EXSC314 - Healthy Relationships for Young People

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Professionals working with adolescents require contemporary knowledge, strategies and skills to reflect on and engage with The unit aims to provide students with opportunities to examine issues about gender, power, sexual orientation, communication, rights and responsibilities, domestic/dating violence, child abuse, pornography and other controversial and sensitive topics and how they can impact on one's wellbeing and relationships. Students will analyse and develop appropriate strategies and learning activities in raising awareness, providing accurate information, accessing services, prevention and intervention. The unit also focuses on examining processes for increasing supportive environments, community capacity and empowerment, while providing students with an appreciation of social justice, an understanding of equity and a respect for the human being.

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 - Critically reflect and analyse the range of sexual perspectives, priorities and recommendations related to adolescent sexual health and relationships (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9) 

LO2 - Plan and develop creative and engaging teaching and learning activities in the area of adolescent sexual health and relationships for future practice (GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10) 

LO3 - Communicate and reflect upon the effectiveness of teaching and learning experiences that facilitate knowledge, positive behaviours and attitudes in the area of adolescent sexual health and relationships (GA1, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10) 

LO4 - Analyse and evaluate adolescent sexual health and relationships teaching activities and resources that facilitate learning. (GA4, GA5, GA8) 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

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

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

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

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

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

• Introduction and perspectives on sexuality 
• Sexuality and sex education (Dealing with controversial and sensitive issues, creating safe environments, developing diverse values, beliefs and attitudes, role in Catholic schools) 
• Biological perspectives (Sexual anatomy, physiology) 
• Social-cultural perspective (aspects related to gender, race, geographic location, culture, socioeconomic background, age, disability, religion, media influence, sexual preference and sexuality identity) 
• Behavioural perspectives (Sexual behaviour: variations/practices, coercive sex: harassment, abuse, discrimination, assault) 
• Healthy Sexual Choices STI’s, planning and managing sexual health (protective strategies, sexual health care) 
• Healthy relationships (Communication, consent, range, type and complexity of relationships, rights and responsibilities) 
• Gender and Power (Dimensions of power, impact of power on sexual relationships and risk taking behaviours, power in social relationships) 
• Maximising Choice, Minimising Risk (Strategies to improve and enhance sexual safety, expanding on issues such as social safety, discrimination and harassment and how these can be addressed) 
• Teaching strategies and pedagogy (websites, resources, PDHPE syllabus) 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit employs student-centred teaching and learning strategies based on the principles of constructivism and reflective practice. These strategies encourage independent and life long learning, where students take responsibility for their learning. The learning tasks are authentic (engage in tasks that are real), reflective (deep learning) and collaborative (engaging and working with peers). Student centred strategies include reflective writing, critical thinking activities, co-operative/ collaborative learning, incorporating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and peer/independent learning. These strategies link directly to the assessment tasks, as the assessments are a teaching and learning strategy in itself. These strategies have been chosen to give students opportunities to actively engage with the content and to provide variety within the tutorial and assessment tasks. The knowledge and skills acquired can be applied and are relevant to what is required in real world situations and for future profession/practice/workplace. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

Employers today seek more than knowledge from students – they want them to transfer learning to real situations, problem solve and have higher order thinking skills. Authentic assessment provides students with these skills, because the tasks are real, meaningful, require judgment and innovation and are related to one’s workplace, personal and social life. Students learn in different ways, professionally we need to explore and provide opportunities so they perform to their very best, feel worthwhile, empowered and enjoy learning.  In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements.

 A range of assessment strategies are used including: 

1. Reflective writing: Written reflection on healthy relationships/sexual health practice as foundation for Teaching Resource File. Reflect on the issues around sexuality/relationships, earlier perceptions, assumptions, strategies, priorities and recommendations.
2. Constructivism strategy: Resource File - To create teaching/learning activities related to adolescent sexual health that will become the start of a resource file for future teaching/professional practice. This assessment type can be used and applied in real life situations/contexts (school, community and youth groups) and in future practice/profession.
3. Collaborative learning: Team teaching presentation - In teams select an area/topic related to sexual health/relationships of adolescents. The teaching presentation requires student groups to develop and present learning experiences as a mini lesson for a chosen year group/stage. This assessment type will prepare students and be applied in real life situations/contexts (school, community and youth groups) and in their future practice/profession.
4. Self-assessment and peer assessment: Reflective writing – self and peer contribution/role to the team planning, organisation and presenting of the teaching presentation. Reflect on learning, identify strengths and weaknesses (self/peer) and learning opportunities from teamwork.
5. Examination: Requires students to demonstrate their understanding and application of course content.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

NSW Kids and Families. Youth Health Resource Kit: An Essential Guide for Workers (2014). https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/kidsfamilies/youth/Pages/youth-health-resource-kit.aspx   

Russell, D, Bradford, D & Fairley, C. (2011). Seual Health Medicine .IP Communications. Melbourne: Australia 

School of Sexuality Education. (2021).Sex Ed: AN Inclusive Teenage Guide to Sex and Relationships. Walker Books: Australia.

Temple-Smith, M. & Gifford, S. (2020). Sexual health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Melbourne: IP Communications. 

Victoria State Government (2021). Building Respectful Relationships. Stepping out against gender-based violence. FUSE Department of Education & Training Website from https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/.