AGC209 - The Arts of Changing the World: Global Challenges and Transforming Systems
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online From 2026: Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: David Giles |
| Prerequisite: | Students must complete one level 1 unit |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
Voltaire supposedly said that no snowflake ever feels responsible in an avalanche. But can we stop, or at least influence, the avalanches we are part of? What wicked problems do we face as a species, and how do we tackle them? How do we transform our human and environmental systems in the face of challenges that are global in scale? In this unit, you will apply your skills as an arts and humanities student to analyse some of these challenges—starting with the large, complex systems that create them. You will explore various approaches, and consider how diverse stakeholders (i.e. states, First Nations, local communities, industry, and so on) are already working within them in different ways to address problems from their own perspectives. You'll also learn from researchers, community members, indigenous peoples, industry, and other stakeholders already working on these challenges. You will practice critical analysis and systems thinking. And you will imagine a collaborative action plan for changing the world. At the end of this unit students will have a deeper understanding of global systems, crisis, and of the role that Bachelor of Arts students and graduates can play in addressing the complex, multi-stakeholder challenges of today.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Critically evaluate scenarios relating to global challenges and explain the effects of systemic dynamics and human actions at global and local scales for diverse stakeholders. | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO2 | Identify a range of key actions and interventions with meaningful impacts on complex global issues for diverse stakeholders | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global Citizenship |
| ULO3 | Work collaboratively to synthesise multi-stakeholder scenarios and communicate respective issues and actions | GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO7: Teamwork |
| ULO4 | Critically reflect on the role of diverse forms of knowledge, including specific academic disciplines and trans-disciplinary knowledges such as system thinking and Indigenous pattern thinking, in evaluating and identifying solutions to global challenges. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global citizenship |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Critical Reading Response | 1000 words or equivalent | 25% | Ongoing |
| Assessment 2: Individual Research Paper | 1400 words or equivalent | 35% | Week 5 |
| Assessment 3: Individual and Group Research Portfolio and Analysis | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.