This course introduces key population issues in Australia, other developed countries and less developed countries. It covers a range of topics including the relationships between population size and available resources; social, biological and economic influences on population growth rates; fertility decline and population ageing; and, population distribution and migration. Students are introduced to the main theories used to understand population and societal change.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of demographic changes in the world and their major determinants;
2. Use demographic concepts and population theories to explain past and present population characteristics;
3. Use demographic concepts and theories to understand contemporary socio-economic issues and current affairs; and,
4. Apply demographic concepts and population theories into relevant policy settings.

Required Resources

The prescribed textbook for this course is:

Weeks, J. R. (2015). Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning.

The textbook can be purchased in hardcopy (from the Co-op Bookshop on campus) or in electronic format (from the publisher’s website: http://www.cengagebrain.com.au/).

In addition to the textbook readings, students are required to have read the assigned weekly readings prior to lectures. All non-textbook readings can be downloaded from the course Wattle site. Further, it is expected that students will read more widely to support their assessment tasks.

Additional resources, which support weekly topics, are provided on Wattle. 

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written feedback for all assessment tasks
• General (verbal) feedback following the return of marked assessments about overall performance and common issues.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Additional referencing requirements

Assessments should not exceed the assigned word (or time, where applicable) limit and should be formatted as per below:

-      Use the in-text American Psychological Association (APA) citation format (see for example http://guides.is.uwa.edu.au/apa).

-      Where applicable, number pages and use 1.5 spaced typing.

-      Always proofread your written work prior to submission,

Students must appropriately cite and reference all sources used in assessment. Failure to do so will result in formal consideration of poor academic performance and/or academic misconduct by the Course Convener. The Course Convener, when deemed necessary, will refer cases to the Academic Standards & Quality Office.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction Understanding population change	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 1. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning.
2	Australia in context Population history and milestones Future challenges and opportunities	Reading McDonald, P. (2014) Population: An ever-present policy issue. In A. McClelland & P. Smyth (eds.) Social Policy in Australia: Understanding for Action. Australia: Oxford University Press, pp. 127-142. Allen, L. (2011) Sustainable Population Strategy: Public Policy and Implementation Challenges. Academy Proceedings. 2/2011. ?
3	Global population trends World population growth Global differences in population	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 2. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Lam, D. (2011) How the world survived the population bomb: lessons learned from 50 years of extraordinary demographic history. Demography, 48(4), 1231-62. ?
4	How do we measure populations? Population data and measurement Demographic definitions	Reading Edgar, B., Lucas, D., & McEachern, S. (2014) Population data. In D. Lucas (ed.) Beginning Population Studies. Canberra: National Centre for Development Studies. ABS. (2011) How Australia takes a Census 2011. Cat. No. 2903.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, pp. 1-4, 30-33, 35-52. Bell, M., Wilson, T., & Charles-Edwards, E. (2011) Australia's population future: probabilistic forecasts incorporating expert judgement. Geographical Research, 49(3), 261-275. ?
5	Population theories What is the demographic transition? Current transitions	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 3. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Malthus, the false prophet. (2008, 15 May) The Economist. ?
6	Mortality Mortality transition and trends How long will we live?	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 5. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Omran, A.R. (2005) The epidemiologic transition: a theory of the epidemiology of population change. The Milbank Quarterly, 83(4), 731-757. ?World Café 29 Aug
7	Fertility Fertility transition and trends Reproducing in nations	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 6. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Ezeh, A.C., Bongaarts, J., & Mberu, B. (2012) Global population trends and policy options. The Lancet, 380(9837), 142-148. Gray, M., Qu, L, & Weston, R. (2008) Chapter 2 in Fertility and family policy in Australia (Research Paper No. 41). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. ?
8	Contemporary families and households Gender Inequality and population Families and households	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 10. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Keygan, A. (2013) Family size intentions: the missing piece of Australia’s fertility jigsaw. The Conversation. Evans, A. (2015) Entering a union in the twenty-first Century: Cohabitation and ‘Living Apart Together’. In G. Heard & D. Arunachalam, Family Formation in 21st Century Australia. New York: Springer, pp. 13-30. ABS. (2014) Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2013. Cat. no. 3310.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. ?
9	Migration and ethnicity Who moves and why? The third transition: ethnic diversity	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 7. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Collins, J. (2013) The Changing Face of Australian Immigration. The Conversation. Phillips, J., Klapdor, M., & Simon-Davies, J. (2010) Migration to Australia since federation: a guide to the statistics. Background Note, Parliamentary Library. ?
10	Indigenous Australia Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population	Reading Dudgeon, P., Wright, M., Paradies, Y., Garvey, D., & Walker, I. (2014) Aboriginal social, cultural and historical contexts. In P. Dudgeon, H. Milroy & R. Walker (eds.) Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Subiaco: Telethon Kids Institute. Biddle, N. (2012) CAEPR Indigenous population project 2011 census papers: population age and structure. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research. AIHW. (2015) The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2015. Cat. no. IHW 147. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. pp. 21-78.
11	Ageing people and ageing populations Structural ageing Challenges and opportunities	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 8. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Wilson, T. (2012) The role of Australia’s extended baby boom in past and future population ageing. New Zealand Population Review, 38, 95-109. ?Case study 19 Oct
12	Human development Environmental sustainability Population futures	Reading Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 11. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. Walker, R. (2015) Demographic Vulnerability: Where Population Growth Poses the Greatest Challenges. Washington D.C.: Population Institute. Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 5. Weeks, J.R. (2015) Chapter 12. Population: An Introduction to Concepts and issues (12th edition). Boston: Cengage Learning. ?Take Home Exam 25-29 Oct

Tutorial Registration

Registration for tutorials will be available via Wattle in Week 1.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
World Café	20 %	29/08/2019	17/09/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Population case study	40 %	21/10/2019	08/11/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Take home exam	35 %	29/10/2019	17/11/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Participation	5 %	25/10/2019	25/10/2019	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

World Café

A “World Café” is a style of small group discussions for a large group. Co-convenors host discussions on different topics at ‘café’ tables, for groups of 4-6; groups rotate among tables at specified intervals. We will use the World Café format to discuss a range of population topics, drawing on material and reading covered in weeks 1-3. The number of topics (& “café tables”) and co-convenor groups, and structure of the session, will depend on the numbers in the class.

 

The World Café will happen in the tutorial in Week 6 on 29 August.

Presentation requirements

You will prepare an individual set of topic notes for the café topic that you co-convene. The word length is 500-800 words

 

The notes should comprise:

• a paragraph summarising the background to the topic area;

• 7-10 dot points identifying the key points for discussion, with brief explanatory notes;

• 3-5 dot points summarising how you will conduct the café discussion.

Assessment rubric

The world café notes be assessed on:

1.   Structure (introduction, body, conclusion) and tone (50%)

2.   Framing of discussion points (50%)

Word limit: 800 words 

Value: 20%

Est. return date: 17 September

Assessment Task 2

Population case study

The case study (of 1500 words) provides the opportunity for students to study and present (in writing) a background, description, and issues for a population. In doing so, the student will demonstrate how demographic concepts, theory, and policy shape the population being investigated.

 

Students will choose a population of interest and, with the permission of the course tutor, proceed to write a case study containing:

·         A brief background of the population of interest, highlighting historical details and relevant cultural and social factors which relate to the population’s origins and present circumstances. 

·        A detailed description of the population, including major components, details, and current population trends.

·        Unique issues and challenges facing the population.

·        A conclusion which summarises the information provided, and discusses how policy and future events may impact the population.

In order to complete this assignment, students must incorporate existing research and source material on the subject, along with relevant policy issues on the subject.

This assessment is due on 21 October (11 a.m.).

Presentation requirements

The case study is to be completed in a report format style and include headings/sub-headings. An indicative structure is provided on Wattle.

 

The use of tables and/or figures is permitted, but such material must be cited and the source and/or data referenced appropriately.

Assessment rubric

The case study will be assessed as follows:

1.   Structure (introduction, body, conclusion) and tone (10%)

2.   Presentation of facts, synthesis of material, and discussion (40%)

3.   Application of demographic theory (20%)

4.   Public policy relevance and implications (20%)

5. Referencing (10%)

Word limit: 1500 words (excluding references)

(Work within ±10% word count will be accepted without penalty. A 10% penalty will apply to work exceeding this margin, on top of the assessment rubric.)

Value: 40%

Est. return date: 8 Nov

Assessment Task 3

Take home exam

The take-home exam is designed to provide students with an opportunity to review topics and knowledge gained during the course. This assessment is comprised of a multiple choice quiz covering topics over the semester. 

 

The take-home exam is to be completed via Wattle between 25 October and 29 October submitted by 29 October at 11 a.m. Please note that university policy states that late submission of the take-home exam is not permitted.

 

The exam is ‘open book’, but must be completed individually without direct help or discussion from others (i.e., no collusion).

Presentation requirements

Multiple choice questions are to be completed online via Wattle.

 

Short answer responses are to be typed and submitted in Word format via Turnitin. Students should clearly indicate each question they are responding to.

Word limit: Not Applicable

Value: 35%

Est. return date: 17 Nov

Assessment Task 4

Participation

Students are expected to actively engage in tutorial sessions by contributing to discussion.

 

Students should read the required weekly readings prior to lectures and come to tutorials prepared to make contributions to discussions.

Assessment rubric

Marks will be awarded for active participation in each tutorial session. Assessment is ongoing throughout the semester.

Word limit: Not applicable

Value: 5%

Est. return date: Not applicable

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) as submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Marked assessments and grades (including written feedback, where applicable) will be returned via the course Wattle site.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

No resubmission of assignments are accepted. Students are encouraged to consult with the course tutor about an assignment prior to the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students