Outline

Overview

This unit of study introduces students to the theory and practice of conflict analysis and resolution. Students will gain an understanding of conflict resolution and transformation principles and interactive conflict resolution methods designed to address protracted, deep-rooted social conflicts. Students will learn skills that can be applied across the spectrum of conflict types from interpersonal and community, to inter-ethnic and international.

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	Wendy Lambourne, wendy.lambourne@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Lea Vanzella, lea.vanzella@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final essay	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 19 Nov 2021 at 23:59	2500 wds
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Class participation	10%	Ongoing	ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Role play/simulation	15%	Week 08 Due date: 07 Oct 2021 at 10:00	3 hrs role play + 2 hrs debrief
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Short assignment	25%	Week 09 Due date: 15 Oct 2021 at 23:59	1000 wds
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

1. Class Participation, including discussion and practical exercises (10%)

Students will be assessed on their participation and engagement in class discussions and practical exercises throughout the course, based on evidence of reading and thoughtful reflection on key topics and application to class exercises. Students are expected to read at least three required readings prior to each day of classes, as a minimum. Completing more of the required readings will enable more informed contribution to class discussions and practical exercises.

2. Role Play/Simulation, including design, participation and debrief (15%)

Students will be assessed on their participation and engagement in a role play/simulation exercise, including workshop design and preparation, playing the role of a workshop participant or facilitator, and contribution to debrief reflections on learning from the workshop experience. The role play/simulation assessment task comprises a significant amount of group work, and as such students will be assessed on group achievement as well as individual engagement in the role play/simulation exercise. Further details about the role play/simulation exercise will be provided in class and on Canvas.

3. Short Assignment:

1. Conflict Analysis 1000 words (25%)

For this short assignment option, students are required to analyse a deep-rooted, protracted social conflict in terms of history, structure, dynamics, parties, issues, interests, values and needs. This assignment is to be presented as an essay with full reference details and a bibliography attached.

2. Role Play Reflection 1000 words (25%)

For this short assignment option, you are required to submit an individual written report reflecting on your experience of the ICR role play/simulation exercise. This should include personal reflections and analysis of individual and group learning in relation to the design, implementation, facilitation and/or evaluation of ICR interventions, drawing on relevant ICR theory and design principles as appropriate.

4. Final Essay 2500 words (50%)

For this assignment students are required to write a scholarly essay critically analysing the theory and practice of conflict resolution. The essay should include a conflict analysis, application of theory to assess previous conflict resolution interventions and suggestions of appropriate conflict resolution strategies linked to your analysis of the conflict.

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
Mid-semester break	Conflict Resolution Skills	Online class (3 hr)
Mid-semester break	Workshop Design and Facilitation Skills	Online class (4 hr)
Week 04	Introductions and Understanding Conflict	Online class (4 hr)
Week 05	Conflict Resolution Theories and Interactive Conflict Resolution	Online class (4 hr)
Week 06	Conflict Analysis and Resolution	Online class (4 hr)
Week 07	Culture and Conflict Transformation	Online class (4 hr)
Week 08	Role Play / Simulation Preparation	Online class (4 hr)
	Role Play / Simulation and Debrief	Online class (5 hr)
	Reflections and Completion	Online class (3 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: Online weekly seminars will be recorded and will be made available to students via Zoom recording. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience given the cumulative and experiential learning nature of this course. This is especially true for the sessions during the intensive week which will comprise of workshops and groupwork and will mostly not be recorded.
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

Full session details, readings and other resources will be provided on the Canvas site under Modules and eReadings.

Students will be required to complete required readings prior to each class. Additional readings and other resources are provided for student interest and completion of assignments.

Learning structure:

4 days weekly online seminars (16 hrs)

5 days intensive workshops and groupwork online (19 hrs)

Total 35 hrs

Session schedule:

Day 1, Sat 4 Sep	INTRODUCTIONS & UNDERSTANDING CONFLICT (4 hrs)
Session 1	Introductions and Course Overview (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Understanding Conflict and its Dynamics (1-3 pm)
Day 2, Sat 11 Sep	CONFLICT RESOLUTION THEORIES AND ICR (4 hrs)
Session 1	Conflict Resolution Theories and Approaches (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Interactive Conflict Resolution (1-3 pm)
Day 3, Sat 18 Sep	CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND RESOLUTION (4 hrs)
Session 1	Conflict Resolution: Principles and Methods (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Conflict Analysis and Mapping (1-3 pm)
Day 4, Sat 25 Sep	CULTURE AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION (4 hrs)
Session 1	Culture and Conflict Resolution (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (1-3 pm)
Day 5, Tues 28 Sep	CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS (3 hrs)
Session 1 [to be repeated on Wed 6 Oct]	Dialogue and Conflict Resolution Skills (9 -12 noon) – Shoshana Faire
Day 6, Wed 29 Sep or Sat 2 Oct [repeat]	WORKSHOP DESIGN AND FACILITATION SKILLS (4 hrs)
Session 1	ICR Workshop Planning and Design (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Group Dynamics and Facilitation Skills (1-3 pm) – Lea Vanzella
Day 7, Tues 5 Oct	ROLE PLAY/SIMULATION PREPARATION (4 hrs)
Session 1	Role Play/Simulation – workshop design (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Role Play/Simulation – planning and practice (1-3 pm)
Day 8, Wed 6 Oct	WORKSHOP SKILLS AND PREPARATION (2, 3 or 5 hrs)
Session 1 [repeat]	Dialogue and Conflict Resolution Skills (9 -12 noon) – Shoshana Faire
Session 2 [repeat]	Role Play/Simulation Preparation (1-3 pm) – optional session
Day 9, Thurs 7 Oct (Group A) or Fri 8 Oct (Group B)	ROLE PLAY/SIMULATION AND DEBRIEF (5 hrs)
Session 1	Role Play/Simulation Exercise (10 am-1 pm)
Session 2	Role Play/Simulation Debrief (2-4 pm)
Day 10, Sat 9 Oct	REFLECTIONS AND COMPLETION (3 hrs)
Session 1	Reflections and Integration (10-12 noon)
Session 2	Student Survey and Completion (12-1 pm)

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. understand conflict and its dynamics, types and categories
LO2. understand theories of conflict and its resolution
LO3. apply conflict mapping and other techniques to analyse conflict situations and identify appropriate conflict resolution strategies
LO4. demonstrate skills in conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving appropriate for conducting interventions such as mediation, conflict transformation, dialogue and interactive conflict resolution
LO5. demonstrate knowledge and skills in the design, facilitation and evaluation of interactive conflict resolution interventions in the context of deep-rooted, protracted social conflicts
LO6. exhibit gender and cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness in the analysis, design and conduct of conflict resolution interventions.

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.

This unit is reviewed every year and changes made in response to student feedback. Changes implemented in 2021 include spacing out the online classes and allowing more class time to prepare for the role play/simulation with more lead time before the assessment exercise.

Additional information

Note this unit can be completed fully online.

The class will be divided into two groups for the role play/simulation preparation, exercise and debrief. If COVID restrictions allow, one group will complete the role play/simulation in person on campus, and the other group comprising those unable to be in Sydney will complete the role play/simulation online via zoom. At this stage, however, it looks like both groups will complete the role play/simulation exercise online, one group on Thurs 7 Oct and the other group on Fri 8 Oct. Further details about arrangements for the intensive week and role play/simulation assessment task will be provided in-class and on the Canvas site.

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

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PACS6931: Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice

Intensive October, 2021 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect