Unit rationale, description and aim
Scholars in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences need to be able to explain and defend their research in terms of its methodological rigour and contribution to existing theoretical and empirical knowledge in their specialist field. This unit requires students to extend their studies in their chosen field of study. The field of study will complement the area of the Honours thesis, introducing students to advanced content, theory, methodology or scholarship in the field. The aim of this unit is for students to engage with advanced knowledge of theories, concepts and methodologies within their chosen field of study and understand, where relevant, the intersection of current multidisciplinary approaches and debates in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The unit may offer group and/or individual learning opportunities through classes and coursework, a reading course, industry-oriented experience (as available and approved), honours field trip, or overseas study opportunity.
The unit requirement may be satisfied via cross-institutional enrolment in a suitable unit at another institution. In this circumstance, the unit content, learning objectives, reference materials, assessment activities and assessment requirements will differ from student to student, in line with their enrolled unit. Units chosen must be at or above AQF-Level 8 and clearly align with Course Learning Outcomes.
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.
Articulate advanced theories, concepts and scholar...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically analyse and evaluate complex debates an...
Learning Outcome 02
Independently and/or collaboratively apply advance...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
When taken at ACU
National multimode: workshops, web consultation, live online seminars, reading course, an internship or industry-focused experience or an intensive study tour. This multidisciplinary, multi-format honours unit enables students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their own discipline and related fields.
Study requirements will vary according to optional availability and at the discretion of the Lecturer in Charge.
Where the unit is taken cross-institutionally:
Recognising that Honours students are advanced learners capable of self-directed learning, the ACU advanced coursework units for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) enables students to identify and pursue suitable cross-institutional specialist units at Honours level (AQF level 8) that advance theoretical, conceptual and methodological knowledge and refine skills relevant to the student’s specialist field.
The learning and teaching strategy will vary, depending on the particular cross-institutional unit being taken, the disciplinary field and the institution.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit Learning Outcomes and develop Graduate Attributes consistent with University assessment requirements.
The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate the achievement of each Learning Outcome. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit and participate in all assessment tasks.
The first assessment task develops a broad understanding of the range of disciplinary perspectives and approaches to the topic under consideration. It requires students to synthesise and critically engage with unit content through collaborative annotation and reading of key texts, as well as through reflecting on the possibilities and limits of research in digital repositories.
The second task requires students to communicate their own disciplinary knowledge, and respond to, the perspectives of others. This task will develop advanced online skills and will enhance students’ digital literacy.
The third assessment invites students to explore, in-depth, a particular aspect of the topic under consideration through the lens of their own discipline and to answer questions about their findings in a supervised setting.
Overview of assessments
Where the unit is taken at ACU:
Assessment Task 1: Disciplinary and multidiscipli...
Assessment Task 1: Disciplinary and multidisciplinary tasks
During the unit, students will complete activities that demonstrate understanding of key concepts and build skills in digital literacy, problem solving and creativity. These will be designed to connect to advanced theoretical, conceptual and methodological knowledge and skills relevant to the specialist field of their own discipline as well as the multidisciplinary resources of the unit, if directed to do so by the lecturer.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Seminar Paper or Multimodal P...
Assessment Task 2: Seminar Paper or Multimodal Presentation
Students will prepare and deliver a presentation or journal on their research, internship or study tour experience as set by the lecturer.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Research Essay Students will ...
Assessment Task 3: Research Essay
Students will prepare a research essay in their disciplinary area, on an interdisciplinary approach, or relating an internship or field trip experience, that responds to one of the key themes of the unit. Students may be asked to present part of their research orally and answer questions about it in a supervised setting.
40%
Where the unit is taken cross-institutionally:Assessment strategies will be defined by the conditions of the cross-institutional unit approved for course work contributing to ACU Honours:
Assessment Task 1 Academic Assignments (per spec...
Assessment Task 1
Academic Assignments (per specification of the replaced unit)
100%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Mode at ACU: National multimode or online scheduled delivery including workshops, web consultation, live online seminars, collaborative annotation, computer workshops, and research tasks.
This honours-level multidisciplinary unit deepens students' disciplinary knowledge while providing broader perspectives on scholarship production. Through interdisciplinary engagement and dialogue, students develop critical self-reflexivity about their own discipline and understand the value of interdisciplinary approaches in liberal arts and humanities.
Active learning through online activities enables students to:
1) Gain deep content understanding through reading, writing, discussion, and online debates that promote analysis and synthesis. Students examine multiple perspectives to understand complex relationships between disciplinary approaches to key events and issues.
2) Acquire and refine fundamental disciplinary skills including understanding and applying disciplinary methodologies, identifying their intersection with other disciplines, locating high-quality secondary sources, taking positions within scholarly debates, and communicating findings academically.
Structure: Directed study (through lectures, tutorials, webinars, reading course, fieldwork, study tour or industry focused engagement or internship (as available and approved). Remaining hours involve private study, guest workshops/seminars, readings, research, and assessment preparation.
Cross-institutional option: Honours students may pursue specialist units at other institutions (AQF level 8), with delivery modes varying by institution and discipline, supporting advanced academic skill development.