Response to Student Feedback
HSTY1089 Australia: Colonies to Nation, 1788-1967 (2008)

Unit Coordinator: Professor Richard Waterhouse

I was very pleased with the results of the student evaluations for this unit, in particular because this was the first time this unit was taught. Overall 92% (mean of 4.35) of students agreed/ strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the quality of this unit of study. The weakest results related to generic attributes and the relevance of the subject to the degree. In response next year, I will place greater emphasis on critical, writing and verbal skills. Moreover, greater emphasis will be placed on connecting Australian history to a wider world and on interdisciplinary approaches to the subjects discussed both in lectures and tutorials. I also think that this criticism re-relevance to degree is in part a request for more twentieth century history in the syllabus. The 2009 curriculum will be adjusted to include more twentieth-century and especially more post World War 2 material. Finally, the set tutorial questions will also be more closely aligned to the source material discussed in tutorials.