INDG1001: Semester 1, 2020

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Units INDG1001 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

INDG1001: Introduction to Indigenous Cultures

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit introduces students to Indigenous Australia in a stimulating, in-depth study of traditional and contemporary forms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expression. Ranging from the Dreaming and ancient knowledges, ceremony and lore, to the lives and societies of Indigenous peoples today, students learn in areas such Aboriginal kinship, language, story and art, Indigenous agriculture, aquaculture and astronomy, and contemporary Indigenous cultures and cultural currents.

Unit details and rules

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

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Lynette Riley, lynette.riley@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Online or recorded presentation 10% 500 equiv. online or recorded presentation and guided class discussion.	10%	- Closing date: 07 Jun 2020	10-15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Tutorial Presentation Paper 20% 1000 word paper	20%	Multiple weeks	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Online gallery and reflection 30% Online Gallery and 500 word reflection	30%	Week 08 Due date: 24 Apr 2020 at 11:59 Closing date: 30 Jun 2020	1000 words equiv.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay 40% 2000 words Research Essay	40%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2020 at 11:59 Closing date: 30 Jun 2020	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

PLEASE NOTE: you must submit ALL tasks if you wish to pass this unit. Regardless of your final mark, if you do not submit a task you will receive an Absent Fail grade.

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	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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	Welcome and introduction	Lecture (1 hr)
	Indigenous Studies Frameworks	Lecture (1 hr)
	Welcome; Introduction; Indigenous Studies Frameworks	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Aboriginal Spirituality: A Baseline for Indigenous Knowledges	Lecture (1 hr)
	Dreaming, Country, Songlines	Lecture (1 hr)
	Baselines for Indigenous Knowledges	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Kinship Learning Module	Lecture (1 hr)
	Living Country: Kinship, Custodianship, Law	Lecture (1 hr)
	Kinship Learning Module -- Kinship, Custodianship, Law	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Living Country: Language, Culture and Country	Lecture (1 hr)
	Living Country: Local Stories	Lecture (1 hr)
	Language; Language Revitalisation; Culture; Country	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Living Country: Local Stories	Lecture (1 hr)
	Living Country: Local Stories	Lecture (1 hr)
	Local Stories	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Living Country: Aboriginal Astronomy	Lecture (1 hr)
	Living Country: Aboriginal Astronomy	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Astronomy	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Living Country: Aboriginal Agriculture	Lecture (1 hr)
	Living Country: Aboriginal Aquaculture	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Agriculture and Aquaculture	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Living Country: Museums, Artefacts, Curation	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Creativity: Shellwork	Lecture (1 hr)
	Museums; Artefacts; Curation; Shellwork	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Aboriginal Creativity: Sacred Geographies	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Creativity: An Introduction to Aboriginal Visual Arts	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sacred Geographies; Aboriginal Visual Arts	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Aboriginal Creativity: Contemporary Aboriginal Arts	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Creativity: Contemporary Aboriginal Arts	Lecture (1 hr)
	Contemporary Aboriginal Arts	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Aboriginal Creativity: Aboriginal Cinema and Television	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Creativity: Aboriginal Cinema and Television	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Cinema and Television	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Aboriginal Creativity: Introduction to Aboriginal Literature	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Creativity: Shadow Sister Oodgeroo Noonuccal	Lecture (1 hr)
	Aboriginal Literature	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Conclusion	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Conclusion	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: 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.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, 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

All readings for this unit are accessed via the Library eReserve link available on the unit’s Canvas site.

Two useful introductory texts are:

Parbury, Nigel. 2005. Survival : A History of Aboriginal Life in New South Wales. Rev. ed. Surry Hills, NSW: NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

Berndt, Ronald M, Catherine H. Berndt. 1992. The World of the First Australians : Aboriginal Traditional Life, Past and Present. 5th rev. ed. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. demonstrate an introductory understanding of Indigenous Australian knowledges, histories and cultures, including an understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expressions, cultural values and world-views
LO2. demonstrate an introductory understanding of the value of Indigenous customary laws, beliefs and traditions, and the centrality of country, kinship, language and cultural expression to community, cultural and ecological wellbeing
LO3. demonstrate an introductory understanding of the centrality of Indigenous culture to contemporary Indigenous life and wellbeing
LO4. demonstrate competent communication skills across a variety of mediums—verbally, textually and online—in ways that are inclusive, respectful and aware of appropriate terminology
LO5. apply skills in working effectively with people in intercultural settings.

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.

Student feedback was used to refine workshopping practice and assessments for this unit.

Additional information

INDG1001 Introduction to Indigenous Cultures Important Dates
25 February	Lectures begin
26 February	Tutorials begin
13 — 17 April	Easter vacation
24 April	Online Gallery task due
29 May	2000 word Research Essay due

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

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

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