Global Ethical Challenges (8510.4)

Please note these are the 2017 details for this unit
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Global Ethical Challenges
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Arts And Design
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Communication And Media Level 2 - Undergraduate Intermediate Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
This unit looks at some of the major ethical challenges that face us today as reflective world citizens. These include questions about the morality of war, terrorism and torture; how we should manage the conflict between demands for economic development and the need to protect the environment; and what, if anything, we are morally obliged to do in response to the huge inequalities of wealth and opportunity that exist in the world. The overall purpose of the unit is not to promote any particular moral viewpoint, but to encourage students to critically analyse the conflicting arguments around these issues, and to develop and articulate their own reasoned moral responses to them.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the major ethical arguments surrounding global challenges; and
2. Articulate and support their own ethical viewpoints with clear and cogent reasoning.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Skills development

In addition to meeting the specific academic requirements of a particular degree, all UC graduates are expected to acquire a range of generic skills or graduate attributes through their program of study.  A full statement of the generic skills and attributes expected of UC graduates can be found at https://guard.canberra.edu.au/policy/policy.php?pol_id=3344. Employers value these skills highly, and it is important for your future career that you be able to identify your generic skills, and point to the learning experiences that produced them.



Prerequisites

None

Incompatible units

None

Equivalent units

None

Assumed knowledge

None
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
Not available

Required texts

There is no required textbook for the unit. If you are after a good starting point on thinking about ethics, we recommend:

            Simon Blackburn, Ethics: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2001

and/or

            Mary Warnock, An Intelligent Person's Guide to Ethics, Overlook, 2005

All required readings (on the specific topics) are available via the unit website, along with many other papers that may be useful for you in writing your dialogues.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Each dialogue (assessment items 1 and 2) should be submitted both in hard-copy and online via the unit Moodle site.  The first page of each dialogue submission should be the appropriate cover sheet (available from the unit Moodle site).

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Participation in Tutorial Discussions

Students who attend tutorials are expected to participate in the learning activities undertaken in those tutorials, by actively contributing to discussions. Students who persistently refuse to contribute to discussions, or are otherwise disruptive of other students' learning, will be asked to leave the tutorial.

Participation requirements

Attendance at tutorials is highly recommended.

Required IT skills

Minimal: the ability to access the unit website; basic word-processing skills would obviously be useful; the ability to make effective use of both the internet, and the library's databases and e-journals, for research purposes would also be useful. However, an extensive range of readings will be provided via the unit website, so even this ability is not essential.

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

None.