Outline

Overview

This Unit of Study addresses the nature of teaching music in a senior secondary school context (Years 11-12, Stage 6) and contributes to preparing students for a career in the challenging field of music education. Current NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Music 1 and Music 2 (plus Extension) Course syllabuses are analysed, approaches to music curriculum construction are discussed, and contrasting pedagogical theories are examined. Technology and media issues related to music education are addressed, and special emphasis is placed on resource selection and development. These components are studied in the broader context of creating and managing a vital classroom learning environment and the fostering of self-motivated learners.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Education
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	48 credit points including EDMT5700 and EDMT5702
Corequisites ?	EDMT6500
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jim Coyle, jim.coyle@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-person practical, skills, or performance task or test	Explain something In class presentation. Full details in Canvas. Early Feedback Task	0%	Week 01	2 minutes	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Music 2 resource kit Create a resource kit for Music 2 Preliminary (Year 11) that represents the Focus Area Music of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Your kit should focus on one composer or stylistic movement from the 20th century.	30%	Week 06 Due date: 01 Apr 2026 at 23:59	1550wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person practical, skills, or performance task or test	Peer teaching of HSC Music 1 content Take ONE item of musical content or musical language from the syllabus and teach it to the group. Your teaching must include some explanation of the knowledge and some activities that help the students to understand the content. Full details on Canvas.	40%	Week 08	1600wd equivalent	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Create a sequence of lessons for a Music 1Focus Area Create a sequence of lessons (3 weeks, approx. 12 lessons) that represents a part of one of the Music 1 HSC Focus Areas.	30%	Week 09 Due date: 29 Apr 2026 at 23:59	1350wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = early feedback task ?

Assessment summary

See Canvas for full details on assessments.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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	Introduction to HSC Music. New syllabuses and new priorities.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to HSC Music. New syllabuses and new priorities.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 02	Programming in Stage 6	Lecture (1.5 hr)
Week 02	Programming in Stage 6	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 03	Technology in Stage 6 Music and mandatory recorded composition in Music 1.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Technology in Stage 6 Music and mandatory recorded composition in Music 1.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
	Music 2 Preliminary – Planning, resource writing, repertoire studies.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 2 Preliminary – Planning, resource writing, repertoire studies.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 04	Music 2 HSC Course Mandatory Topic. (Music of the last 25 years (Australian Focus))	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 2 HSC Course Mandatory Topic. (Music of the last 25 years (Australian Focus))	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
	Assessment in Stage 6 Music. Music 2 Preliminary syllabus requirements and repertoire study.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Assessment in Stage 6 Music. Music 2 Preliminary syllabus requirements and repertoire study	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 05	Music 2 HSC Course part 2 Creating Classroom Resources and Finding Repertoire	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 2 HSC Course part 2 Creating Classroom Resources and Finding Repertoire	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 Content	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 Content	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 07	Music 1 content, structure, new syllabus priorities.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 content, structure, new syllabus priorities.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 Focus Areas, Music Context, Music Language.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 Focus Areas, Music Context, Music Language.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 08	Music 1 Focus Areas, Music Context, Music Language part 2.	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	Music 1 Focus Areas, Music Context, Music Language part 2.	Tutorial (1.5 hr)
	In-class peer teaching for Assessment	Lecture (1.5 hr)
	In-class peer teaching for Assessment	Tutorial (1.5 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

In line with policy.

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. I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music . New York: Oxford University Press, USA.

Brown, A. (2015). Music Technology and Education: Amplifying Musicality . New York: Routledge.

Cain, T. (2013). ‘Passing it on’: beyond formal or informal pedagogies. Music Education Research, 15 (1), 74-91. doi:10.1080/14613808.2012.752803

Coyle, J. (2015) Scheherezade and Scheherezade.2 Education Resource Kit. Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Finney, J., & Philpott, C. (2010). Informal learning and meta-pedagogy in initial teacher education in England. . British Journal of Music Education, 27 (1), 12.

Folkestad, G. (2006). Formal and informal learning situations of practices vs formal and informal ways of learning. British Journal of Music Education .

Forney, K. (2000). Norton Scores . New York: W. W. Norton.

Forney, K., & Machlis, J. (2007). The Enjoyment of Music: An Introduction to Perceptive Listening . New York: W. W. Norton.

Galettis, H. (2009). Musical concepts : music 1 aural skills preliminary and HSC course . Milton: John Wiley & Sons.

Hein, E. (2015). You kids like the wrong music. Retrieved from http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2015/you-kids-like-the-wrong-music/#more-13708

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools : John Wiley & Sons.

Hindson, M., Barbeler, D., & Blom, D. (2007). Music Composition Toolbox . Sydney: Science Press.

Humberstone, J. (2012). Sibelius 7 Music Notation Essentials (K. Shoup Ed. 1 ed.). Boston: Course Technology.

Humberstone, J., & Ly, R. (2016). Content analysis of software for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in Music Education . Paper presented at the 32nd World Conference, International

Society for Music Education, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Schloss, J. G. (2009). Foundation : B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York . New York: Oxford University Press.

Tobias, E. S. (2015). From Musical Detectives to DJs: Expanding Aural Skills and Analysis Through Engaging Popular Music and Culture. General Music Today, 28 (3), 23-27. doi:10.1177

/1048371314558293

Waldock, K. (2011). Jandamarra Sing For Country Education Resource Kit. Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

· Carroll, C. (2019). ‘Illiterate’ musicians: an historic review of curriculum and practice for student popular musicians in Australian senior secondary classrooms – British Journal of

Music Education

• Historical and critical review of NSW secondary music curriculum with a focus on inclusion of popular musics and curriculum reform.

· Carter, J. (2025). The times, they are a-changing: Australian secondary classroom music teachers reflect on their early career 40 years on – British Journal of Music Education

• Reflective analysis of secondary music teachers in NSW over decades, detailing pedagogical shifts and professional identity.

· Rogerson, C. (2021). Why students study music in an Australian secondary school – University of Wollongong thesis.

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. Gain a comprehensive working knowledge of the current NSW Stage 6 (Years 11-12) Music 1 and Music 2 (plus Extension) Course syllabuses
LO2. Design, document, and deliver engaging programs of work in these courses which give students the best, differentiated opportunities to succeed while meeting or surpassing all syllabus outcomes.
LO3. Reach beyond common perceptions and explore, through lectures and workshops, the parameters and full potential of the scope of these syllabuses in the areas of teaching/learning and assessment
LO4. Interrogate a range of challenges involved in teaching senior secondary classroom music
LO5. Understand and evaluate technology in relation to music teaching
LO6. Develop sound and compelling practical teaching and learning skills
LO7. Develop meaningful music teaching and learning sequences

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.

The updates for 2026 are mostly to do with (1) NESA Initial Teacher Education Core Content integration (2) Graduate Teacher Standards accreditation and (3) new Stage 6 Syllabi (published 2025, for 2027 onward).

Additional information

This course meets its 36 indicative hours by the end of week 8. Week 9 is left free for the students to complete tasks and prepare for placements in week 10.

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

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

EDMT6639: Music Curriculum 3

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

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links