Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Graduates across a wide range of professions must have an understanding of human rights and ethics together with an appreciation of their relevance for many contemporary global, regional and national issues. This unit provides an introduction to human rights and ethics. It is deliberately located within a broad political, legal, social, cultural and economic framework. It examines the relationship between human rights and thematic challenges including climate change, poverty, terrorism and oppressive forms of intolerance and discrimination. It offers the opportunities to investigate present day concerns relating to the human rights of women, indigenous peoples and minority groups as well as specific topics such as human trafficking, harmful cultural practices, workers rights and child soldiers. It includes a range of Australian human rights, ethical and social justice issues

Aims

The primary aim of this unit is to provide you with a beginning understanding of human rights and ethics and to encourage you to think reflectively and critically about a number of contemporary international, regional and national issues.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the different categories of human rights and the fundamental principles underlying the contemporary human rights regime.


2. Demonstrate knowledge of the major sources of international and national human rights law and the systems designed to protect and promote human rights.


3. Analyse and critically discuss selected human rights and ethical issues at the national, regional and international level.


4. Collaborate and cooperate as a member of a team on a human rights/ethical project.


5. Demonstrate the utility of information, communication and presentation technologies for social, ethical and human rights activism.

Content

• The idea, history and emergence of human rights


• Human rights international law and UN system


• Rights in the Australian context - domestic law and system


• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights - close the gap


• Threats to human rights - culture and religion


• Women's rights are human rights - the ongoing struggle


• Challenges to human rights - poverty, climate change, human development,


• The politics and practice of human rights - terrorism and violence


• Unit review and student presentations.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit offers a blend of lectures, on-campus peer group work and collaborative exercises in the virtual world. It makes considerable use of information and communication technologies and some of the wonderful functions on the QUT Blackboard systems. It requires some participation in collaborative group work. The unit is offered in a three-hour on-campus block that may include:

• online audio podcast


• formal on campus lecture


• contemporary video depicting a human rights situation


• discussion of current affairs


• review of the weekly resource material


• exploration of weekly Internet site


• participatory question/answer session


• group based discussion forums, Blog and Wiki.

Assessment

This unit contains assessment items which link knowledge, theory and collaborative work with a range of very contemporary human rights and ethical issues. There is a particular emphasis on ensuring the relevance of assessment to authentic learning, professional practice, real world challenges and contemporary issues. The individual items of assessment are detailed below.You will be provided with formative and summative feedback on the various items of assessment. You will be able to incorporate constructive feedback into your assessment as the semester progresses. Further details on feedback will be provided at the commencement of the semester.

Assessment name: Multiple Choice Examination
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, & 3.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Exam week

Assessment name: Collaborative Group Work
Description: Contemporary Human Rights Project
Relates to objectives: 3, 4, & 5.
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 8

Assessment name: Essay, Presentation or Project
Description: Essay or Presentation or Project.
Essay due week 12
Presentations week 12 and 13.
Relates to objectives: 1 - 5.
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Weeks 12 and 13

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

There is no set text for the Unit. The unit makes heavy use of the Blackboard site and you are strongly advised to visit this site on a regular basis. You are expected to maintain a current affairs watch. There are no resources in the Course Materials Database [CMD] section.

Risk assessment statement

The unit deals with a number of confronting issues and includes videos of some situations depicting human rights violations.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 17-Oct-2012