Unit rationale, description and aim
This subject involves the completion of a 70-hour special project integrating academic learning, employability skills and attributes and an improved knowledge of organisations, workplace culture and career pathways in the Arts and Humanities. The project or placement gives a hands-on experience of work in the Arts and Humanities sector and is supplemented by workshops and/or excursions that focus on key cultural institutions, consultancies, government agencies, or local government/community organisations and will prepare students for the project or placement. Prior to the beginning of semester, ACU staff will have identified and engaged with appropriate project partners to develop a list of potential placements or projects that align with relevant majors in the National School of Arts and Humanities. Students will complete a 70-hour special project and use the rest of the semester to complete the tasks related to it. On completion of the subject, students will have completed and reported on an Arts or Humanities related project. The aim of the unit is to enhance students' employability skills including communication, interpersonal, analytical and problem-solving skills; organisational and time-management techniques; and an understanding of career planning and professional development in the Arts and Humanities.
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.
Demonstrate an independent approach to learning an...
Learning Outcome 01
Work collegially to complete a range of activities...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply knowledge and skills in the Arts or Humaniti...
Learning Outcome 03
Reflect on the process and output of a work projec...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
The course will be structured in three parts:
Part One: Arts Pathways
- Preparation for taking up special projects
- Workplace culture
- Introduction to the Arts and Humanities sector (key cultural institutions, consultancies, government agencies, local government/community organisations).
Part Two: The Internship
- Students undertake a (pre-organised) special project with a project partner on a distinct topic, which can be completed within the designated period.
Part Three: Reflections on Professional Practice
- Showcasing and presentation skills on project experiences
- Linking skills to project requirements
- Presenting project experience to potential employers in the future.
Assessment strategy and rationale
This special project placement component of this unit will be assessed by a pass/fail grade and students must complete the requirements of the project to gain a pass for this hurdle.
The assessment tasks for this unit will be graded and have been designed to assess students’ developing skills and knowledge over the course of the semester – in relation to both the on campus learning activities and their off-campus internship experiences.
Overview of assessments
Hurdle Requirement 70 hours satisfactory specia...
Hurdle Requirement
70 hours satisfactory special project or placement before the end of the teaching period and 100% attendance at workshops.
Pass/Fail
Case Study Exercise Students will develop a cas...
Case Study Exercise
Students will develop a case study to share with other students based on the project they are undertaking.
50%
Major Written Task Students will write a 2,000 ...
Major Written Task
Students will write a 2,000 word essay/report reflecting on their placement and relating their experience to current directions in the Arts and/or Humanities.
OR
Students will produce an artefact or product as part of their project and include a 500-word reflection on their placement and relating their experience to current directions in the Arts and/or Humanities. Both the artefact or product and the reflection will be graded.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit takes the form of a special project with an internal Arts or Humanities academic, ACU department, or partner organisation.
By engaging directly with Arts and Humanities organisations and practitioners (and with guidance and support from ACU staff) students will develop their skills and knowledge of professional practice in a particular field of the Arts and Humanities, through a series of experiential activities.
At the same time, the course workshops will involve a range of active learning activities including reading, writing, analysis, debate, discussion and problem solving.
Attendance Mode: 150 hours, including a 70-hour special project or placement, and face-to-face or multimode workshops/modules. The balance then becomes private study to complete readings and assignments for the unit.
The unit may be offered over a 12-week semester period or as a summer or winter intensive.