EUB011 Community Engagement in International, Rural and Remote

Unit Outline: Flexible Period - B 2024, Online (Start Date: 21 Oct 2024)

Overview

This unit investigates diversity and professional engagement in international, rural or remote contexts. Understanding personal cultural identity, diverse contexts and the impact cultural identity has on working in diverse contexts is essential for professional engagement. This unit explores evidence-based approaches to working in diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socio-economic contexts, including strategies and frameworks for developing intercultural competence. 

The unit encompasses an international, rural or remote education experience organised through QUT.

Please note: This unit is offered in flexible teaching periods. Flexible Period B extends from October to February the following year. Hence, it is recommended that you take this unit prior to your final year of study. If undertaking this unit in the second half of your final year (Flexible Period B offering), you will not be eligible to graduate until during the following year.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Critically reflect on cultural identity and the skills required to develop intercultural competence
2. Investigate the cultural dimensions of diverse contexts.
3. Identify facilitating factors and barriers to engaging with diversity in an international, rural or remote setting.
4. Apply theory and research on the development of intercultural competence to reflect on intercultural experiences.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn through engaging in an online environment with the following:

• A set of learning modules
• Recorded lectures;
• Readings;
• Activities including discussion forums;
• Recorded conversations with guest speakers; and
• Authentic assessment tasks for applying your scholarly knowledge of the unit content in real-world scenarios.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

In this unit, formative and summative feedback will be provided as follows:
Feedback from your peers and your lecturer on formative tasks leading to summative assessment items; and
Written, timely and constructive feedback from your lecturer on your assessment items.

Assessment

Overview

Completion of the full experience, whether in an international, rural or remote location is mandatory for the final assessment in this unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Investigating self and place

This assessment requires two investigations. The first into your own cultural identity and responsiveness and the second into the place that you will be visiting and learning in.

Part 1: The first investigation requires you to provide a reflective journal (drawing from your understanding of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, readings, class discussions and self reflection) on your own cultural identity and growing awareness of cultural responsiveness. In your journal you will reflect on your intercultural capabilities, particularly in relation to how you believe this international, rural or remote experience will help to inform your future professional practice and work in engaging with diversity (1000 words).

Part 2: The second investigation is into the particular place you will be visiting and learning (for example Cambodia, India, Canada, Mt. Isa, etc.). You can use information drawn from websites and readings to investigate the place. You will conduct research using particular background material on the history, politics, cultural and/or social context and any protocols of your 'host' contexts in preparation for your international, rural or remove engagement (1000 words).

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Presentation

This assessment requires you to use a presentation format (e.g. video recording, PowerPoint presentation, etc) to demonstrate your development of intercultural competence during your international, rural or remote experience. In your presentation, you are required to draw on theory relating to intercultural competence using evidence from your international, rural or remote experience to substantiate your development of intercultural competence. To achieve success in this assessment, supporting evidence, such as photos and documents, from your international, rural or remote experience must be verified and included. 

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

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.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Hammer, M. R. (2012). The Intercultural Development Inventory: A new frontier in assessment and development of intercultural competence.

M. Vande Berg, R.M. Paige, & K. H. Lou (Eds.). Student learning abroad (Chapter 5, pp. 115-136). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Further readings will be determined by the unit coordinator.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Students should be aware of and comply with the QUT work integrated learning policy under QUT's Assessment Policy is at MOPPC/4.4.