Towards defining degree standards : creative writing and the performing arts

Abstract

In 2010 the Australian Learning and Teaching Council funded the substantial Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project as a feasibility study to develop and define tertiary level program and course learning outcome standards in a selected group of disciplines, of which the creative and performing arts was one. The Academic Standards Project was designed to work towards agreed discipline and qualification standards in preparation for the Australian Government’s higher education quality and regulatory framework, including the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, which oversees regulation and quality assurance from 2011. The Creative and Performing Arts project’s scope included creative writing as a creative arts discipline, and this became an opportunity for tertiary creative writing to contribute to the project via the participation of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs alongside other practice-based creative arts. The processes of this project were framed by international best practice in establishing standards as well as a process of wide consultation, and achieved national discipline endorsement. Participation in the project created a pathway for creative writing to articulate benchmarking standards for bachelor and coursework masters degree levels aligned with both the Australian Qualifications Framework for degree standards and threshold learning outcomes for practice-led learning in tertiary programs. Although creative writing has historically, institutionally and pedagogically resided in close proximity to, or within, other disciplines such a literary studies, and media, communication and cultural studies, the participation and contribution of creative writing to the project positions and confirms the practice-led learning and research at its core and its relationship and commonality of language and process with other practice-led creative arts disciplines.17 page(s