Overview
Social change is defined by the significant alteration of social structure and cultural patterns. This unit will examine the political influence and communication techniques used to affect meaningful social change, including the rise of social media. You will identify and explain key elements of the democratic process in Australia including relationships between the three levels of government. You will also develop communication strategies that align with your vocational discipline, seek to mitigate relevant barriers to communication, and incorporate socially innovative communication techniques applicable to contemporary and future social change events.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Satisfaction Survey
Students requested further clarification of assessment requirements, including additional learning material
Clarify assessment requirements and provide additional learning material to assist students to prepare their assessment items.
Feedback from Student Satisfaction and Teaching Staff Evaluation
Students had some trouble navigating Moodle
Update unit to better support student navigation of learning management system (Moodle).
- Define social change and identify an example
- Discuss social change as it applies to the three levels of government in Australia
- Discuss and prepare strategies that mitigate barriers to communication, and that seek to affect social change
- Evaluate opportunities for social change action and apply outcomes to personal, vocational outlook and relevant modes of communication.
n/a
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||
| 3 - Presentation - 45% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
p.connor@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Lesson 1: Let's talk about it.
Part A: Unit introduction. Part B: Basic communication theory.
Chapter
- Complete your week 1 reading: Lesson 1 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 1 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
1. Develop introductory knowledge of terminology associated with basic communication theory.
2. Recognise that a broad range of ‘communicative acts’ are available to members of society who wish to affect social change.
Module/Topic
Lesson 2: Why change?
Part A: What is social change? Part B: What is social agency?
Chapter
- Complete your week 2 readings: including lesson 2 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 2 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Develop introductory knowledge of what social change may constitute when contextualised in Arts and Humanities disciplines.
- Identify significant social change events that have shaped Australian culture.
- Recognise ways in which social agency may be defined or described.
- Reflect on the ethics of personal responsibility and your role as a leader within your community or profession/future profession.
- Reflect on the range of communication channels that may be used to encourage social engagement and social change.
Module/Topic
Lesson 3: Australian democracy: An introduction.
Part A: Australian democracy and the three tiers of gov. in Australia: Federal, State and Local Government.
Chapter
- Complete your week 3 readings: including lesson 3 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 3 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss the three tiers of government in Australia.
- Recognise the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate in Australian federal political processes.
Module/Topic
Lesson 4: People power and affecting social change.
Part A: Australian democracy at work: Governments and electorates. Part B: Case Studies: Closer to home.
Chapter
- Complete your week 4 readings: including lesson 4 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 4 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss how the three tiers of government in Australia work together
- Recognise and discuss the role of elections, plebiscites, referenda, and green papers.
Defining ‘social change’ and the three levels of government in Australia. Due: Week 4 Friday (2 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Lesson 5: Does the media control the debate?
Part A: Professional and civic communications. Part B: Everyday communications and grass-roots social agency.
Chapter
Complete your week 5 readings including lesson 5 Moodle Book.
Complete your week 5 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss the significance of the media in public discourse
- Recognise the significance of social media in public discourse
- Recognise the desire of invested interests to influence public discourse
- Recognise and discuss salient features that distinguish professional and civic communications.
Module/Topic
There are no tutorials this week.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lesson 6: Letter writing and providing Green Paper feedback.
Part A: Writing letters. Part B: Providing Green Paper feedback.
Chapter
- Complete your week 6 readings including lesson 6 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 6 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Identify features of successful letters to the editor
- Identify features of successful letters to local members of parliament and politicians
- Recognise and discuss how to appropriately provide feedback to Green papers.
Module/Topic
Lesson 7: Cynicism, ideology and misinformation.
Part A: Ideology, power, and hegemonic processes. Part B: Derrida and deconstruction.
Chapter
- Complete your week 7 readings including lesson 7 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 7 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss prominent theories of ideology
- Recognise and discuss how ideology shapes opinions or creates barriers to communication
- Recognise how Derrida’s deconstructive technique provides an example of how ideologies may be recognised as operating within a given text.
Letter to Local Member of Parliament. Due: Week 7 Friday (30 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Lesson 8: Oh that little nugget.
Part A: Barriers to successful communication for social change. Part B: Case study: Greta Thunberg and the "Greta Effect".
Chapter
- Complete your week 8 readings including lesson 8 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 8 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss key barriers to successful communication for social change
- Recognise and discuss key strategies for overcoming barriers to successful communication for social change.
Module/Topic
Lesson 9: Let's start with the facts.
Part A: Facts, knowledge and epistemology. Part B: Analysis, synthesis and critique using theoretical frameworks.
Chapter
- Complete your week 9 readings including lesson 9 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 9 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss contemporary theories of knowledge and epistemology.
- Recognise and discuss the differences between theoretical and conceptual frameworks.
- Recognise and discuss the differences between analysis and synthesis in academic contexts.
Module/Topic
Lesson 10: Campaigning and activism: Staying within the law.
Part A: Get it right: Defamation law, obscenity law and copyright. Part B: Case Study. Bill Henson and 'artistic merit'.
Chapter
- Complete your week 10 readings including lesson 10 Moodle Book.
- Complete your week 10 learning activity.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Recognise and discuss the basics of defamation law in Australia.
- Recognise and discuss the basics of obscenity law in Australia.
- Recognise and discuss the basics of defamation law in Australia .
Module/Topic
Content revision week. Final assessment discussion.
Chapter
There are no readings or learning activities this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- General discussion of unit content and final assessment.
Module/Topic
There is no tutorial this week, however your lecturer is available for last minute assessment discussion.
Chapter
There are no readings or learning activities this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Complete final assessment.
Prerecorded Presentation: Propose your act of communication to affect social change. Due: Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
This assessment covers the introductory concepts covered in the first two weeks of the unit and comprises two parts.
PART A:
In 400 words define social change in your own words, and provide a current example within Australia, with references to unit concepts where necessary.
PART B:
In 400 words define the roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government in Australia, including identifying your local Mayor, State Member and Federal Member. This includes the political party to which they belong and whether the state and federal members are portfolio ministers.
To pass you will need to address all of the elements of the assessment including quality references where necessary to justify and cite your sources.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows:
• No Gen AI use at any point during this assessment.
Please refer to the Moodle Assessment tile for specific details.
NB: WORD COUNT for written assignments
The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
NB: Please use sub-headings in your written assessment to improve its structure and signal content flow to your reader.
Assignment format:
· Use 12-point Times New Roman font for the body of the essay.
· 1.5 spacing throughout
· You may use sub-headings if you wish to organise your assignment. These may be in a different colour or different size font.
· Include in-text references (citations) throughout the assignment.
· Include your name and student number in the header of the document
· Include page numbers in the footer of the document
· Include a Reference List at the end of the assignment in APA style, 7th edition.
· You should have a minimum of 10 references for this assignment.
· Do NOT cite from Wikipedia or other websites that do not have an acknowledged author.
Important information about Word Count:
The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
Week 4 Friday (2 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your assessment as a Microsoft Word document via Moodle by the due date.
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024)
Results and feedback available via Moodle.
- Attention to task requirements. (Max. 25)
-
Quality of research and analysis. (Max. 30)
-
Writing standard: ability to clearly articulate ideas and use appropriate style. (Max. 30)
- Referencing. (Max. 15)
- Define social change and identify an example
- Discuss social change as it applies to the three levels of government in Australia
2 Written Assessment
This assessment has two parts:
Part A:
Write a letter to your local Member of Parliament. The letter must:
· Use the Member of Parliament’s correct title.
· Include a return address and the address of the MP.
· Be formal, respectful, and polite in tone.
· Introduce yourself and identify a topic of social significance that concerns you.
· Provide insight into your reason for identifying your selected topic and writing the letter.
· Include facts, reliable research, or statistical information.
· Use both opinion and clear, rational statements to argue for structural change as it relates to the issue of social significance that you identify.
· State clearly what you want the MP to do.
· Seek a response including clarification of your MPs position on the topic.
· Be between 700 and 800 words.
Important information about Part A:
You may use an artificial intelligence bot like Chat GPT to support the preparation of this assessment. To include content that is AI generated, you must first engage appropriate research to verify the accuracy of all details presented in your letter. (All factual information must be gleaned from reliable sources that you have researched and which you will cite in your letter.) To ensure the correct tone, the inclusion of your own opinion, and a carefully constructed argument ‘flow’, you will modify AI generated content so that it integrates with your own, written content (facts and opinion) to ensure structural coherence and the specific tone that you believe is suitable for this form of written communication.
Also, it is a likely strategy that you will seek to create relevance and empathy in your letter.
Part B:
In 700 - 800 words, describe in a logical and structured statement, how you have used artificial intelligence (AI) generated content and made it fit for purpose. To do this you will:
· Identify which AI bot/s you have used.
· Identify which task prompts you have asked your selected AI bot to satisfy.
· List the (word-for-word) responses that have been AI generated.
· Provide three examples of where you have modified AI generated content so that its style is more appropriate, it flows better with related content, or is more accurate.
· Describe what you learnt from this use of AI generated content.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows:
· Gen AI may only be used as specified in the assignment instructions.
Please refer to the Moodle Assessment tile for specific details.
NOTE: WORD COUNT for written assignments
The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
NB: Please use sub-headings in your written assessment to improve its structure and signal content flow to your reader.
Assignment format:
· Use 12-point Times New Roman font for the body of the essay.
· 1.5 spacing throughout
· You may use sub-headings if you wish to organise your assignment. These may be in a different colour or different size font.
· Include in-text references (citations) throughout the assignment.
· Include your name and student number in the header of the document
· Include page numbers in the footer of the document
· Include a Reference List at the end of the assignment in APA style, 7th edition.
· You should have a minimum of 10 references for this assignment.
· Do NOT cite from Wikipedia or other websites that do not have an acknowledged author.
Some useful resources:
Oxfam Australia I Writing to your MP. https://www.oxfam.org.au/get-involved/campaign-with-us/writing-to-your-mp/
Draft template letter to your Member of Parliament or Candidate https://cdn.minderoo.org/content/uploads/2022/04/10144010/WFP-Template-letter-to-MPs.pdf
Climate Council I How to write an effective letter to your MP https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/how-to-write-an-effective-letter-to-your-mp/
Week 7 Friday (30 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your assessment as a Microsoft Word document via Moodle by the due date.
Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024)
Assessment returns and feedback are made via Moodle.
- Attention to task requirements. (Max. 25)
- Use of persuasive language, rational argument, and facts (Max. 30)
- Writing standard: ability to clearly articulate ideas and use appropriate style. (Max. 30)
- Referencing. (Max. 15)
- Discuss and prepare strategies that mitigate barriers to communication, and that seek to affect social change
3 Presentation
Prerecord and submit a 6–7-minute multimodal (audio/visual) presentation that is supported by PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva. The presentation will propose how you (this is not a group task) may engage in a ‘communicative act’ of your choosing that seeks to affect social change as its key purpose. Your presentation must:
· Identify a local, national, or international topic that you wish to create social change about.
· Identify the mode of communication (verbal, non-verbal, visual, or written and that has relevance to your studies).
· Identify the specific communication channel (letter, report, green paper/discussion paper, poem, stage play/opera, screen play, novel, short story, visual art installation, published opinion piece, commentary/blog, popular music composition/recording…), noting whether this channel type is ‘formal’ or ‘informal’, ‘rich’ or ‘lean’.
· Identify who the main audience is for your proposed ‘communicative act’.
· Identify key barriers to successful communication for your proposed ‘communicative act’.
· Identify the key strategy or strategies you will use to mitigate identified communication barriers. (These strategies may include persuasive or assertive communication styles that accommodates a logical rationale. Your strategy may include the provision of critique that is supported by the critical theories or theoretical frameworks of others? Your strategy may also include the use of reliable facts, potentially adopting a didactic/informative or awareness raising approach. You may decide to use satire or humour to break down barriers. Alternatively, you may decide to use an emotional hook, empathy, or relatedness).
· Justify your selection of strategy or strategies. (This justification must explain how your selected strategy/strategies are appropriate to your selected communication channel and the issue you have selected to create social change about.)
· Include an example of a ‘communicative act’ that you believe succeeds in its goals to affect social change about the same or similar topic. Justify this selection by explaining how you believe this act of communication achieves its goals.
· Use visual imagery or relevant sound files where appropriate.
· Appropriately cite all non-original material not authored by you.
Working definition: ‘Communicative Act’ – A communicative act may be simple and operate by the rules of social norms. Waving to communicate ‘hello’ can be considered a simple communicative act. Communicative acts may be more complex and be delivered after considerable investment of thought and preparation. We are using the term ‘communicative act’ here to enable the inclusion of visual artworks, written plays, novels, poems, and other creative works that are intended for audiences and seek to communicate through the use and manipulation of existing codes and tropes.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows:
• No Gen AI use at any point during this assessment.
Please refer to the Moodle Assessment tile for specific details.
Other important assessment information:
· Use a sound structure for your presentation.
· Include in-text references (citations) where appropriate.
· Include a Reference List and/or Figures List in APA style, 7th edition.
· Do NOT cite from Wikipedia or other websites that do not have an acknowledged author.
Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your assessment as a pdf and which includes a reference list and an accessible link to your prerecorded presentation.
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 Oct 2024)
Assessment returns and feedback are made via Moodle.
- Attention to task requirements. (Max. 20)
- Depth of knowledge regarding task-related topics. (Max. 20)
- Use of visual aids and technology. (Max. 20)
- Presentation Skills (audibility; enunciation, pace, timing). (Max. 20)
- Discuss and prepare strategies that mitigate barriers to communication, and that seek to affect social change
- Evaluate opportunities for social change action and apply outcomes to personal, vocational outlook and relevant modes of communication.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
