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Canberra Secondary School

Visual Arts, Design and Media (ALP)

Discover how Canberra Secondary School's ALP builds visual arts, design, and media skills through photography, videography, and real-world projects.

Last updated 10 July 2026

Visual Arts, Design and Media Programme

Canberra Secondary Schools’ ALP aligns with the 21st Century Competencies Framework, integrating authentic learning and career exposure. Through this use of Visual Arts and Design, we emphasize a balanced approach through arts appreciation and technical skills.

Our ALP comprises of two tiers:

Tier 1: focuses on knowledge acquisition.

Tier 2: emphasises application of skills through involvement in personal projects through the Digital Media in Visual Arts CCA.

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Poster titled Applied Learning Programme with sections on objectives, framework, curriculum, QR codes, and photos of students.

Objectives of ALP

The Applied Learning Program (ALP) aims to integrate academic knowledge with real-world applications, emphasize on relevant learning experiences in school, motivate skill acquisition, develop visual arts, design, photography, and videography skills.

ALP Framework

1) Find

Leveraging on technology to brainstorm ideas for research and to identify the needs of the community.

2) Think

To think about why pictures are taken, telling an engaging story, and getting your point over to the audience.

3) Apply

Creative use of photography, editing, videography, and video editing skills

4) Create

Creating, connect, and communicate through photos and videos using the Google Sites platform for students’ e-Portfolios.

Challenge-Based Learning

The challenge-based learning approach encourages student collaboration by fostering big ideas, asking thoughtful questions, and identifying, investigating, and solving challenges through three interconnected phases.

  1. Engage

    • Researching 5 BIG Ideas.

    • Identifying 1 challenge

    • Thinking of essential questions

  2. Investigate

    • Learning experiences through VIA, CCA, and public space visits

  3. Act

    • Proposing solutions

    • Implementing and evaluating solutions

BIG Ideas

  1. Climate Change (Biodiversity)

  2. Diverse Society (Gender, Gratitude, Inequity, and Inequality, Community)

  3. Environment and Sustainability (Plastic, Environmental Justice, Water)

  4. Food and Health (Health)

  5. Security (Coding)

Our Curriculum

Cohort 1: Photography

  • Photography skills

  • Photo editing

  • Photo journaling

Cohort 2: Videography

  • Videography skills

  • Storyboarding

  • Video editing