learning experience
"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home "
Aboriginal Proverb
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The context for this learning experience takes place in a Year 7 class of 25 students, 10 of whom identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. While the school strongly emphasizes inclusive education, instances of discrimination towards First Nations students, both from peers and teachers, have been observed. In response, school leaders are adopting a Culturally Responsive Schooling (CRS) approach to reduce discrimination and promote inclusivity (Gay, 2002). Recently, the teaching staff participated in professional development workshops aligned with Standard 1.3, which focuses on "responding to students' diverse backgrounds" (AITSL, n.d). These efforts aim to enhance teaching practices and curriculum content that foster greater respect, belonging, and equity within the school community.
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration sets two interconnected goals: ensuring that the Australian education system maintains excellence and equity, and supporting the development of confident, creative, lifelong learners who are active, informed citizens (Education Council, 2019). Likewise, the Queensland Department of Education’s Inclusive Education Policy (2024), guided by the United Nations’ nine features of inclusive education, asserts that inclusive practices must permeate all aspects of school life, guaranteeing that students receive high-quality learning that caters to their individual needs within a safe, supportive, and discrimination-free environment. When designing this learning sequence, I drew from some key aspects of High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) framework such as: structuring lessons, collaborative learning, differentiated teaching and metacognitive questioning and feedback (DET, 2017).
The unit plan includes the following features:
Content descriptors and learning objectives
The unit planner makes reference to content descriptions and elaborations that include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
The 8ways framework emphasises a non-linear, differentiated approach to teaching and learning (Yunkaporta, 2009), therefore I have ensured to integrate knowledge and skills from other learning areas to equip students with a well-rounded knowledge base. The learning experience considers cross-curricular capabilities such as Literacy, Numeracy and ICT (ACARA, 2025) and aligns with the content descriptors for the following Year 7 level VCAA subjects:
GEOGRAPHY:
Spiritual, cultural and aesthetic value of landscapes and landforms for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that influence the significance of places, and ways of protecting significant landscapes (VCGGK120)
HISTORY:
The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient past, including the heritage, culture and artefacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCHHK108)
The nature of sources of evidence about ancient Australia and what they reveal about Australia’s ancient past, such as the use of resources (VCHHK107)
ENGLISH:
Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (VCELT393)
CIVICS/CITIZENSHIP:
Explain how groups express their identities, including religious and cultural identity, and how this expression can influence their perceptions of others and others’ perception of them (VCCCC026)
Policies and curriculum documents for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
All teachers must follow the relevant protocols when teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
Members from the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc.(VAEAI) express that protocols mean "following the customs and lores of the people or community you are working with; and communicating in a way which is relevant to us” (2007). The protocols provide guidelines about how to protect the integrity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expressions and enable all Victorian teachers and students to engage respectfully and feel connected to this identity (VAEAI, 2016).
Structured weekly learning content
Teachers must recognize the implicit and unintended "hidden curriculum" and the concept of "curriculum as praxis," where the curriculum is seen as a shared experience (Churchill et al., 2022). This concept aligns with the 8ways Framework, which seeks to foster a sense of belonging and community, promoting a shared understanding among students (Yunkaporta, 2009). The learning content is intentionally designed to reflect the 8ways principle of "Deconstruct/Reconstruct," using worked examples to scaffold learning and explore topics from whole to parts and vice versa, encouraging a deep connection with knowledge. This non-linear approach emphasizes diverse methods of engagement, considering students’ cultural ways of learning to ensure a respectful and inclusive educational experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (Yunkaporta, 2009).
The following section further explores the critical elements of the unit design, providing teachers with a deeper understanding of the importance of integrating First Nations knowledge and culture into the visual arts classroom.
Why “Yarning Circles” ?
Yarning circles, also known as dialogue circles, are a traditional communication practice used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as Indigenous cultures globally, to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and preserve cultural narratives through collective dialogue (QCAA, 2018). Integrating yarning circles into the classroom practicum fosters a safe and collaborative environment where all voices are valued equally, promoting honest and respectful communication.
As the unit focuses on “Land Links” (8ways, n.d), teachers are encouraged to draw on Place-Based Learning and Affordance Theory by reconfiguring the classroom layout to accommodate yarning circles at the start of each lesson, ensuring the space supports both cultural practice and meaningful engagement.
Furthermore, teachers can create a more inclusive learning experience by incorporating a variation of the practice known as the ‘no language’ method, which prioritizes silent observation over verbal interaction — a learning approach grounded in the tradition of observing elders rather than asking questions (QCAA, 2018).
Promote trust, responsibility, and respectful listening.
Foster student-to-student and community connections.
Encourage collaborative problem-solving and reflective thinking.
Support cultural understanding through both spoken and observed learning.
Why incorporate the use of digital tools?
To support the development of their final artworks, students will use digital tools such as Google Earth and Topographic Maps Australia to explore their homelands from multiple perspectives. While modern technology now offers satellite imagery and bird’s-eye views, Aboriginal artists have long depicted their connection to Country through similar elevated perspectives, embedded within their visual storytelling traditions. As students gather visual data using contemporary tools, they are also encouraged to develop an understanding that the oral histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples represent a form of ‘data’ in their own right - preserved and passed down without reliance on technology. Contemporary Indigenous artists continue this practice, seamlessly blending traditional knowledge systems with modern themes and techniques, reinforcing the enduring relevance of aerial perspectives in both cultural expression and artistic innovation.
Why the concept of mapping landscape?
The 8ways concept of “Land Links” plays a central role in this learning experience, linking students to their own country and language community through stories and lesson content related to the land or local area, while fostering a deep appreciation for their cultural identity (8ways, n.d). Embedding landscape mapping within the curriculum offers students the opportunity to explore the intricate connections between people, place, and culture, encouraging an understanding of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may view the world.
The aerial perspective, a significant and unique feature of Aboriginal art, offers a view from above, presenting expansive landscapes and intertwining narratives that hold spiritual significance. This viewpoint has long been central to Indigenous art, not merely as a stylistic choice, but as a tool for storytelling (Linklater, 2023). By depicting the land from this elevated view, Aboriginal artists capture a holistic representation of their Country, embedding its physical, spiritual, and cultural essence (AAA Gallery, 2020).
The topographic viewpoint allows for the portrayal of vast Australian landscapes—deserts, rivers, forests, and coasts—where ancestral spirits roamed and sacred ceremonies occurred. This form of abstraction in the aerial perspective enables viewers to interpret the artwork on a personal level, allowing the spiritual and narrative elements to emerge in a way that transcends the explicit details of the landscape.
The artworks First Nations students study as part of this unit go beyond geographical representations, offering profound spiritual and cultural insights into the land in which their ancestors exist through. Incorporating these principles into the learning experience provides both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students with not only an understanding of landscape mapping but also a deeper appreciation for the spiritual, cultural, and historical significance of the land in Indigenous Australian communities. It fosters an educational environment where Indigenous culture is not only respected but deeply integrated into the learning process, offering students a rich opportunity to engage with both the art form and the powerful stories it represents.
Wantili (Wantili, Canning Stock Route Well 25), 91 x 122 cm: Acrylic on Linen, Cyril Whyoulter. Photo Courtesy of Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists).
Why offer Formative Assessment suggestions?
The Department of Education’s (2020) Inclusive Education Policy highlights the importance of systematically monitoring student progress to ensure equitable outcomes, regardless of socio-economic, cultural, or academic backgrounds. The policy emphasizes the need for accessible learning environments and targeted support during key transition stages, ensuring that all students can participate fully, including those with physical, mental, or learning disabilities. The activities outlined in the assessment section of the unit guide provide practical tools for monitoring student progress, offering personalised feedback, and aligning with Standard 5 of Professional Practice, which underscores the importance of consistent evaluation of student learning and achievement (AITSL, 2017).
This cycle of assessment through observation reflects Schön’s (1983) concept of reflective practice within experiential learning, as further supported by Rooney and Boud (2019). By embedding opportunities for self-reflection within the unit’s assessment criteria, students are encouraged to become more self-aware and actively engaged in their learning, fostering self-monitoring and deeper understanding. This approach underscores the value of integrating reflective cycles into teaching strategies to improve educational outcomes.
Why are embodied learning opportunities important?
This learning experience is informed by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, with a particular focus on visual/spatial and bodily-kinaesthetic intelligences, both of which can foster greater equality and engagement among diverse learners, contributing to a more inclusive classroom environment (Armstrong, 2017).
This approach is reflected in activities such as the Body-Mapping task, the Tape-Drawing exercise, and the school excursion, which extend learning beyond the traditional classroom setting. Through physically mapping their identities, students create artworks that are personally meaningful, enhancing their motivation to experiment, create, and reflect. For example, when drawing their own family tree or kinship system, students might represent relationships using coloured lines to indicate emotional closeness, include pets and friends, or assemble an artefact archive of objects symbolising their ancestral ties and historical narratives.
