Measuring aesthetic development : a national dialogue

Aesthetic literacy can be understood as a mode of cognition or a way of knowing. However, the concept of aesthetics is often absent from conversations about learning and curriculum. The development of a national curriculum in Australia brings an opportune moment to consider the place of aesthetic and creative literacies in the curriculum. Aesthetic literacies have the capacity to be accessed across a range of discipline areas. This paper explores the importance of aesthetic education and the challenges that the assessment of aesthetic literacy brings within current and proposed curriculum structures.