Fitness Experiences

Fitness Experiences is designed as an introductory course within the Sport group of courses of the HPE suite.

The learner will develop a variety of skills and knowledge through practical involvement in selected fitness activities.

Elements which are central to this course include:

• discussing and adhering to a structured personal fitness program
• developing general and exercise specific skills and techniques
• describing and using basic personal organisational skills
• communication and actions that contribute to building a fitness environment that is positive, inclusive and supportive
• exploring a range of motivating factors and opportunities for lifelong fitness
• setting and reflecting on personal goals related to fitness.

These elements help develop physical literacy and shape the way learners can develop the confidence and capacity to maintain lifelong positive involvement in fitness.

Fitness Experiences Level 1 introduces learners to the Sport group of the Health and Physical Education (HPE) course suite.

‘Fitness’ is the broad term used to describe those activities that require physical exertion, and are deliberately engaged in with the intent of developing and maintaining personal physical fitness and associated cross-domain benefits. The intent of fitness training is particularly centred around developing personal physical attributes and meeting personal fitness goals and outcomes.
Fitness is a critical aspect of health and it is important that young Australians are equipped to build and maintain lifelong physical fitness.

Fitness Experiences provides opportunities for learners to meet and progress through important stages of their physical literacy development outlined in the final 3 of 7 milestones (Refinement and Adaption, Consistency and Extension, and Lifelong Engagement and Participation.) *

Fitness Experiences provides an opportunity for learners to connect with a range of Fitness activities. It will help build a positive lifelong health culture in Tasmania and support physical literacy,** both individually and across the wider community. The development of physical literacy is a lifelong process that is ongoing and dynamic. It is not developed to a point of completion but requires continual refinement and re-focusing based on life stage and circumstances, paving the way for a healthy and physically active life.

Fitness activities provide a catalyst for social connection and a valuable support for lifelong physical activity and health. Tasmania is aiming to become the nation’s fittest state.*** For this to occur our state will need to foster a generation of lifelong learners who embrace and enjoy active participation in regular physical activity.

*https://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/663402/6_Development_Milestones_FA.pdf **https://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/physical_literacy
*** Healthy Tasmania Five Year Strategic Plan, Dec 2015

Fitness Experiences is a Level 1 course within the Sport Group of the HPE Suite. It provides learning experiences that engage and develop learners through participation, review and refinement of a personalised fitness program.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, physical fitness is defined as, “a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity.”*

The main 5 components of physical fitness are: cardio respiratory fitness; muscular strength; muscular endurance; body composition; and flexibility.

Fitness Experiences aims to support learners as they work with their teacher to develop and undertake a fitness program that is structured around learners setting and recording progress towards their personal fitness goals. Learners are exposed to a range of approaches, facilities, activities, and techniques that can help them to improve and maintain their individual fitness levels and attain fitness goals.

Fitness Experiences aspires to challenge and engage the learner, build positive lifelong attitudes and behaviours toward fitness, through regular exercise and physical activity.

Further aims include learners:

• participating in a diverse range of fitness training activities
• identifying personal goals and targeting relevant fitness areas
• selecting and using suitable activities and exercises
• measuring and tracking improvement and progress
• demonstrating commitment to regular engagement in physical activity aligned to personal fitness goals
• following safety and equipment use instructions
• accessing local community facilities
• recognising physical, psychological, social, and cognitive capabilities developed through fitness
• participation in post session reflection and recording Fitness (journal)
• identifying future pathway options for ongoing physical activity.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

Learners must have the capacity to demonstrate fundamental movement skills applicable to selected fitness activities to ensure that safety elements and educational challenges are aligned at an appropriate level.

The capacity to work in teams and interact with others are fundamental aspects of this course.

Learners with physical disabilities can access this course and receive an award commensurate with their ability to successfully meet the criteria and standards.

Fitness Experiences Level 1 builds on foundation concepts emerging from the Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education F-10:

Health and Physical Education F-10 also provides opportunities to develop the General capabilities particularly:

• Personal and Social Capability,
• Critical and Creative thinking
• Ethical understanding.

Fitness Experiences Level 1 also connects with concepts from the Personal, Social and Community Health and Movement and Physical Activity strands of the F-10 Australian Curriculum – Health and Physical Education.

Fitness Experiences is designed to assist learners from all starting points to develop their personal skillset and knowledge of various fitness activities and training techniques. The course provides all learners with opportunities to build their basic personal organisational skills and capacity to communicate to others involved in selected fitness activities.

Through their involvement in this course learners will develop awareness of approaches used to build a supportive and positive fitness culture and training environment. Learners will be able to reflect on their fitness experiences and identify actions and pathways to lifelong sport involvement.

Learners completing Fitness Experiences may use it as a basis for a wide range of personal, vocational and further education and training options. Fitness Experiences provides a pathway to HPE courses such as: Athlete Development Level 2; Sport Science - Foundation Level 2; and Community Sport and Recreation Level 2; and VET Certificates I or II in Sport and Recreation. After completing Fitness Experiences, vocational pathways may include any role where physical literacy, a balanced healthy lifestyle, and positive communication skills are valued.

Health and Physical Education Course Suite

Level	Sport Group	Recreation Group	Health Group	Outdoor Group
3	Sport Science 15		Health Studies 15	Outdoor Leadership 15
2	Sport Science-Foundation 15		Personal Health and Wellbeing 15	Outdoor Education 15
	Athlete Development 15
	Community Sport and Recreation 15
1	Fitness Experiences 5		Personal Care 10	Outdoor Experiences 5
	Sport and Recreation Experiences 10
Pre	Sport and Recreation for Life 10

 

When planning and conducting outdoor adventure activities, providers of this course must address their school’s Risk Management procedures.

• DECYP schools can access this document via the DECYP intranet Off-Campus Activities Planning Procedures Review page
• Independent and Catholic schools should refer to the Outdoor Council of Australia’s Australian Adventure Activity Standards for relevant guidelines Australian Adventure Activity Standard – and associated Good Practice Guides

Providers should seek case-by-case advice when supporting learners with high or additional needs.

Providers must ensure that activity leaders have current qualifications appropriate to activities being offered.

This course has a complexity level of 1.

At Level 1, the learner is expected to carry out tasks and activities that draw on a limited range of knowledge and skills. The tasks and activities generally have a substantial repetitive aspect to them. Minimum judgment is needed as there are usually very clear rules, guidelines or procedures to be followed. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate I.

This course has a size value of 5.

Learners studying Fitness Experiences must undertake at least two (2) fitness activities in the year of study. In undertaking these practical activities learners will be given basic instruction and introduced to technical activity skills and associated safety practices. The course must be predominantly delivered through practical experiences appropriate to learners’ fitness levels and goals.

Learners will be provided with opportunities to reflect on their own fitness experiences.

* Work and specific activities undertaken in this course may not be used by a learner as evidence of meeting the requirements or standards of any other course.

Learners will develop and apply their learning through experiences in two or more fitness activities.

Within each fitness activity, learners will undertake learning in the:

• basic skills and techniques associated with the activity
• appropriate use of resources, equipment and procedures
• application of appropriate safety processes.

More specifically, in each activity learners will:

• complete checklists detailing personal organisational requirements (e.g. equipment, clothing, monetary and transport requirements)
• set personal goals related to their involvement in the activity and reflect on the degree to which they achieve these goals (e.g. factors which contributed to success/lack of success, how realistic the goals were)
• record the experience, and their reflections on it, in their Fitness Journal – (see Appendix for details)
• communicate simple information training contexts (e.g. receiving and passing on instructions to safely use equipment or apply practical training skills or techniques)
• follow directions of leaders regarding engagement in the activity and safety procedures
• identify some personal and group risks associated with the activity
• identify ways in which the activity contributes to the personal fitness program
• document specific equipment or clothing needs to consider for specific fitness activities
• verbally contribute to debriefing sessions in a meaningful and constructive manner
• cooperate in a manner which facilitates the attainment of group goals.

Learners must undertake at least 50 hours of fitness activity utilising at least two (2) fitness activities from at least two categories.

These may include (but are not limited to) the list below, based on learner interest and capacity, logistics and resources of the provider.

Activity Category	Specific Activity
Cardiorespiratory fitness  (single/multiple/circuit/interval activities)	Swimming Boxing/combat Walking Running Aerobics Skipping Cycling (spin bike or outdoors) Treadmill Stair-climber Aqua-fitness
Strength Training  (single/multiple/circuit activities)	Body weight Free weight Cable machine Hydraulic machines ropes/straps/springs/bands/chain Plyometrics Medicine balls/tyres/kettle bells
Conditioning  (single/multiple/circuit activities)	Speed Agility Flexibility Boot Camp Pilates/Yoga/Tai Chi Step/Zumba/Body Pump
Career pathways investigation  (https://www.aqf.edu.au/aqf-levels)	Group Fitness Personal Trainer

Learners are required to create and maintain a Fitness Journal (see Appendix) consisting of a record of each activity session undertaken giving the date and time, and the venue and people involved in the activity. The log will also contain learner reflections on their experiences and learning. These reflections may comprise wordlists, images (e.g. collages, sketches, and diagrams), photos and/or brief paragraphs.

Fitness Experiences requires all learners to maintain and regularly submit their Fitness Journal for ongoing feedback and overall assessment purposes.

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program – is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating of ‘C’ (satisfactory standard) according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course document.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating. The ‘t’ notation is not described in course standards.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Providers offering this course must participate in quality assurance processes specified by TASC to ensure provider validity and comparability of standards across all awards. Further information on quality assurance processes, as well as on assessment, is on the TASC website.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Assessment processes must gather evidence that clearly shows the match between individual learner performance, the standards of the course and the learner’s award. Providers will report the learner’s final rating for each criterion to TASC.

 Given the highly practical nature of this course, providers should consider the benefits of using tools such as observation checklists, video and photography as means of gathering and recording evidence of assessment.

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards of achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by individual learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process

TASC will verify that the provider’s course delivery and assessment meet the course requirements and community expectations for fairness, integrity and validity of qualifications TASC issues. This will involve checking:

• Provider standard 1: scope and sequence documentation:
  • course delivery plan
  • course assessment plan, assessment matrix
• Provider standard 2: student attendance records
• Provider standard 3: examples of assessments tools and instruments and associated rubrics and marking guides
• Provider standard 1 and 3: examples of student work including that related to any work requirements articulated in the course document
• Provider standard 4: class records of assessment

This process will be scheduled by TASC using a risk-based approach.

The assessment for Fitness Experiences Level 1 will be based on whether the learner can:

Fitness Experiences Level 1 (with the award of):

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

The minimum requirements for an award in Fitness Experiences Level 1, are as follows:

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

C rating (satisfactory standard) in five (5) Criteria

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

C rating (satisfactory standard) in three (3) Criteria

A student who otherwise achieves the ratings for an SA (Satisfactory Achievement) award but who fails to show any evidence of achievement in one or more criteria (‘z’ notation) will be issued with a PA (Preliminary Achievement) award.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) will develop and regularly review and revise the curriculum. Course evaluation is informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment. More information about course evaluation can be found on the Years 9-12 website.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People acknowledges the significant leadership of Darren Perry, Dominique Emmett, Joel Beveridge, Holly Butler, Jamieson Smalley, Cameron Lynch and Chris Jacobsen in the development of this course.

There are no content statements developed by ACARA that are relevant to this course.

The accreditation for this course has been renewed from 1 January 2026.

Version 1: Accredited on 8 December 2017 for use from 1 January 2018.

Version 1a: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 22 November 2018 for the period 1 January 2019 until 31 December 2021.

Version 1b: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 14 July 2021 for the period 31 December 2021 until 31 December 2024.

Version 1c: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 22 June 2023 for the period 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2025.

Version 2: Minor amendments on 31 March 2025 to update the Resource Requirements to identify the relevant Risk Management procedures that must be addressed by DECYP schools and Independent and Catholic schools.

Version 2a: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 25 September 2025. Minor administrative updates have been made to the Course Evaluation section. Course available from 1 January 2026.

FITNESS JOURNAL REQUIREMENTS

 
Throughout the course of study all learners undertaking the Fitness Experiences Level 1 course must use and submit a Journal as a source of evidence for assessment.

Content must be regularly updated and the learner is responsible for ensuring content is current and appropriately organised.

JOURNAL USE

The learner is typically expected to update entries within 48 hours of activities and events.

The Fitness Journal is a tool to record and support personal reflection, information sharing and collation of relevant resources and materials. Details of specific activities, events, contacts and supporting resources should be recorded in the relevant sections.

JOURNAL CONTENT

The Fitness Journal must contain (but is not limited to) sections that address the following content:

• Fitness Activities
• Activity name
• Venue
• Date and Time
• People involved
• Results.

Short personal evaluation/reflection

• Visual resources (e.g. collages, sketches, maps, photographs).
• Reflection and Evaluation - (end of phase/block reviews - impact on experiences and learning)
• Learner self-evaluations

Other information that may appear in the Fitness Journal:

• Teacher feedback
• Local contacts, medical, instructors/trainers, facilities, and other useful numbers or links
• Resources, articles, and links

JOURNAL FORMAT

Content for the Journal may be maintained in a traditional paper-based ledger or folder, stored digitally online, or a combination of both. Tools such as Googledocs/sheets, Office 365 and OneNote are recommended as some examples of options to consider to help in creating and maintaining digital Journal entries. Providers and learners must ensure processes are in place to secure and back-up this important assessment material.

 

Learning Outcome	Criterion	Elements	Content/Work requirements
apply basic skills and techniques appropriate to fitness activities	1	1-4	Participation in Fitness activities
describe and use basic personal organisational skills	2	1-4	Fitness Journal Training Clothing and Equipment
communicate to others ideas and information about fitness experiences	3	1-6	Fitness Journal entries Session review and progress discussions
adhere to a structured fitness program and make appropriate adjustments to meet personal fitness goals	4	1-5	Documented Training Program Verbal and Journal comments
outline strategies and opportunities to build and maintain lifelong fitness	5	1-4	Fitness Journal Verbal summary
set and reflect on personal fitness goals	6	1-5	Fitness Journal