Unit rationale, description and aim
Indigenous, or First Peoples, have experienced systematic abuse of human rights by colonisers the world over. Many countries, in particular Australia, have been slow to address historic abuses and commit to truth and treaty. Reconciliation implies a prior relationship, which is being formalised by Australian States by way of treaty and reconciliation initiatives, and at the federal level, the Voice to Parliament. Nations and international institutions also have a significant role in advancing healing. This unit will address human rights from an Indigenous perspective and Indigenous rights from a human rights perspective. The aim of the unit is to equip human rights graduates with an appreciation of the size and scope of the challenges our world and this country faces to realise human rights for Indigenous peoples, including indigenous Australians.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe key themes and principles applicable to m...
Learning Outcome 01
Evaluate contemporary responses to the realization...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply contemporary principles to case studies
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- Statist Conceptions of Rights and the Rights of Peoples
- Alternative Approaches and the Rise of Indigenous Rights in International Law
- International Protections Against Racial Discrimination
- Indigenous Self-Determination
- The Terrible History of Colonisation
- Systematic Abuses of First Nations Rights in Australia
- Contemporary Laws and Policies Addressing the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- International Comparisons
- Contemporary Activism and Political Movements
- Reform
Assessment strategy and rationale
The proposed assessment tasks in this unit comprise a strategy that is explicitly created to support achievement of, and determination of, the unit Learning Outcomes. They do this through integration with the learning and teaching strategy above.
Subject to further revision, it is proposed that this unit be assessed by three assignments.
1. Short Presentation: Students will present an understanding of key topics including law, policy and practice in the selection of areas.
2. Research Assignment: This assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to research the assigned topic and critically evaluate the relevant laws.
3. Major Assignment: This assessment requires students to critically evaluate two human rights issues currently affecting Australian Indigenous people.
Strategies aligned with transition pedagogies will be utilised to facilitate successful completion of the unit assessment tasks. For each assessment, there will be the incorporation of developmentally staged tasks with a focus on a progressive approach to learning. This will be achieved through activities, including regular feedback, particularly early in the unit of study to support their learning; strategies to develop and understand discipline-specific concepts and terminology; in-class practice tasks with integrated feedback; and greater peer-to-peer collaboration.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Short Presentation Students will p...
Assessment 1: Short Presentation
Students will present an understanding of key topics including law, policy and practice in the selection of areas.
10%
Assessment 2: Research Assignment This assessmen...
Assessment 2: Research Assignment
This assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to research the assigned topic and critically evaluate the relevant laws.
40%
Assessment 3: Major Assignment This assessment r...
Assessment 3: Major Assignment
This assessment requires students to critically evaluate two human rights issues currently affecting Australian Indigenous people.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will be delivered using a combination of lectures and workshops. Other study components might include on-line webinars, podcasts, readings, discussion forums etc. The balance of the hours is comprised of self-directed study.
Following consultations with Indigenous academics and members of State Parole Boards, the strategy employed in this unit involves students’ active participation in practical learning and assessments that focus on real-world problems and challenges. In these ways the unit seeks to help students to develop their problem solving, decision making and investigative skills with regard to issues of human rights within criminal justice. This unit engages students in active learning activities, such as reading, writing, discussion and problem-solving to promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Students will also work collaboratively in groups to prepare and deliver a Parole Hearing Simulation. Collaborative learning is an important component of active learning and sits within a community of inquiry theoretical framework. It provides opportunities for a group of individuals to collaborate in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and mutual understanding.
Further to this, to ensure students are ready to transition from the Diploma and articulate into the second year of undergraduate study, transition pedagogies will be incorporated into the unit as the key point of differentiation from the standard unit. This focuses on an active and engaging approach to learning and teaching practices, and a scaffolded approach to the delivery of curriculum to enhance student learning in a supportive environment. This will ensure that students develop foundation level discipline-based knowledge, skills and attributes, and simultaneously the academic competencies required of students to succeed in this unit.