Supporting graduates who:

  • are able to question, analyse, interpret, and evaluate
  • can test new and innovative ideas, understandings, approaches, and opinions.

Experienced through curriculum that supports and enables:

  • identification of problems
  • healthy consideration and debate of meaningful issues
  • creative thinking to find novel solutions and measure the impact
  • resilience and flexibility through real world engagement.
Work-based Multimodal Assessment

Assessment method

Work-based Multimodal Assessment

Students submit an argumentative piece on a contemporary topic relevant to their discipline of study. Pending staff approval, students can submit this assessment in a number of written or multimodal formats such as an editorial for The Conversation, a government report, or a short audio-visual documentary.

Third year
Class size of 60-80
Open
Weekly Blogs

Assessment method

Weekly Blogs

Delivered instead of weekly tutorials, students construct weekly Blackboard blog posts responding to a question and critically addressing key theoretical underpinnings from readings. Designed to elicit theoretically rich conversations, students use written styles similar to those from popular online forums as a means to participate in collegiate debates beyond academia.

First year, Second year, Third year
Class size of 100-500
Open
Short Article (The Conversation)

Assessment method

Short Article (The Conversation)

Following a larger essay assessment, students construct a 1000 word article on the same topic of their major assessment piece) intended for publication on the online platform The Conversation. This exercise introduces students to the challenge of writing for a specific audience, and communicating complex concepts with clarity and concision.

Third year
Class size of 60-80
Open
Referencing and Critical Analysis

Assessment method

Referencing and Critical Analysis

Designed to teach foundational research skills, provide capabilities in critical analysis, and prepare students for a major research essay, this assessment sees students locate four scholarly sources via disciplinary databases or on-campus library collections. Students must judiciously select and correctly reference these sources, conducting critical analysis on one oanalysis, and prepare students for a major research essay, this assessment sees students locate four scholarly sources via disciplinary databases or on-campus library collections. Students must judiciously select and correctly reference these sources, conducting critical analysis on one oanalysis on one of these.

First year
Class size of 100-500
Open
Primary Research Portfolio and Report

Assessment method

Primary Research Portfolio and Report

Designed to introduce students to the practical and methodological aspects of undertaking primary research within a disciplinary context, this assessment sees students work with research participants to plan and conduct qualitative interviews to produce portfolio of fieldwork documents and a final research report.

Third year
Class size of 10-20
Open
Pre-Class Writing Exercise

Sequence

Pre-Class Writing Exercise

This assessment is part of a flipped classroom approach wherein students engage with content before designated class-time and are assessed to gauge formative comprehension. Students write and submit a short critical response to weekly material. These are brought to class and used as prompts for collegiate discussion and progressive improvement.

First year, Second year, Third year, Post-graduate
Class size of 40-60
Open
Sequence
Policy Submission

Team or Group based, Peer-assessed

Policy Submission

This authentic assessment sees students work both individually and in small groups to produce a governmental policy submission. This scaffolded assessment includes a number of progressive tasks due throughout the semester, including a brief oral presentation, a draft policy proposal, a background and issues document, and the final policy submission.

Third year, Post-graduate
Class size of 40-60
Secure
Team or Group based, Peer-assessed
Problem Based Learning Workshop Activities

Team or Group based

Problem Based Learning Workshop Activities

Underpinned by a problem-based learning pedagogy (PBL), this assessment sees students attend weekly workshops where they are presented with a scenario based on weekly course content (and related to a contemporary, real-world issue). Students work in small groups to formulate a response or solution to the problem/s, discussed in class.

First year, Second year, Third year, Post-graduate
Class size of 40-60
Open
Team or Group based
Ministerial Policy Recommendation

Assessment method

Ministerial Policy Recommendation

In this skills-oriented assessment, students are asked to identify a contemporary policy issue and make a clear and succinct case for policy change in the form of a short (2 page) ministerial policy recommendation or brief. Students also provide an additional list of (scholarly) sources consulted in preparing their recommendation.

Second year, Third year
Class size of 100-500
Open
Interview-based Research Project

Assessment method

Interview-based Research Project

Students carry out and analyse four interviews (with individuals selected on the basis of discipline). The assessment consists of four stages: developing a semi-structured interview schedule and locating interviewees; conducting and recording interviews; creating verbatim transcripts; and performing qualitative analysis to produce a 1000 word field report of their findings.

Third year
Class size of 10-20
Open