This course aims to develop and maintain an advanced competence in modern Japanese and a working knowledge of the issues currently confronting Japanese society. Course materials are taken from a variety of up-to-date authentic media, TV, film, podcasts, websites and print media. Focusing on listening, speech-making and presentation skills, students will progress from intermediate to advanced language skills—moving from the more controlled textbook learning environment to an engagement with ‘real’ materials.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Understand and analyse real-world Japanese news media to demonstrate knowledge of the major issues in present-day Japanese society.
2. Communicate confidently in writing and speaking, and in collaborative groups, on topics drawn from a variety of up-to-date authentic media, TV, film, podcasts, websites and print media.
3. Demonstrate appropriate listening, speech-making and presentation skills, to present academic arguments fluently and clearly.
4. Demonstrate 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	Social Issues in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 1
2	Tourism in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 2? Tutorial Discussion Lead 1? Group Research Project Brainstorming
3	Gender in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 3? Tutorial Discussion Lead 2? Group Research Project Brainstorming
4	Business Enterprise in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 4? Tutorial Discussion Lead 3? Group Research Project Brainstorming
5	Reform of Working Practices in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 5? Tutorial Discussion Lead 4? Group Research Project Brainstorming
6	Political Participation and Activity in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 6? Tutorial Discussion Lead 5? Group Research Project Report Draft: Due 1 September (Friday)
7	Marriage, Childbirth, and Parenting in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 7? Tutorial Discussion Lead 6? Group Research Project Mini-Presentation: Due 21 September (Thursday)
8	Childcare and School Education in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 8? Tutorial Discussion Lead 7? Group Research Project Report Writing
9	Internet, Media, and SNS in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 9? Tutorial Discussion Lead 8? Group Research Project Report Writing
10	Aged Care in Contemporary Japan	? Prep Quiz 10? Tutorial Discussion Lead 9? Group Research Project Report Writing
11	Rural Areas in Contemporary Japan	? Tutorial Discussion Lead 10? Group Research Project Report Writing
12	Presentation and Summary	? Group Research Project Report Presentation: Due 24 October (Tuesday)? Group Research Project Final Report Submission: Due 7 November (Tuesday) ? Individual Reflection Report: Due 10 November (Friday)

Tutorial Registration

See wattle for sign up

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Preparation Quizzes	30 %	1,2,3
Group Research Project (Report and Presentation)	45 %	1,2,3,4
Reports (Discussion Lead Review and Reflection)	20 %	1,2,3,4
Participation	5 %	1,2,3

* 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

Preparation Quizzes

Aim and Content:

This assessment aims to encourage each student, using videos, audio or articles in Japanese media, 1) to develop their listening and reading skills in Japanese, 2) to gain Japanese linguistic knowledge, 3) to evaluate and be accountable for one’s own learning, 4) to comprehend given content, and 5) to explore relevant information further. Ideally, each student engages in the content critically to evaluate and give opinions. The quizzes are provided online. The number of questions in each quiz will range between 5 and 10. There will not be a time limit for these quizzes.

Requirements:

• Listening to audio, watching videos and/or reading articles weekly
• Identifying unfamiliar expressions and searching the information about them to understand to the best of one’s ability
• Preparing to explain expressions that have become clear or remain unclear to classmates while engaging in each material
• Answering questions when given
• Presenting evaluation and opinions when required
• Composing a Senryu (Japanese short poetry) relevant to the issue of the week
• Completing each weekly preparation activity prior to the Tuesday lecture (Due Sunday 23:55)

Assessment Task 2

Group Research Project (Report and Presentation)

Aim and Content:

The overall goal of this assessment is to encourage each student in collaborative groups to deepen the understanding of and critical insight into one chosen issue confronting contemporary Japan and then present them both in a written form and speech-making. It asks each group to write a 3000-character report in Japanese (details are explained in the course) on a chosen topic while paying attention to its multidimensionality and complexity. It encourages the incorporation of visual recourses and aids, such as pictures, diagrams, tables, colours, and different typefaces, into the report. Each group will give a presentation using the report, not slides, and respond to questions from classmates. Finally, each group will submit the revised report, taking the Q&A into account.

Requirements:

• Step 1: Drafting a Report – 1500 characters (Topic and Aim, Background Information, Following Structure and Summary of the Content of each Section) (5%) - Due 1 September (Friday)
• Step 2: Mini-Report Presentation (5%) – 10 minutes (Topic and Aim, Background Information, Following Structure and Summary of the Content of each Section) Due 21 September (Thursday)
• Step 3: Report Presentation (15%) – 20 minutes (Topic and Aim, Background Information, Main Body (e.g., Analysis, Evaluation, Discussion), Conclusion) Due 24 October (Tuesday)
• Step 4: Final Report Submission (20%) – 3000 characters (Topic and Aim, Background Information, Main Body (e.g., Analysis, Evaluation, Discussion), Conclusion) - Due 7 November (Tuesday)

Assessment Task 3

Reports (Discussion Lead Review and Reflection)

Aim and Content:

This assessment has two parts. The first part–the tutorial discussion lead review–aims to encourage each student to comprehend, analyse, search for additional information, evaluate, and give opinions on given media content in Japanese. It also aims to help each student develop discussion skills in Japanese while taking the lead in tutorial discussions. It further aims to equip students with the skills to write a summary of the discussions in Japanese. The second part–the individual reflection report–, completed primarily in English, asks each student to reflect on 1) the engagement in the issues discussed in the course by giving a summary in a senryu form and 2) one’s own progress over the semester both language-culture-wise and thinking-wise

Requirements:

Part 1: Discussion Lead Review (10%)

• Taking up a discussion lead role twice or three times during the semester (one in Weeks 3–7 and another in Weeks 8–11, and possibly, an additional one at some point)
• Reviewing class materials for the week and presenting summary, evaluation/analysis and opinions as a 500-to-700-character discussion lead review in Japanese (Due Wednesday 23:55 prior to the relevant tutorial) *a model and direction are given
• Searching and adding one or two further relevant media content when writing the review (Post it on a discussion thread in Wattle)
• Leading tutorial discussions in class (Assigning a note-taker role to a classmate)
• Revising the review and submitting the final 700-to-1000-character review after the tutorial (Due Monday 23:55 after the relevant tutorial)

Part 2: Individual Reflection Report (10%)

• Composing a Senryu one thinks best reflects contemporary Japan or an aspect of contemporary Japan
• Explaining the meaning and reasons behind the Senryu
• Explaining and evaluating one’s own progress either language-culture-wise or thinking-wise or both
• Planning out and presenting one’s own future pathways (activities or mindset) for further development language-culture-wise and thinking-wise
• Writing an approximately 500-word report including the elements above in English (Due 10 November)

Assessment Task 4

Participation

Aim and Content:

This assessment aims to encourage each student to strive for deeper engagement in the course materials and active interactions with classmates. Attending classes is a minimum requirement. Activities in class expect each student to be prepared and contribute to each other’s learning process and outcomes responsibly and proactively. Students with a legitimate clash must submit a clash form to that effect within the first weeks of class.

Requirements:

• Completing preparation activities before each due date
• Contributing to information sharing in the Wattle platform (Posts on discussions, resource share etc.)
• Contributing to class discussions (Explaining what became clear during the preparation, giving comments, taking up a note-taker role etc.)
• Contributing to the group project (Peer- and self-evaluation)

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

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

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