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Unit outline_

FASS1000: Studying Arts and Social Sciences

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

What does it mean to study Arts and Social Sciences? In this unit, we begin with a central claim: that the disciplines that make up Arts and Social Sciences are fundamental to understanding our world and the challenges it faces. Through a set of engaging topics, we ask the foundational questions underpinning our areas of study: what does it mean to be part of a university community? How do we think, read, create, speak, and act, critically? How do we engage in and solve complex, often multifaceted problems, individually and in collaboration with others? How will you build the key communication and interpersonal skills to make a difference in a complex and challenging world?

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Arts and Social Sciences
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Carolyn Stott, carolyn.stott@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Tutorial Participation
3 discussion posts of 100 words each; 3 LIBR1000 modules; A3 group contract
10% Multiple weeks 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4
Assignment A1: A Personal Reflection
Individual reflection on a single object in the 'Our Sydney' virtual map.
15% Week 03
Due date: 21 Aug 2022 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Assignment A2: Critical Analysis Task
Source assemblage, critical analysis and argument formation.
35% Week 07
Due date: 18 Sep 2022 at 23:59
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
Assignment group assignment Reclaiming Truth
Group-work investigation of a major contemporary issue
40% Week 13
Due date: 06 Nov 2022 at 23:59
2000 words (equivalent)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Group assignment with individually assessed component = group assignment with individually assessed component ?

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late Penalties Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0. Details of the Faculty Resolutions and Provisions regarding late work: Undergraduate: https://www.sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/governance/faculty_resolutions.shtml

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Why Arts and Social Sciences Matters Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2
Arts and Social Sciences: History and Overview Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2
Podcast: Personal Narratives Online class (0.5 hr) LO2
Introductions; Unit Overview; Assessment: breakdown and hints Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 02 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Narratives of Belonging and Exclusion Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2
What is a University? Contested narratives, contested stories, contested spaces Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2
Podcast: The University of Sydney: contested narratives; contested stories; contested spaces Online class (0.5 hr) LO2
Historicising Space and Place at the University of Sydney: 'Our Sydney' virtual map; Assessment 1 Workshop Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 03 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Critical Ideas, Critical Cultures Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Thinking and Acting Critically Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Podcast: Critical Thinking Online class (0.5 hr) LO2 LO3
Contested Histories Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 04 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Creativity in Thought and Practice Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Creativity in Post-normality Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Podcast: Thinking Outside the Square of Insitutionalised Education; Why collaborate? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Critical Thinking and seeing things from different perspectives; Degree Plan Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Reading: Texts, Platforms, Media Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
The Act of Reading Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Podcast: Counter-Reading: Why read? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
The Creativity Cascade; Assessment 2 workshop Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 06 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Framing Critical Histories Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Critical History: Uses and Abuses of the Past Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Podcast: Rereading Histories, Cancelling Cultures. Why write/share ideas? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Argumentation and Synthesis: Source and Authority Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 07 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): What is a Work of Art? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2
Art in Historical Worlds; Art in Social Worlds Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Podcast: Art in contemporary society Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2
Critical Histories: See, Think, Wonder; Academic integrity workshop Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 08 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Words, Sounds, Gestures: from text to performance and back Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Performance Art Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Podcast: Performance and Performative Politics Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Art, Creativity, Theory: an integrated analysis; Asessment 3 group contract Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 09 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): What is 'Social Sciences'? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2
Why Social Science Research Matters Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Podcast: Interrogating Facts and Figures: Why research? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Performance Analysis: authority and reflexivity; Assessment 3 workshop Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Week 10 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Social Equality and Inequality Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Mapping Inequality Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Podcast: What Should Social Equality Look Like? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Truths, Untruths, and Post-truths: Understanding bias; Assessment 3 Workshop Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Applying HASS: Artificial intelligence, robotics and the future of humanity Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Artificial Intelligence: Intelligence, consciousness and existential risk Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Historicising Inequality; Case Study: Black Lives Matter Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Applying HASS: Reimagining robotics: Robotics in SciFi Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
Robot roles, environments, interactions, and power Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Podcast: Do We Need Our Selves to Survive? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO3
AI and risk; Targeted support for Assessment 3 Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 13 Context Lecture (Asynchronous): Completing the FASS1000 Narrative: the Arts and Social Sciences: Where to from now? Online class (0.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
FASS: A Disciplinary 'Speed-Pitch' Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Reflecting on FASS1000: Sharing Personal Stories Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.

For more information on attendance, see http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspxrecnum=PDOC2014/345&RendNum=0.

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

See Canvas for full details on required readings, suggested readings, and further materials.

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. Demonstrate engagement with major concepts, approaches, and practices informing the study of Arts and Social Sciences.
  • LO2. Understand the diversity and complexity of Arts and Social Sciences from historical, cultural, and social perspectives.
  • LO3. Apply skills of critical thinking, critical reading, and research practice in engaging with a diverse set of texts and media forms.
  • LO4. Develop and demonstrate skills of collaboration and creative thinking in developing projects.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

Participation assessment component has changed following student feedback from S1, 2022. Other changes include better integration of course materials and readings, more support for the groupwork task, clearer assessment instructions; more cohesion between the weekly lecture and tutorial and revised topics for Assessments 2 and 3.

For detailed information on unit structure, topics, content, and assessment structures and requirements, please visit the unit Canvas site.

And for any further assistance, please contact your tutor or the unit coordinators.

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.