EUB451 Australia, Britain and America

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit focuses on British and American social and political influences on Australian foreign policy and social attitudes since 1900. It investigates Australia's, America's and Britain's relationship. The content examines World War 1, the interwar-years, World War 2 and the post-World War 2 period. A secondary objective is to examine the fight for independence and democracy, particularly in a number of former colonial countries. Before World War 2, reverence for the British Empire and appreciation of its protection influenced Australian attitudes and governmental decision-making. Most Australians seldom questioned this close relationship. During and after World War 2, America became Australia's great and powerful friend - and the influence of Britain diminished. Nevertheless, public affection for the mother country did not dissipate so quickly.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Analyse, Synthesise and evaluate information from numerous primary and secondary sources.
2. Demonstrate effective communication skills to analyse, generate and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to others.
3. Show how history and historians shape the present and the future.
4. Devise a hypothesis from self-initiated research.
5. Construct an evidence-based argument in written form.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn by engaging in the following:

• Lecturer- provided information
• Tutorial-based debate
• Student-centred discussion through carefully chosen media
• Activities designed to promote understanding, the exercise of higher order thinking and the formulation of original hypotheses and stances. 

Activities will involve you demonstrating an understanding of content; gaining an appreciation of the variety of approaches to interpretations of the past; showing how history and historians shape the present and the future; identifying and interpreting secondary and primary sources; undertaking research according to methodological and ethical conventions of the discipline including being aware of the consequences of plagarism; analysing historical evidence and representations of the past; constructing evidence-based arguments and identifying and reflecting critically on knowledge and skills.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

• Formative feedback will be provided for independent research presented during tutorials.
• Formal feedback will be provided for assessment, based on structured criteria.
• Examination - The lecturer evaluates the essays (written under examination conditions) using set criteria that offers students a full understanding of areas that need improvement as well as areas of competency or excellence.

Assessment

Overview

The summative assessment consists of: 

1. A Short Answer Examination involving unseen questions of the topics studied in each session . You will write short answers responding to primary and secondary historical sources. 
2. Research and essay project. You will research and write on a topic utilising archives at the Queensland State Library. This task requires sustained analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the stimulus material located in an archive that fully supports a student-generated interpretation and historical narrative.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Short Answer Examination

Short Answer Examination.  You will write short responses responding to primary and secondary historical sources provided utilizing knowledge acquired during the first half of the semester,.

Assessment: Archival Research Project

You will exercise the research and writing skills implemented by professional historians to carry out a piece of unique, original research. You will examine and use newspaper sources in particular at the Queensland State Library and on Trove to develop a historical narrative. The narrative will display your ability to detect and organise historical information based on your findings, present an interpretation of the past with supportive evidence and write with understanding about the actions of the central characters in your account.

The intensive nature of your research, your ability to gain an understanding of a circumstance, the persuasiveness and authority of your writing, and your ability to mount a consistent sustained interpretation from documents that may not readily facilitate this exercise, will be evaluated in the assessment criteria.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.