Unit rationale, description and aim
“Who am I? What should I do with my life? What really matters? Where have I come from and where am I going? These are questions that “have their common source in the quest for meaning which has always compelled the human heart” (John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, #1). In this unit, exploring such matters means thinking about questions of identity, belonging, purpose, love, suffering, belief, transcendence, and much more. Such themes are at the heart of human cultures, philosophy, spirituality and religion, including Christianity. But they have also long been explored through the arts: from painting and sculpture, to literature, music and cinema. Such forms of artistic expression bring us to confront and engage imaginatively with life’s big questions and experiences. It is through the lens provided by great pieces of historic and contemporary art that this unit enables students to explore such questions, opening up ancient philosophical and theological insights in compelling and accessible ways. The aim of the unit is to enable students to reflect critically and imaginatively on themes of importance for living well with others in social and professional contexts. This unit is available within ACU's Core Curriculum.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain key philosophical and theological ideas re...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse how particular philosophical or theologica...
Learning Outcome 02
Communicate ways in which questions of meaning, pu...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics may include:
- Foundational understanding and skills in critical analysis and argumentation.
- Meaning and the crisis/absence of meaning
- Imagination and the emotions
- Identity and belonging
- Truth, goodness and beauty
- Suffering and redemption
- Love and forgiveness
- Courage and virtue
- Belief
- Death
- Hope
Assessment strategy and rationale
To pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall minimum grade of pass (50%).
The assessment strategy is designed to enable students to display achievement of all learning outcomes.
To enhance assessment authenticity, assessment is integrated with class activities. This involves written and oral activities that assess understanding of key concepts and debates about meaning and art, as well as discussion with peers and the production of individual pieces of work. Application of these debates to contemporary issues is emphasised.
Task 1 asks students to explain key ideas or approaches discussed in the unit, as well as their contemporary relevance. It is a written or oral assessment task undertaken in class that allows students to display achievement of Learning Outcome 1. It is a low-risk task which helps students to foster core skills which will be further developed in Tasks 2 and 3.
Task 2 invites students to develop a project which analyses key themes in the unit. The focus of this task is on enabling students to display achievement of Learning Outcomes 2 and 3.
In Task 3, students reflect on their range of learning across the unit, and apply key insights to contemporary contexts. Task 3 enables students to display achievement of all three learning outcomes.
Overview of assessments
Task 1: Foundational Task Requires students...
Task 1: Foundational Task
Requires students to explain key concepts of the unit.
20%
Task 2: Critical Analysis Project: Requires stud...
Task 2: Critical Analysis Project:
Requires students to analyse key themes are presented through the arts, engaging with a range of different theological and philosophical perspectives.
40%
Task 3: Reflection and application task: Require...
Task 3: Reflection and application task:
Requires students to reflect on the key themes of the unit and apply insights to specific contemporary contexts.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will be offered as a flipped classroom, drawing on the standard 150 hours of focused learning. Students are required to complete online modules as well as attend on-campus seminars, where some assessment will be conducted.
Students are asked to define key terms and approaches, analyse and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what they have learned to contemporary contexts. Collaborative and peer learning is also emphasised. Active participation in this unit is an essential element of student learning, reflected in the assessment strategy. Learning is aimed to be engaging and supportive, helping students to develop critical thinking and reflection skills by engaging with a wide range of approaches and perspectives. In this unit, students will investigate key themes in Christianity through imagination and the arts.
Because of the humanities-based nature of the unit, the learning strategy aims to help students develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, reflection, and the interpretation of complex and nuanced themes, and then to relate these themes back to their own contexts. In this way, the student is placed at the centre of learning, which is an active and relevant process.