| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Curriculum Through Play |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6051 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (EDMAS6030) |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to allow Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) to explore historical and contemporary theories of play and their implications on practice. PSTs will also understand how play contributes to development learning and wellbeing in young children from birth to age eight across curriculum areas. Approaches to play will be explored with a particular focus on nature play and use of natural spaces and materials in children's play. Various strategies will be explored in the planning of play-based experiences for young children. Notions of diversity, including cultural diversity and play as a socially inclusive practice will be explored. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | |  | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
|
| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Examine a range of theoretical perspectives and approaches to play |
|
| K2. | Demonstrate a deep understanding of the implications of play based pedagogies on children's learning, development and wellbeing across curriculum areas such as numeracy, science, technology, language and literacies, social and environmental education, creative arts and music, health and physical education for children from birth to prior to school years |
|
| K3. | Articulate how play can be a socially inclusive practice and how as PSTs they can cater for a range of learners from culturally diverse backgrounds |
|
| K4. | Explain the role of the PST in advocating for children's right to play and the implications for the total wellbeing of young children |
|
| K5. | Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the PST in planning, implementing, assessing, documenting and evaluating safe and engaging play spaces and experiences, particularly in encouraging children's connection with nature and natural materials |
|
| K6. | Demonstrate an understanding of the developmental stages in young children and their relevant application in developing the creativity of children from birth to prior to school years |
|
| K7. | Demonstrate knowledge of current curricula requirements and their implications for development across learning areas and nature programs |
|
| K8. | Acknowledge the importance of developing dispositions of creativity and imagination while engaging play experiences |
|
| Skills: |
| S1. | Critically reflect on a range of approaches and theoretical perspectives on play. |
|
| S2. | Use knowledge of current curricula to plan, implement, document and evaluate play based experiences across curriculum areas |
|
| S3. | Demonstrate an ability to cater for a range of diverse learners using play-based pedagogies |
|
| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Explore a range of approaches and theories on play and demonstrate how these influence the play experiences provided for young learners |
|
| A2. | Develop skills required to plan across curriculum areas using play-based approaches |
|
| A3. | Demonstrate an understanding of the role natural spaces and materials in the play and total wellbeing of young learners |
|
| Unit Content: |
•Historical and contemporary theories of play
•Approaches to play and implications for teaching
•How children learn and develop, across curriculum areas, using play-based approaches
•Play as a socially inclusive practice
•Play and wellbeing
•Catering for diverse learners using play-based teaching strategies
•Planning, documenting and assessing play-based learning across curriculum areas, including the use of ICT.
•Play in relation to the Early Years Learning Framework and other current curricula
•Play spaces, resources and materials for young children
•Nature pedagogy and play
•Nature pedagogy curricula learning areas
•The teachers role in guiding childrens learning and behaviour during play |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
|
| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 3 - N/A | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 3 - N/A | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 3 - N/A |
|
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K4, S1, A1 | Using a provided reading, answer a series of questions. | Questions & Answers | 10-30% | | 2. | K2, K3, K5, K6, S2, S3, A1 | Presentation from a list of approaches to play, develop a brief PowerPoint presentation on the approach. Plan an experience for 2-3-year old children that demonstrates the approach. Articulate what would need to be considered if the group of children were to include younger children | Presentation and Learning Experience Plan | 20-40% | | 3. | K2, K5, K6, K7, K8, S2, S3, A2, A3 | Planning for a Curriculum Area using Play Based Strategies Based on the provided scenario, develop a series of three play-based learning experiences, which must include three curricula learning areas, for the small group of 3-5 year olds. Adapt the plans to include younger children. Plans must include appropriate teaching strategies, assessment strategies, links to current curriculum and a plan for evaluation of teaching | Planning using play-based strategies. | 40-60% |
|