Students

MHIX109 – The Making of Australia

2017 – S2 OUA

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Matthew Bailey
Matthew Bailey
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Only by understanding the past can we understand today’s politics, culture and social environment. The Making of Australia examines two-hundred years of Australian history from colonisation to the present. It considers the ways that Australian experience has been shaped by the land, economic forces and cultural identity. The unit begins with the early European response to the land they explored and settled, and to the Indigenous population. From here we take a journey through convictism to the discovery of gold and the push to federation. In the twentieth century we look at Australians in war, Indigenous relations, immigration, sport, religion and the recent political debates over versions of our history. Students completing this unit will leave with a sound understanding of the major forces that have shaped Australia’s history; a knowledge of the key events in this history; an ability to locate and interpret historical sources; and an opportunity to reflect upon the way the present has been shaped by the past. The Making of Australia is invaluable to anyone wishing to teach history, develop historical skills or expand their knowledge of Australia’s past. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Short Essay 20% No Friday Week 4
Major Essay 40% No Friday Week 9
Exam 20% No Friday Week 13
Online participation 20% No Weekly

Short Essay

Due: Friday Week 4
Weighting: 20%

This task assesses your ability to construct a short written response (1000 words) to a supplied question, based on analysis of both primary and secondary sources, which will be supplied. Your essay must be fully referenced, including footnotes and a bibliography – see the referencing guidelines on the unit website for instructions.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Major Essay

Due: Friday Week 9
Weighting: 40%

The aim of this task is to assess your ability to produce an extended discussion in written form (2000 words) in response to a specific question. The questions are listed in the assessment section of the course website. We expect you to write your essay using the sources supplied with the questions, but we also expect you to do your own research and use some self-located sources. You should write clearly and cogently. Your essay should be fully referenced in line with the unit’s referencing guidelines. Marks will be deducted in the major essay for inadequate or incorrect referencing. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Exam

Due: Friday Week 13
Weighting: 20%

The non-invigilated take-home exam requires students to select two questions (from a selection of six) that relate to broad aspects of the course content. The main purpose of this assessment task is to test your ability to produce a brief (1000 words per essay) but clear and logical argument that is supported by evidence. For this task, you need not consult any readings beyond those listed as required or recommended. The essays must, however, be fully documented in the appropriate forms, with footnotes and a bibliography.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Online participation

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

The online discussion task, undertaken through the HST110 unit website, tests your ability to communicate ideas, your appreciation and comprehension of the themes and concepts discussed in the course, your ability to critically assess and evaluate the arguments of others, and your ability to clearly articulate your thoughts. It is also a task that monitors your progress across the unit topics. You are expected to do the weekly readings, participate in weekly discussions and make postings within the time frame of each discussion topic. These begin on Monday of the discussion week and run through to the following Sunday. You should look to answer at least two of the set questions each week, as well as engaging with the posts of other students. Each individual post should be kept to a maximum of 100 words. A professional and courteous approach towards staff and fellow students is expected at all times.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Delivery and Resources

All delivery and essential resources are located online. Students may choose to do further offline research for their major essay.

Unit Schedule

 

Week 1

 Introduction 

Week 2

 Imagining Australia

Week 3

 Legends of the Land

Week 4

 Essay Writing

Week 5

 Online Research

Week 6

 Making a Commonwealth

Week 7

 Less Than Citizens

Week 8

 Working 

Week 9

 Culture and Playing

Week 10

 Praying

Week 11

 Duty and Dissent

Week 12

 Reinventing the Nation

Week 13

 Overview and Exam

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.

Assessment task

  • Online participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Analyse different kinds of historical evidence, including visual and textual sources.
  • Interpret historical information, including self-located scholarly reearch materials.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.
  • Construct research into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Exam
  • Online participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Online participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the main changes and continuities in Australian society since 1788.
  • Explain the dominant social relations and ideologies since white settlement.
  • Investigate socially complex issues offering creative and innovative resolutions in scholarly written formats.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence - based classroom/online discussion.

Assessment tasks

  • Exam
  • Online participation