Audio‐visual Education in Primary Schools: a curriculum project in the Netherlands

Since 1978 the National Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO) and the National Institute for Support of Arts Education (LOKV) have been working together with two schools in Zaandam on audio‐visual education in primary schools. The project made its object to work out of the aims of audio‐visual education (or ‘media education') in the primary school (children aged 4‐12 years), to explore the nature of audio‐visual education, and to establish a curriculum. ‘Audio‐visual education’ aims to increase audio‐visual literacy, helping pupils acquire information and an insight into the meaning of mass media in order to learn how they are used for communication. It also entails using audio‐visual means as a method of expression and using audio‐visual equipment in education. The teachers in the project schools have designed and implemented lessons in audio‐visual education. After these lessons were given they were discussed and analysed by the advisors, project leaders and colleagues. This developmental approach led to a total curriculum, which is described