Overview
The unit Indigenous Studies and Learning develops knowledge and understanding of historical factors that impact on the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners and families in education and care settings. The policy and action of governments and media representations are analysed, discussed and compared with indigenous perspectives on race relations and past events with an emphasis on developing understanding and appreciation of contemporary Indigenous Australian identity and culture. Pedagogies for working effectively and appropriately with indigenous Australians, families and communities including current systemic initiatives and policies are evaluated in terms of their suitability for students in rural, remote and urban Australian communities. You will consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander world views and your own and others attitudes to Indigenous people to defend the selection of teaching strategies aimed at promoting reconciliation and effective learning relationships with students, families and communities.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
To be eligible to enrol in this unit, students must be enrolled in CC12, CC13, CC14 or the Start University Now (SUN) program
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 3 - 2017
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 Students' evaluation remarks.
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Check links on Moodle before term begins.
- Analyse the impact of deficit views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students on learning and engagement
- Analyse and respond to representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contemporary and historical texts and their impact on race relations with non-Indigenous Australians
- Critique government policies and approaches to the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in past and present society
- Explain the effect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander world views and the concept of relatedness on the learning styles of indigenous students
- Justify the use of strategies that cater for the diversity of experience, identity and linguistic background of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities
- Evaluate the capacity of current programs and initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families and communities for promoting engagement and participation in education and care.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||
2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
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 |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% |
Textbooks
Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Edition: 2nd edn (2011)
Authors: Harrison , N
Oxford University Press
South Melbourne South Melbourne , Vic , Australia
ISBN: 9780195574593
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.aldred@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Teacher standards.
- Concepts of race underpinning Indigenous studies.
- Diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Cultural Protocols for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Events and Submissions/Topic
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- Indigenous Rights.
- The "Stolen Generations".
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Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people/students? Cultural Diversity.
- Kinship.
- Aboriginal connections to land and Native Title.
- Aboriginal Worldviews, Knowledge and Relatedness.
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Events and Submissions/Topic
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Events and Submissions/Topic
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- The Challenge of Educational Disadvantage for Australian Indigenous Students.
- Educational practices and Closing the Gap policy.
- Quality Educational Practices for Aboriginal learners.
- Language and literacy needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Relationships, partnerships and engagement.
- Cultural Appreciation & Recognition.
- Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives.
- Literacy and Numeracy Priorities for Aboriginal Students.
- Teaching Early Reading.
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Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment Task 1 Due: Week 6 Friday (22 Dec 2017) 11:45 pm AEST
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Assessment Task 2 Due: Week 11 Friday (2 Feb 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
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- If you are enrolled in a Term 3
course offered by the School of Education and the Arts for the first
time this year, you may not be aware that the timing of Unit delivery is different from your enrollment in Units scheduled for delivery during Term 1 and Term 2 of the academic year.
The Dean of the School of Education and the Arts has requested that all Education Units are offered in intensive mode over a period of 6 weeks rather than the usual 12 week study schedule. Many staff take leave over this period and the decision has also been made in consideration of the Christmas / New Year break when the study schedule of many students is interrupted by family and school holiday periods.
This intensive course delivery applies only to Units that are core to Education programs e.g. CC12, CC13 and CC14 rather than elective discipline Units that secondary students may be required to undertake that are offered by other schools within the university. - You should note that the Unit Profile includes only 6 weekly topics. Each of these weeks is comprised of intensive study that is equivalent to the amount of work usually covered over a two-week period. This means that week 1 includes 4 hours of face-to-face tutorials on campus, or online tutorial sessions for distance students. All of the Unit content is delivered within six weeks so it is important that you keep up and realise that you should double the usual time allocated to a Unit during this period i.e. allocate at least 20 to 24 hours study time for each week.
- To allow everyone time to synthesise knowledge and understanding of Unit content, we have set the due date for Assessment Task 2 in Week 11.
It is important to remember, however, that you should be able to complete both assessment tasks by Week 6 as all tutorials and Unit content will have been delivered by then.
It is also wise to be aware that returning to the Unit to complete an assessment task after the Christmas break requires a planned approach. You need to plan the most appropriate time to complete the required assessment given your personal commitments over Term 3 and your need for a break from study so that you return to university refreshed to commence your second year.
You will be able to upload Assessment Task 2 at any time prior to Week 11 and it is certainly recommended that you complete a draft or make significant progress on the task while the content is fresh in your mind.
1 Written Assessment
Context for this assessment task
Statistics show that despite increased government spending on Indigenous education, there are still serious differences in the educational outcomes achieved by Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (Gray & Beresford, 2008). Many writers claim that policies that aim to close this gap for Australian Indigenous students will only achieve successful educational outcomes if schools and teachers acknowledge and address the impact that the past has had on the present for these students (Gray & Beresford, 2008; Vass, 2012; Ford, 2012). This assessment is designed to help you explain your newly developed understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous school students, based on your engagement with courseware and learning experiences you encounter in this Unit.
Structure and expectations for your written response
Write a scholarly report of no more than 1500(+/-10%) words that establishes your previous and current understanding of the statements made in the “context for this assessment task” above. Your response must:
- be written in a scholarly manner which includes supporting all of your assertions with reference to the scholarly literature. This means that the vast majority of the sources you cite should be articles from peer reviewed journals, books and conference papers. You can and should reference government websites where they are the primary source of policy information.
- use references from the unit readings to show your knowledge and understanding of the impact of past and present representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and government policy on race relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
- include your reflections on the impact of our shared Australian history (and your cultural background) on the attitudes and views you have formed of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as students and learners.
- make reference to your participation in at least three (3) learning experiences from the unit activities that have shaped your understanding on the importance of teachers’ acknowledgement, recognition and respect for Indigenous history and culture
- demonstrate teacher strategies for supporting the identity needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and promoting reconciliation within classroom contexts and the broader school community by:
- acknowledging and teaching our shared Australian history,
- learning and embracing the local Indigenous culture, and
- developing strong relationships with the local Indigenous community.
Week 6 Friday (22 Dec 2017) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 9 Friday (19 Jan 2018)
Feedback on this assessment response will be provided in sufficient time to allow for academic support and advice as necessary to inform students’ responses to the next assessment task.
- Knowledge and understanding of the diverse Australian Indigenous histories, cultures, and languages.
- Analysis of the impact of historical government policy and past and present representations on culture and identity of Australian Indigenous peoples and students.
- Critical reflection on Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives and the impact of diverse views on engagement and participation in education and care settings.
- Use of culturally appropriate language and academic conventions to construct a defensible position in response to the stimulus.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Analyse the impact of deficit views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students on learning and engagement
- Analyse and respond to representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contemporary and historical texts and their impact on race relations with non-Indigenous Australians
- Critique government policies and approaches to the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in past and present society
- Evaluate the capacity of current programs and initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families and communities for promoting engagement and participation in education and care.
2 Practical and Written Assessment
Throughout the course, you have examined a range of strategies and resources for working with Indigenous learners, families and communities and for teaching the history of Australia in respectful ways that promote reconciliation. For this task, you will select and describe the strategies you would use to engage Indigenous students in learning in educational settings and explain why you think they would work.
Task Details
- You must identify strategies that show consideration of students' cultural, linguistic and identity needs AND strategies for working effectively and sensitively with families and communities to support the learning and engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Your work can be presented in a format of your choice such as a table, matrix, written report or a multimodal form that includes diagrams, flowcharts or any other format suitable for identifying and describing the chosen strategies. A word limit of 800 words (or equivalent for tables, diagrams, etc) applies to this section of the task.
- You will write a justification of no more than 1000 words that clearly explains why these strategies would meet the learning, language, cultural and identity needs of Indigenous learners and that identifies any limitations on the effectiveness of these strategies in a range of different contexts. This justification should consider the diversity of needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in rural, remote and urban areas and educational settings made up solely of Indigenous learners as well as those where only a small minority of students are Indigenous. The justification should be supported by references from course readings and your set text.
Week 11 Friday (2 Feb 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (16 Feb 2018)
Assessment Task 2 will be returned to students on Grade Certification day.
- Knowledge and understanding of the impact of Indigenous cultural identity on learning.
- Application of knowledge of Indigenous cultures to the selection of strategies for relationship building that support educational equity and performance.
- Knowledge of language backgrounds and the diversity of student characteristics that affect the learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
- Use of authoritative sources to justify strategy selection.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Explain the effect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander world views and the concept of relatedness on the learning styles of indigenous students
- Justify the use of strategies that cater for the diversity of experience, identity and linguistic background of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities
- Evaluate the capacity of current programs and initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families and communities for promoting engagement and participation in education and care.
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.