Undergraduate - UnitEDF2120 - Indigenous issues

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Synopsis

This Unit will explore Indigenous and non-Western traditional education for both students and adults within a local and global perspective. It will support you to expand your understanding of Indigenous cultures and consider Indigenous and local forms of education alongside the provision of mainstream schooling by nation states. The two foci of this Unit are: first, to introduce you to education programs which have successfully engaged with learners from Indigenous and traditionally oriented societies and achieved improvements in their education outcomes, and second, to situate mainstream provision of Indigenous Education in your future teaching contexts. Of critical importance will be an examination of the positioning of Indigenous and traditional education systems within the nation state, the impact of colonisation, issues pertaining to the retention and maintenance of Indigenous and traditional knowledge through education, and the role of international organisations in protecting, preserving and maintaining Indigenous and traditional education systems. By using your teaching experiences, an extensive national and international literature, an array of teaching and learning resources, and your capacity for critical analysis, you will be able to develop skills and insights into how you can engage learners from Indigenous and traditional communities and create successful academic partnerships that improve academic outcomes.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this Unit students should:

1. have an understanding of the terms 'Indigenous', 'local', 'Traditional' and 'Traditional Owner' as they pertain to education;
2. be able to explore the role of education in nation building and the place of Indigenous and local non-Western traditional education claims within nation building;
3. become aware of issues pertaining to the retention and maintenance of Indigenous and non-Western traditional knowledge through education;
4. identify the role of international organisations in protecting, preserving and maintaining Indigenous and non-Western traditional education systems; and
5. be able to use this knowledge when developing your pedagogical approach, Indigenous educational content in your area of expertise, appropriate assessment tasks and a robust evaluation framework to improve your professional practice.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: (equivalent 2,000 words): 50%
Assessment task 2: (equivalent 2,000 words): 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr David Zyngier

Contact hours

3 hours (max.) per week.