BETH620 - Special Study in Bioethics

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Teaching organisation

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, videoconferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit provides the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy with the flexibility to respond to needs as they arise. It will normally be offered to meet the specific needs of a cohort of students, or to take advantage of the expertise of a visiting scholar or a faculty member’s research. With the permission of the course coordinator, cross-institutional enrolment at another institution may be arranged, provided the external unit’s content is aligned with a student’s specialisation and at or above AQF Level 9.

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.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 -  identify some of the key issues, debates and scholarly opinions in the area of study (GA5);

LO2 - analyse and evaluate critically some of the major issues and scholarly arguments in the area and present a position of their own on them (GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8);

LO3 - demonstrate appropriate skills in the area of study, including the ability to effectively communicate their learning and apply the knowledge and skills gained through critical examination of the area of study to situations relevant to their professional and/or personal faith practice (GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9).

Graduate attributes

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topic(s) will be chosen from a particular area of expertise of the member of staff or visiting lecturer in consultation with the Head of School.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, videoconferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.

Underlying the teaching and learning strategy will be constructivist and andragogical principles which emphasise that students are active, adult learners who engage best when what they are learning is relevant to them and they are responsible for their own learning. The focus, therefore, will be on student-centred learning, with consideration given to how the learning content applies to the students themselves and their contemporary context.

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment options will be used to meet the learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such assessment tasks may include, but are not limited to: essays, reports, book reviews, in-class presentations, case studies and analytic activities. The assessment tasks will provide students with the opportunity to engage in further exploration of a variety of aspects of the unit content, to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and theories, and to engage critically with some key texts in the field.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

A full list of reading will be made available by the lecturer-in-charge of the unit in the extended unit outline, on the basis of the area to be covered.