Unit Outline

In this unit you will undertake a funded three-week immersive trip to an Indo-Pacific nation, engaging with leaders from public, private and civil society, to explore the impact of global environmental issues at the local level. Working individually, and in small groups, you will learn about these issues through the lens of the host country, as well as the development and execution of sustainable solutions happening both now, and in the future.

Your studies will commence locally in Tasmania and incorporate Palawa Aboriginal knowledges. Embracing the multidisciplinary nature of international sustainability efforts, you will be able to tailor your preparatory learning to your own discipline or area of study. You will then be fully prepared for your international experience, ready to learn from diverse perspectives of local leaders in your destination country as they share their sustainability issues, experiences, and solutions. We visit and understand how communities and cities become more resilient and sustainable (in their own context), learn how local communities in the Indo Pacific make use of their limited resources and look at how different local communities mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The overseas study tour will help expand your perspectives, viewing sustainability efforts through the lives, actions, values, and histories of those who experience them. It will help you to interpret sustainability challenges and solutions holistically, appreciating the social, cultural, environmental, economic and political contexts of different countries. Supported by academics with research and network connections to the host organisations, local leaders and destination country, you will evaluate human impacts on natural and built environments, and how physical, economic, social and technological factors affect global sustainability efforts.

During your time in country, you will develop cross-cultural awareness, basic conversational skills in the main language of your host country (e.g., Bahasa or Vietnamese), and self-reflexive skills to critically reflect on your own perspectives. 

Through growing awareness of the importance of Southeast Asia to Australia, you will cultivate a deeper appreciation of Tasmania’s and your own place in the world.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Evaluate human impacts on natural environments and how physical, economic, social and technological factors affect global sustainability solutions
2	Explain observed sustainability challenges and responses in their social, cultural, economic. environmental and political contexts
3	Analyse sustainability issues in the visited country and draw comparisons to Tasmania and Australia
4	Demonstrate cross-cultural competencies in social interaction and communication

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Group Country environmental profile (Indonesia/Malaysia/Vietnam)	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Personal reflections on cultural encounters during the trip	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Group reflection on the journey	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Group Country environmental profile (Indonesia/Malaysia/Vietnam)

Task Description:

Pick one sustainability issue of concern to your group and identify the challenges and the possible solutions available in the country to-be-visited, demonstrating an interdisciplinary understanding of the issues. Your group (4-6 members) will also refer to members’ varied areas of study, choosing two or three elements of the UniGO sustainability star framework - one of the elements will be the environment - explain how the relationships between the environment and human activity are understood and/or reflected.

Due 19 December 2024, 4pm

Task Length:

15-minute narrated Powerpoint presentation (in video format)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Evaluate an environmental issue that has arisen due to human activities in the country you all are visiting ILO1	LO1
2	From desktop research, explain how local social, economic, and political contexts influence environmental issues and solutions.	LO2
3	Compare lessons to Tasmania and Australia	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Personal reflections on cultural encounters during the trip

Task Description:

Based on the cross-cultural training before the trip, you will reflect on two or three cultural encounters during the trip that have shaped your own personal cross-cultural learnings.

You will work individually and while you are in-country to produce (choose one option):

Written reflections from your personal journal (1000 words); or

8-minute video-recorded reflections.

Due 11 February 2025, 4pm

Task Length:

Written reflections from your personal journal (1000 words); or 8-minute video-recorded reflections.

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and recall two cultural encounters during your trip, and explain why they are memorable from a cross-cultural perspective.	LO4
2	Reflect upon successes and failures relating to cross-cultural communication.	LO4
3	Describe your cross-cultural learnings	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Group reflection on the journey

Task Description:

You will work in a group. Specifically, your group will pick one environmental/sustainability issue observed during the trip as a key focus. This may include the issue discussed in Task 1. Indicate how your group has developed a deeper interdisciplinary understanding of the impact of human activities on the environment/sustainability while in the visited country.

Students will work in groups, during the trip and after the trip, to produce (choose one option):

A conference poster and a 1000-word accompanying statement; or

A 15-minute podcast; or

A 15-minute video documentary.

Due 20 February 2025

Task Length:

A conference poster and a 1000-word accompanying statement; or A 15-minute podcast; or; A 15-minute video documentary.

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	During your trip, pick and evaluate one environmental issue that has come about because of human activities	LO1
2	Based on your pre-trip assignment and what you have learned during the trip, develop a deeper understanding of how local social, cultural, economic and political contexts aggravate and/or mitigate the environmental issue	LO2
3	Articulate relevant learnings related to Tasmania, Australia and the country you visited	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.