This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

ATS3569 - Australian history: Professional and political contexts

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Coordinator(s)

Dan Tout (TBC)

Offered

Gippsland

Second semester 2016 (Online)

Synopsis

This unit is an introduction to Australian history. It offers selected coverage of major events and developments in Australian history and also considers how the discipline of history operates across different domains - academic, public and popular. By focusing on major themes such as war, depression, memory, political and social conflict the unit takes an in-depth look at specific issues in Australian history that have provoked debate and controversy. By focusing on points of difference or conflict we begin to understand the deeper themes and characteristics of Australian history and its scholars. We will also consider how history and historians have made an impact on the public sphere.

Outcomes

This unit is designed to provide students with knowledge of Australian history and to develop their historical skills. The topics will be rotated from semester to semester according to available expertise but may include issues concerning the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous histories, the use of oral history, politics and Australian history, the public sphere and the history profession, and history in the schools.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate an awareness of the major issues in the study and practice of Australian history;
evaluate critically competing historical interpretations, and primary sources;
understand and analyse academic as well as popular history;
demonstrate research and reflective skills relevant to the study of the humanities;
demonstrate written and oral communications skills appropriate for a scholarly environment;
use primary sources critically.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 60%
Exam: 40%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.