This course aims to break down modern stereotypes of Asia and the Pacific, and in doing so, to spark your curiosity about this fascinating and dynamic region. The course offers a feel for the way individuals and communities live their lives and find different ways to navigate the currents, aspirations, and crises that have shaped Asia and the Pacific. We will explore key themes, such as the organization of life in politics, families, and language; the effect of poverty and riches; the importance of race, ethnicity and gender; and the power of belief, creativity and performance. The course will introduce you to many different ways of thinking about these themes, such as those found in political science, history, anthropology, archaeology, gender studies, economics, cultural studies, linguistics and other disciplines. Experts from across the ANU will raise big questions and case studies in lectures, while tutorials will help you hone your skills of critical thinking and effective communication.

This course is one of two required foundational courses for the Bachelor of Asian Studies degree. It is also highly suitable for students from other programs who would like to learn the basics of understanding the Asia-Pacific region, and assists them in gaining what is sometimes called "Asia literacy," a valuable attribute in any career in the 21st century.
 

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Advance your curiosity and your understanding of the diversity of experience in Asia and the Pacific, which can form a basis for your independent lifelong learning from and with these regions.

2. Understand how different concepts and methods from the humanities and social sciences can help you analyse Asia and the Pacific.

3. Use your understanding of Asian and Pacific diversity to question popular stereotypes about the regions, to become aware of the theoretical standpoints of others, and to begin to reflect critically on your own perspective.

4. Apply your knowledge of Asia and the Pacific in a written form that draws upon research, makes a coherent argument, uses a logical structure and method, and shows your correct use of scholarly citation.

5. Develop critical thinking and independent judgment in your research process, in your writing, in your class discussions, and in your individual and group presentations.

Required Resources

Readings will be available through Wattle.

Staff Feedback

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

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

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.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Lecture - Week 1: The Modern Transformations of Asia and the Pacific
2	Lectures - Weeks 2-3: Organising Lives
3	Lectures - Weeks 4-6: Poverty and Riches	Essay #1 due in week 4
4	Lectures - Weeks 7-9: Gender, Race and Ethnicity	Essay #2 due in week 9 Tutorial group 1 presentation in week 7 Tutorial group 2 presentation in week 8
5	Lectures - Weeks 10-11: Belief, Creativity and Performance	Tutorial group 3 presentation in week 9 Tutorial group 4 presentation in week 10
6	Lectures - Week 12: The Future of Asia and the Pacific	Tutorial group 5 presentation in week 11 Final project due in the week following week 12

Tutorial Registration

Tutorials are an essential part of the course. You should register for your tutorial on Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Participation	10 %	*	28/11/2021	1, 2, 3, 5
Group Presentation	10 %	*	28/11/2021	1, 2, 3, 5
Essay #1	25 %	19/08/2021	31/08/2021	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Essay #2	35 %	07/10/2021	28/10/2021	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final Video Project	20 %	04/11/2021	28/11/2021	1, 2, 3, 5

* 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.

Participation

Active, engaged participation is vital to the success of the course. Accordingly, students will be evaluated on how well they have prepared for tutorials and how consistently and actively they engage therein.

Examination(s)

There is no examination in this course.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Participation

Active, engaged participation is vital to the success of the course. Accordingly, students will be evaluated on how well they have prepared for tutorials and how consistently and actively they engage therein.

Assessment Task 2

Group Presentation

All students will be assigned to small groups, and each of these small groups will make an in-tutorial presentation once during the semester on the week's assigned readings and lectures. Students will be evaluated both on how well they draw connections across readings and lectures, and on how effectively they engage other tutorial members in discussion. More details will be given on Wattle.

Assessment Task 3

Essay #1

Students will write a 1200 word essay on a specific question linked to the course material. Assessment guidelines will be posted on Wattle.

Assessment Task 4

Essay #2

Students will conduct research and write an essay of 2000 words. Assessment guidelines will be available on Wattle.

Assessment Task 5

Final Video Project

Students will create a short video that demonstrates analytical connections across the diverse material we encounter in this class. Detailed instructions will be given on Wattle.

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

The ANU uses 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. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

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

For assessment tasks conducted in tutorials, no submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an in-tutorial assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. Late submission of other assessment tasks without an extension (excluding the take-home exam) 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.

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.

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