Contemporary Issues and Values

Introduction
This unit is delivered by Flinders University, South Australia.

Contemporary Issues and Values provides opportunities to investigate contemporary Asian societies and cultures through a range of relevant contexts that impact on teaching and learning about Asia. More specifically:

• life in contemporary Asia, including the commonalities and differences between the natural and built environments of Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia
• the needs of the peoples inhabiting these different environments and the ways in which they go about meeting these needs
• the major issues arising in Asia in the contemporary period
• relations between Australia and Asia over time and their outcomes
• the activities of groups and individuals of Asian background within Australia and of Australian background in Asia

The unit also examines relevant Society and Environment curriculum and resource materials, and considers ways in which contemporary issues and Australia-Asia relationships can be integrated with classroom applications appropriate to the needs of primary and secondary teachers.

Unit Structure
The unit is divided into seven study modules, as follows
Module Content:

1. Life in Contemporary Asia
2. Issues in Contemporary Asia
3. Australia – Asia interaction (Historical Overview)
4. Australia – Asia interaction (Current Issues)
5. Australians of Asian Background
6. Australians in Asia
7. Australia and Asia – Where to from here?

Aims and outcomes
The two major aims of this unit are to enable students to:

• increase their knowledge and understanding of studies of society and environment, with particular reference to the societies and cultures of contemporary Asia
• apply their knowledge and understanding of studies of Asia to developing effective strategies for the teaching and learning of studies of society and environment

As a result of completing this unit, students will be able to:

• identify and analyse current issues or events in Asia and their national, regional and/or global implications
• identify and analyse the contributions made to Australian society by Australians of Asian heritage and by Australians living and working in Asia
• develop an understanding of the changes occurring in Australia as a result of factors such as immigration, tourism and investment
• analyse cultural, social, economic, environmental and/or political links between Australia and Asia and consider their implications for a rapidly changing world
• explore the past, present and potential interrelationships between Australia and Asia
• analyse Society and Environment policy documents and curriculum frameworks in use in their own schools and in their state/territory, with a view to infusing studies of Asia into the Society and Environment curriculum
• plan and apply a range of teaching and learning approaches related to infusing studies of Asia into the Society and Environment curriculum to meet the needs of all students.

Assessment
Assessment for Contemporary Issues and Values is predominantly assignment based, drawing on a range of strategies as appropriate, including:

• case studies
• issues studies
• reports
• investigations
• literature reviews
• comparative analyses
• presentations (oral or written)
• unit writing (outlines of teaching units)
• resources critiques

The various assessment activity modes can be designed to different levels of sophistication to suit participant needs and to reflect the levels at which study may be undertaken. For example, assignments may constitute the dominant mode for assessment at Certificate level, whereas a comparative analysis of case studies may be more appropriate at Masters level of study.