ASNS1602: Semester 1, 2021

University home

Library

Current students

Staff intranet

Find an event

Give

Current students

Units ASNS1602 Semester 1 2021 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

ASNS1602: Asia: Past, Present, Future

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

This unit looks at Asia's past, present and future in a global perspective. It makes use of the new approaches of world history and big history, and moves along large spatial and temporal scales. This unit prepares students to make sense of specific Asia-related subjects offered in more advanced units of study. In doing so, we will also examine some of the challenges Asia is facing today and think about Asia's place in our increasingly globalised world.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Lionel Babicz, lionel.babicz@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Essay Essay	40%	Formal exam period Due date: 15 Jun 2021 at 23:59	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Tutorial writing task Short Answer	30%	Multiple weeks	1000 words (x1)
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Test Multiple Choice	30%	Week 13 Due date: 03 Jun 2021 at 12:00	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: Asia's cosmic address	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	A history of everything	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	The Universe, the Earth and Asia	Lecture (1 hr)
	Life, early humans and the peopling of Asia	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W2	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Collective learning and paleolithic lifeways	Lecture (1 hr)
	Agriculture and the early agrarian era	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W3	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Cities, states and agrarian civilisations	Lecture (1 hr)
	Agrarian civilisations: the Indus River valley and China's two river valleys	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W4	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	The expansion of Agrarian civilisations: the Chinese empire	Lecture (1 hr)
	The emergence of Asian religions	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W5	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Networks of exchange: the Silk Roads	Lecture (1 hr)
	Empires, exploration and interconnection	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W6	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	The modern revolution	Lecture (1 hr)
	Why not China?	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W7	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Modern states, nationalism and imperialism	Lecture (1 hr)
	Modern Japan: Nationalism and imperialism	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W8	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Global crisis and conflicts	Lecture (1 hr)
	The nuclear age	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W9	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	India: The end of Empire	Lecture (1 hr)
	Capitalism, communism and revolutions	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W10	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	The Cold War	Lecture (1 hr)
	The last seventy-five years	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W11	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Our global world	Lecture (1 hr)
	Growth and sustainability	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial W12	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	The Anthropocene and the near future	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	The remote future	Lecture (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

The Semester 2 2020 iteration of this unit will be conducted online, via Zoom.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend all the lectures and participate actively in all the tutorials, with cameras turned ON when possible.
Students currently residing in a different time zone will need to plan accordingly, and contact the coordinator with any questions or concerns.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately THREE HOURS’ preparation time (readings and videos, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for EVERY hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Asia: Past, Present, Future. McGraw-Hill, 2018.
Custom eBook available for online purchase. Purchase instructions can be found on Canvas.
You do not have to read the whole eBook, which is made of full chapters, but only part of it.
Detailed reading instructions will be published on Canvas.
Other readings and videos will be made accessible through Web links and Library links on the unit’s Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. explain how thresholds of increasing complexity, differing scales of time and space, and collective learning help us understand past, present, and future events in Asia as part of a larger narrative
LO2. integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines to evaluate the history of Asia as part of the history of the Earth and the Universe
LO3. define major features which shaped past and present Asia
LO4. describe the changing characteristics of Asian societies
LO5. analyse accelerating global change as reflected in Asia
LO6. identify important human and environmental issues that may affect the future of Asia
LO7. propose a vision of the future of Asia based on new understandings of the past
LO8. use key historical and scientific concepts and facts in constructing explanations
LO9. evaluate, analyse, and synthesise primary and secondary sources to form well-crafted written and oral arguments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The content of the Unit of Study is updated each year, and student feedback is taken into account.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect