explore creativity, design and innovation in video and film, drama, music, digital storytelling, web design, blogging and the visual arts, using digital technologies in workshops, seminars and during fieldwork.

You will develop skills in project planning and management, create your own multimedia presentations and investigate themes such as online arts communities and artistic collaboration, remix cultures and the digital revolution.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20062
Level: 2

Explore how young people create their social and personal identities through the arts. Investigate companies, organisations and individuals who provide or facilitate visual and performing arts works and experiences for youth.

You will visit various cultural sites around Melbourne and develop your own arts ‘artefact’.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20083
Level: 2

Examine how story and storytelling engage children and young people. Focus on how artful, imaginative and narrative experiences enrich and expand personal and social awareness, and connectedness. You will explore story creating and story telling as expressive modes of communication and meaning-making through practice-based arts workshops linked to theory, and through site visits. You, individually and in groups, will critique, compose/co-create and present stories suitable for young audiences drawing on a variety of texts such as artworks, picture books, film music, scriptwriting, graphic novels, and zines for a youth readership.

This subject is suitable for students with little formal arts or writing background.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20084

The enacting of Shakespeare will be explored through a pedagogy entailing an active, embodied participatory and critical approach and drawing on techniques of Open Space Learning (OSL). There will be an emphasis on contemporary pedagogical and theatre-based approaches to engage learners and practitioners in the performance of Shakespeare. Students will explore techniques and processes, which emphasise an embodied learning and hands-on approach to Shakespearean texts as a way of developing a greater knowledge of them from the perspective of learner, actor, dramaturg, director, designer and pedagogue. The techniques and processes within this subject can be adapted to the teaching and learning of Shakespearean plays and sonnets as well as related classical texts in schools and other educational contexts.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20069
Level: 2

Investigate the impact of deafness on communication, literacy, social development, access and equity, and consider how technology impacts the lives of deaf people.

You will explore the impact of technology for people with a hearing loss, be introduced to Auslan and Deaf culture, and learn about some of the causes of deafness.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20076
Level: 2

Explore visual communication and be introduced to Auslan, the language of the Australian signing Deaf community.

You will delve into the social and cultural aspects of Auslan and develop skills in communicating using this visual language. Learn about the unique linguistics of signed languages and be guided in your study by fluent users of Auslan from the Deaf community.

For more information see the Handbook.

Effective communication is the key to successful practice in many disciplines. This subject details how talk is managed in a range of professional settings, including: education (e.g. teacher-student interactions); medicine (e.g. doctor-patient consultations), psychology (e.g. counselling), law (e.g. question design in courtrooms), and journalism (e.g. radio interviews).

This subject will introduce students to interactional practices that are common to all workplaces: negotiation and resolving conflict; sources of misunderstanding; aligning with other speakers; managing topics; and different cultural practices in making sense of talk at work. Students will learn how interaction is organized based on the fundamental tenets of conversation analysis: turn-taking, repair and the sequential organization of talk. Students will develop an understanding of how these rules are managed in a range of settings, understanding talk as collaboratively achieved and fundamental to professional development.

On completion of this subject, students will be able to evaluate practices of effective communication in a range of professional settings, develop their own communication skills, and identify practical solutions to communication problems in the workplace.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10056
Level: 1

Deepen your understanding of the potential for digital communication to enhance learning and produce new knowledge, and discuss how digital communications open up new opportunities for learning in both formal (e.g. schools) and informal (e.g. leisure) settings, challenging traditional ideas about where and how young people learn.

Through interactive workshops, you will engage with a wide range of resources, both text and digital, to open up your understanding of ways in which digital communications blur the boundary between teacher and learner, producers and consumers of knowledge.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10050
Level: 1

Connect theory with practice and enhance your understanding of how knowing and learning works to support your own learning and that of others.

Alongside your lectures and seminars, you will join a homework club and tutor children and young people who need your assistance to improve their school work, automatically putting theory about learning to the test.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20065
Level: 2

Engage with amazing collections of art works, rare books and prints and archaeological, scientific, medical and archival material through tutorials held in a range of the University’s cultural collections and museums.

You will explore the significance of culture and context in the development and transmission of knowledge, and in approaches to learning.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20081
Level: 2

Explore the nexus between literacy, power and learning through a study of ways in which literacy education can empower individuals and groups and facilitate positive social change.

You will gain an understanding of the concept of multiple literacies in contemporary education and cultures, and analyse a range of contemporary and historical text types including written, visual, oral and digital media.

For more information see the Handbook.

Gain insights into professional knowledge, learning and expertise that will enhance your development in your chosen profession. Explore meta-frameworks for learning in all professions by distinguishing between different forms of knowledge, the relationships these have to practice across a broad array of fields, and the implications this has for learning. You will focus on the structures of knowledge and the way knowledge is produced in professions generally, rather than the content of knowledge in specific professions.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10051
Level: 1

As an introduction to the practical and theoretical aspects of sport and exercise coaching, you will develop leadership, organisational, communication and analytical skills used in coaching and learn how to evaluate and improve your own coaching performance.

You will lead and participate in physical activity sessions, reflect on your own and other people's coaching practices, and create and present a session plan and a six-week training program.

At the end of the course you will achieve the Australian Sports Commissions Community Coaching General Principles certificate.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20070  
Level: 2

Learning does not just happen in classrooms or lecture theatres. You will explore the close connections between learning and experience – particularly though two events: a fun run and a bushwalk.

By participating in these events and exploring theory in class, you will investigate how learning occurs as experience.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20068
Level: 2

Examine young people’s connection with sport and physical education by considering the tension between sport’s traditional role as a form of moral and social education, and its emergence as a commodity.

You will learn what constitutes a sport, how we define it and how we determine what’s relevant to children’s sporting education. You will also analyse the many issues to do with race, socio-economic status, culture and gender in connection with sports in Australia and internationally.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30073
Level: 3

Explore some of the key issues surrounding sport and its relevance to the broader community. Visit a range of community sporting facilities and hear from the experts what they are doing to address these issues. You will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive lectures and sports activities, and take on a leadership role of your choosing in your own sports club or community, or here at the university.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30070
Level: 3

Explore the complex educational relationship between coach, athlete, coaching program and social context, and develop an open and reflective approach to your own coaching practice.

You will gain a deeper insight into the theory and practice of sports coaching, highlighting the decision-making, learning process and scientific concepts underpinning good coaching practice.

The subject is ideal for students who have completed Sports coaching: theory and practice, and would like to extend and enhance their skills, or for those with coaching experience. However, these are not prerequisites as the skills learned are applicable on and off the sporting field

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10057
Level: 1

Explore the science of the factors that enable individuals to operate at the peak of their potential, including how to participate in more engaging activities, live healthier, be more resilient, have more satisfying relationships, and lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

You will explore teachable skills and pathways for cultivating wellbeing, apply evaluated interventions to increase your own wellbeing and of those around you, and be exposed to a variety of disciplines including psychology, social science, education, philosophy, sports science, sociology, and organisational science.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10059
Level: 1

Explore the theory and evidence relating to high performance and optimal functioning across a variety of contexts, drawing on the academic literature and real-life experiences.

You will apply evidence-based performance interventions to your personal life and to others, evaluate their effectiveness and identify ways to increase your performance and potential.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20074
Level: 2

Investigate how theories of wellbeing, ethics and virtues are being applied to education settings, workplaces and communities.

You will explore the relationship between wellbeing and performance in settings like schools, business and societies, considering leading theories of flourishing and trends in wellbeing policy, and discover how wellbeing insights can be applied to a local school, organisation or community setting.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30072
Level: 3

Prepare yourself as a leader in your career and study by exploring positive approaches to career choice, career management, and leadership.

You will investigate key questions such as: How much does money matter? What are the factors that promote flourishing in education and throughout one’s career? What approaches can be used to promote flourishing in ongoing learning, education, and career development practices? What is positive leadership and how can it be fostered and developed? How can positive leadership be used to help individuals and organisations to thrive?

This subject will draw on a range of reflective learning, experiential learning, and skill-building techniques and exercises to enable students to develop a tool-kit to foster flourishing over the course of their education and career.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20064
Level: 2

Examine changing concepts of childhood through significant 20th century research, with a focus on the rights of the child in contemporary society.

You will explore historical and contemporary theories to understand the construction of 'childhood', and investigate how issues like consumerism, climate change and urban planning affect children.

You will also investigate different experiences of childhood across Australia and internationally, and the reasons behind this diversity.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20075
Level: 2

Explore young people as change-makers and problem-solvers against a backdrop of social transformation in Australia and globally.

Through interactive workshops you will gain an understanding of the significant opportunities and challenges produced by these transformations in our region, proving the thinking tools for addressing local and global problems in everyday life and skills for leadership.

Case studies will be identified and investigated in class, including those related to issues such as education (formal and non-formal), employment, public policy, law, health, justice, mobilities and migration, and use of digital communication and popular culture.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30065
Level: 3

Towards the end of the 20th century, feminist thinkers challenged the view of the family as a private domain. Using alternative perspectives, such as ethics, gender and childhood studies, you will explore gender issues that affect the lives of families in today’s society and reflect on your own ideas and beliefs, gaining an insight into why and how they developed.

You will also conduct an investigation into the impact of different ethical perspectives on beliefs and actions, and associated policy development and legislation.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30067
Level: 3

Explore how children and young people construct and reconstruct their sense of self against the backdrop of popular culture, a crucial arena for both social control and for exploring the possibility of social transformation.

Interactive workshops will help you gain an understanding of how different approaches (sociological, psychological, post-structural and subcultural) contribute to debate about the place of popular culture and media in the lives of children and young people, in local and global settings.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20080
Level: 2

Volunteer as a Tertiary Student Assistant (TSA) in a Victorian Government school, and learn about contemporary approaches to teaching and learning.

You will make links between your undergraduate degree and the wider community, and get a taste of working in a school by assisting in one of the two main streams:

1. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
2. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

School-based experience is supplemented by university workshops and seminars, to give you further support and ideas you can take back to the classroom. This subject is for students with high level skills in mathematics, science, arts or languages other than English (LOTE).

For more information see the Handbook.

School Experience as Breadth was definitely the most insightful breadth subject I undertook throughout my Bachelor of Arts. The practical nature of the school placements was a great way to gain a real appreciation of what teaching involves. It also reinforced my interest in teaching and is helping me consider my next step post-Arts, which I believe is the outcome of a true breadth subject.

Course code: UNIB10007 
Level: 1

With a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to all aspects of the climate change debate, you will have the opportunity to interact with Australian scientific and political leaders with expertise and interests in climate change, and consider information within your own local context.

Concepts covered include the scientific basis of the greenhouse effect, the history of Earth’s climate, energy options, economics and public policy and the effect of climate change on food, water and health.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20073
Level: 2

Deepen your knowledge of the relationship between health and learning using the life course model. You will explore current research that explains how health influences your success in educational pursuits and how educational opportunities and life-long learning in turn impact your health outcomes.

In the interactive lectures and workshops, you will engage with sector experts and collaborate with each other strengthening your skills in public speaking, presentation, and thinking strategically, critically and creatively to develop interventions that address health and learning issues.

You will learn how to apply theory to practice using your own experiences and real world examples, improving your ability to approach complex health and learning issues pragmatically.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC10060
Level: 1

Focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, this subject examines the place and significance of Australian Indigenous peoples in the educational landscape. The subject will explore the changing nature of Indigenous education in Australia through studying a range of contemporary and historical views of Indigenous education. Attention will be given to the development of Australian Indigenous theory and research and its application to education. The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) will form the starting point of this subject. It will also explore the location of Australian Indigenous education in the global indigenous education context, including comparisons with New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

Students will develop knowledge of and the ability to engage in education initiatives that support communities, in addition to working with non-Indigenous people to support anti-racist and decolonizing practices in education. This subject provides students with an introduction to Indigenous education in Australia.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC20082

This subject explores the wide range of learning opportunities provided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations.

This subject introduces students to the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching and learning about Indigenous issues in the community. By getting out of the lecture theatre and visiting Melbourne schools, community organisations and services that provide educational experiences for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, students will have the opportunity to learn how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are changing the nature of education.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: SCIE90012
Level: Graduate coursework

Why is it essential that scientists learn to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences? What makes for engaging communication when it comes to science? How does the style of communication need to change for different audiences? What are the nuts and bolts of good science writing? What are the characteristics of effective public speaking?

Weekly seminars and tutorials will consider the important role science and technology plays in twenty-first century society and explore why it is vital that scientists learn to articulate their ideas to a variety of audiences in an effective and engaging manner. These audiences may include school students, agencies that fund research, the media, government, industry, and the broader public. Other topics include the philosophy of science communication, talking about science on the radio, effective public speaking, writing press releases and science feature articles, science performance, communicating science on the web and how science is reported in the media.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: MULT20011
Level: 2

Consider the important role of science and technology in society and explore why scientists must learn to articulate their ideas to a variety of audiences in an effective and engaging manner.

You will learn how to create engaging written and spoken science communication, by tailoring your communication to audience needs and using the right type of media. Other topics include giving talks about science to non-scientists, writing press releases, communicating with politicians, how science is reported in the media, as well as effective communication in the context of employability and applying for jobs, including writing a CV and interview skills.

There will be multiple opportunities to receive feedback and improve your written and oral communication skills.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: UNIB10019
Level: 1

There exists no shortage of open-ended, messy and seemingly intractable 21st Century problems afflicting both the Sciences and Social Sciences that have challenged even the most skilful and intellectually disciplined minds. One need only think of the dangers of unfettered development of artificial intelligence systems, or the global climate emergency. Clearly, resolving such ‘wicked’ problems demands our urgent attention.

Working with these challenges, though, requires interdisciplinary approaches and the application of intellectual tools that sound critical thinking offers. However, whilst it is in our nature to think, left to itself, thinking, can be biased, distorted, sociocentric and uninformed.

In this subject, and assisted by researchers from across the university, you will be introduced to Community of Inquiry practices, where cumulative, collaborative and self-corrective thinking is encouraged, all the while tackling some of the most intractable and interesting problems of our times.

For more information see the Handbook.

Course code: EDUC30076
Level: 3

Wakanda is a subject concentrated on pressing issues of our time and the future including Afrofuturisms and resilience, Black migration and/in education, living in diasporic spaces, memories and histories, surviving race and racism, African philosophies and modes of social engagement. The subject offers ways to build your knowledge capacity to understand, responsibly engage, act, and create within spaces of Blackness in schools, neighbourhoods, industries, and communities.

Through its intensive delivery and conceptual and experiential depth of knowledge, you will have the opportunity to draw paths of action whether you are an undergraduate (e.g. planning on working alongside African Australian members of our society), an educator (e.g. through thinking or designing curriculum), or a community leader and organizer (e.g. intending to enrich your work and practice).

For more information see the Handbook.