The learning design implemented in this exemplar focuses on extending opportunities for peer interaction amongst students via the provision of a subject/unit web site that provides access to synchronous and asynchronous discussion tools. View the Learning Design Sequence for a graphical representation of the learning design.

Comment from the Project Team...

The emphasis of the learning design is to foster online peer interaction amongst on-campus and off-campus students. One strategy implemented to encourage online interaction is the allocation of marks for online contributions.

Students are required to complete three tasks which are assessed...

Each item in the resource set provided to students is complementary to each other and this supports students in both individual and group tasks...

Four discussion forums, each with a different social or educational function; instructor feedback; workshops and lectures throughout residential school period; ...

It is an elective unit. It is also a 1^st year foundational unit for students who may elect in future to do either a minor or major in creative arts education in the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th years of their combined degree (Bachelor General Studies/ Bachelor of Teaching) program...

Through online communication students are able to: share their opinions and responses to the large body of literature and resources that they are expected to study throughout the course; refine their ideas for music and art tasks (done individually) by discussing frameworks and approaches they intend to take and gain feedback from others on this; ...

Assessable tasks are focussed on Art (a written essay and an artwork), Music (a musicianship Level One course and an essay) and items focussed on both (personal contributions made to the learning design web site throughout the semester)...

There was no specific learning problem that led to the development of this learning design, however ICT was generally thought to improve the quality of experience of distance learning...

The focus of the Arts Education team is the teaching and researching of aspects of human development and learning in, through, with and about the Arts across the life span...

The creative arts teaching team originally developed the learning design as a way of addressing some of the diminished opportunities for students to study arts education early in the structure of their combined degree...

There have been student evaluations, completed each year, of lecturer teaching performance not the learning design itself. The lecturer evaluations however, also incorporate questions about other aspects of the course...

The discussion between students assisted them to reflect on their approaches to art and music tasks and their understanding of the resource materials...