The course focuses on mainstream theories about Japanese society and major current socio-cultural issues. The course will be based on authentic materials dealing with Japanese society from linguistic, anthropological, sociological and psychological points of view.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Read, understand and analyse real-world written Japanese materials to demonstrate an understanding of varying academic perspectives on issues confronting Japan in the past and present.
2. Communicate confidently in writing and speaking, and in collaborative groups, on topics drawn from a variety of academic essays, panel discussions, and academic discourse.
3. Present academic arguments fluently and and with confidence, from disciplines such as linguistics, anthropology, sociology and psychology.
4. Demonstrate information gathering skills and the ability to compose academic essays on complex subjects.

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	Language & Culture	Weekly Preparation Quiz
2	Language & Culture	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
3	Language & Culture	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
4	Language & Culture	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
5	Contemporary Views of Marriage	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
6	Contemporary Views of Marriage	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz Research Project Part A (Group Report) due 3 April Module Report A due 10 April
7	Research presentation overview	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
8	Research presentation overview	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
9	Dream jobs	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
10	Dream jobs	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz
11	TBD	Preparation Quiz Review Quiz Module Report B due 15 May
12	Research Presentations	Research Project Part B (Individual interview and report) due 5 June Research Project Part C (Group presentations) conducted in Week 12

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Online Quizzes	20 %	1, 3, 4
Module Reports	30 %	1, 2, 3, 4
Group Research Project	45 %	1, 2, 3, 4
Participation	5 %	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

Online Quizzes

Revision quiz is due on Sunday 11pm. (No time limit)

Preparation quiz is due on Sunday 11pm. (60 minutes time limit)

Quizzes includes multiple choice, typing Japanese expressions, reading comprehension, listening comprehension and Kanji.

Assessment Task 2

Module Reports

There are two module reports given during the semester.

The reports may include comprehension questions, content summaries, and your own analysis/opinion of the topic.

Submission Methods: Typed report should be submitted through Turnitin.

Module report A deadline: Sunday April 10 (Modules 1 & 2)

Module report B deadline: Sunday May 15 (Module 3 & possibly 4)

Assessment Task 3

Group Research Project

1.  PART A: Group Topic Report (5%)

Students are required to research deeper into one of the module topics introduced during the semester.

Students will form their own groups of three from their tutorial members and decide what aspects of the topic they want to research.

The group project topic must be approved by the lecturer before commencing the project.

Each group must form research question(s), gather data and information.

Your information and data must, as a minimum, draw on the following types of sources.

• Three Japanese print media sources per group
• Two Japanese news/TV broadcasts (TV, drama, internet, etc.) per group

Group report includes a group topic, data source and summary of the information obtained from the data and your research questions.

1000 (+/- 10%) Japanese characters.

Group report is due on Sunday April 3.

2.  PART B: Individual interview and individual report (20%)

Each student must interview in Japanese at least one person for at least 10 mins.

Your interviewee does not necessarily need to be a native speaker but must speak Japanese with native fluency.

Each interview must be recorded (either sound only as an .mp3 file or video with sound & image as an .mp4 file).

Some parts of the interview need to be transcribed (Instructions will be given in class).

The report must address the following two points:

• Summary of your presentation
• What you learnt by doing this project

2000 (+/- 10%) Japanese characters.

Individual report is due on Sunday June 5.

Feedback for the individual report will be given two weeks after submission.

3.  PART C: Group presentation (20%)

Group presentations will be held in Week 12.

Each presentation will be 20 mins max (15mins presentation + 5 mins Q&A time).

Each group needs to prepare a Powerpoint Presentation or a Handout, and submit a copy on the day of the presentation.

Your presentation should show:

• a clear description of your research questions and its relevance to the broader context of Japanese language, culture and society,
• sound methodology and coherent structure
• a critical evaluation of the sources used,
• ability to construct a coherent and well-reasoned argument based on information you gathered,
• clear evidence of group work, fair division of load and peer cooperation.

Feedback for group presentation will be given two weeks after submission.

Assessment Task 4

Participation

Regular attendance is essential and impacts on class participation and so students are expected to attend all classes.

Much class work is done in pairs and groups, so erratic attendance by any student has a harmful effect on class morale and on progress of other students.

Only coming to class does not guarantee a good participation mark. Your active involvement in discussion will be crucial part of this.

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

Where an assignment is submitted after the due date, students are penalised by five per cent of the possible marks available for the assessment task per working day or part thereof.

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