Outline

Overview

This Unit of Study addresses the nature of teaching music in a junior secondary school context (Years 7-10) and contributes to preparing students for a career in the challenging field of music education. Current syllabus documents are analysed, approaches to music curriculum construction are discussed, and pedagogical theories are examined. ICT and media issues related to music education are addressed, as is resource selection and development. All of these components are studied in the broader context of creating and managing an engaging classroom learning environment and the fostering of self-motivated learners.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Education
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jennifer Rowley, jennifer.rowley@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
In-class quiz	Early Feedback Task (EFT) - in class A short multiple choice quiz to confirm that you have engaged with the Canvas site and understand the course structure.	0%	Week 01 Due date: 23 Feb 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 09 Mar 2026	in-class quiz	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Performance	Assessment 1 Part A: Peer Teaching Peer Teaching Presentation. See Canvas for more details.	15%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 23 Mar 2026	10 mins (500wd equiv)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Assessment Task 1 Part B: Lesson Plans Written assessment. See Canvas for more details	25%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 13 Apr 2026	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Assessment Task 2: Stage 4 Unit of work and assessment design Written assessment. See CANVAS for more details.	30%	Week 09 Due date: 27 Apr 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 27 Apr 2026	1500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Assessment Task 3: Stage 5 Unit of Work and Assessment design Written assessment. See Canvas for more details	30%	Week 13 Due date: 31 May 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 14 Jun 2026	1500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = early feedback task ?

Assessment summary

see CANVAS for details

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.
Credit	65 - 74	Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.
Pass	50 - 64	Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Stage 4 exemplar content (Music Cryptography). The dual components of (music) education: curriculum & pedagogy; New ways of looking at learning – reshaping practice and prioritising mandatory music; Junior Secondary Music Education Philosophy – music & musicians now; music for positive change. Sketching out Assessment Item 1 – the Lesson Starter Activity /Do Now. Proactive practices in preventing misbehaviour and/or disengagement.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 01	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 02	Stage 4 exemplar content (Music for screens). Planning and sequencing lessons – featured pieces of music & key teaching points; instructional & learning strategies. Reading and interpreting the NSW 7-10 Syllabus focusing on music in practice and music in context in Stage 4. Considering the importance and relevance of literacy and numeracy in the Stage 4 music classroom.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 02	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 03	Responsive teaching in Music Education 1: Beginning from your students’ musical cultures, prioritising First Nations artists. Popular music genres as valid, sophisticated musical forms. Informal Learning – principles, application and critiques (what it is and what it’s not pedagogically). Rules and routines to establish a structured, safe, and positive classroom environment for diverse modes of music learning.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 03	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 04	Stage 4 exemplar content (Flipping Samples) Effective pedagogical practices: The place of explicit teaching in music education. Multi-tiered systems of support in the music classroom. Whole class vs. small group immersion. Different forms of assessment in stage 4 including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches. Record keeping and assuring consistency. Using ICT to improve interpretation of assessment data.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 04	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 05	Writing a unit of work and assessment task: Creating explicit rubrics and criteria and the importance of modelling to support student success. Reading and interpreting repertoire requirements in the NSW Music 7-10 Syllabus. Writing reports and professional responsibilities: understanding strategies for turning assessment records into useful feedback for parents or carers of your students.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 05	PEER TEACHING TASK PRESENTATION	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 06	Responsive teaching in Music Education 2: Embedding repertoire from global music cultures. Being responsive to culturally diverse communities including supporting EAL /D students. Pedagogy in focus: Campbell’s Listening Experiences – Attentive/Engaged /Enactive.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 06	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 07	Stage 5 Syllabus Introduction and discussion. Literacy and numeracy in the stage 5 music classroom. From unit planners to chunking lesson sequences. Creating engaging resources and learning environments for student success. Assessment in focus and integrating focus areas.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 07	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 08	Supporting students with diverse learning needs and disabilities. Understanding the Life Skills Syllabus; Support Unit classes in DoE schools – programming advice and project based learning; Universal Design for Learning in the music classroom and championing integration and inclusion in your mainstream classes; Looking ahead to your Stage 5 program and supporting your integrated student; NCCD what it means and why it’s important.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 08	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 09	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and stories in the Music 7-10 Curriculum. Understanding and enacting cultural safety in schools. Collaborating and engaging with local communities and families to share Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 09	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 10	Technology in the Stage 4 & 5 music classroom and Digital literacy as a focus capability in the NSW Curriculum. Ethical, authentic, and musical use of technologies.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 10	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 11	Stage 5 exemplar content (Finding Our Voice). The teacher’s role in implementing Evidence-Based Practice. Designing for differentiation in Stage 5, and the pitfalls of differentiation in music education. The music teacher as artist, and artist as pluralist.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 11	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 12	The Depth Study and BL’ s Week 1. What does cross-curricular actually mean, in the context of the syllabus, and more broadly in education? How does ICT offer opportunities for music learning that are not as easily accessed without it? How can teachers ensure safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT? Understanding and film music within its filmic context – classroom applications.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 12	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 13	The Depth Study and BL’ s Week 2. Project- (Enquiry/Challenge /Problem etc.)-Based Learning and Music Education. Completion of film music workshop: publication of compositions online; Multimodal literacy.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 13	Student role play, peer-teaching, and discussion on the above topics.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Bauer, W. (2014). A Conceptual Framework for Technology-Assisted Music Learning. In Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York: Oxford University Press. [Pages 4 to 11: see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199890590.001.0001/acprof-9780199890590]

Berger, R. (2003). An Ethic of Excellence. Portsmouth: Heinemann. [Pages 63-91 for lecture 13, but you are recommended to buy the book and read the whole thing, every year.]

Board of Studies NSW (2003). Music Years 7-10 Syllabus. Sydney. Download here: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/music.html

Bray, D. (2009). Creating a Musical School. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Chapter 5, by Sharon Green, available via Units of Study on the Library website (under MUED3605) AND under Modules, Week 2 on the Canvas site]

Campbell, P. (2004). Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford University Press. [Excerpts: pp. 54-57, 64, 77, 91-94, 97-99, 123, 125-128, 139-143, 189, provided in licensed PDF on LMS]

Green, Lucy. ‘Lucy Green, Institute of Education, University of London’ [video clip]. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r8zoHT4ExY.

NSW Education Standards Authority (2024). Music 7-10 Syllabus. https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/creative-arts/music-7-10-2024/overview

For a complete reading list please see the EDMT5700 Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an awareness and understanding of cultural and ideological assumptions about music, teaching music as a profession, and music education
LO2. demonstrate knowledge of current music pedagogical theory
LO3. demonstrate a competent grasp of the key aspects of the current NSW stages 4 and 5 (years 7-10) mandatory and elective music course syllabuses
LO4. apply and evaluate technology in relation to music teaching
LO5. demonstrate an understanding of student behaviour and strategies for managing students in the classroom environment
LO6. plan, develop, and implement meaningful music teaching and learning experiences and evaluate educational “transactions” in front of peers relevant to a junior secondary school setting.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This course continues to be updated responding to the feedback of student surveys and latest developments in research.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

EDMT5700: Music Curriculum 1

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links