Towards 2012
VCE Australian and Global Politics
study design
Global Politics
2012-2016
© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2011
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Outline of session
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Overview of Review process
Unit 1 & 2 Discussion of key changes
Unit 3 & 4 Discussion of key changes
Assessment
Questions
Review process
2009
Consultation with stakeholders in focus groups:
feedback informed the terms of reference
2010
Two Review Panels ( Australian Politics and Global
Politics) : practising teachers, academics, subject
association, Assessment branch, Chief Assessor
Consultation draft study design and feedback
2011
Reaccredited study design released (in schools
March)
Implementation workshops May and June
The 2012 – 2016 Study Design
• To be implemented in schools in 2012
• Copies of the Study Design have been sent to
schools. Also available on the VCAA website
(www.vcaa.vic.edu.au)
• Teachers will be informed via the VCAA Bulletin
when the Assessment Handbook is available.
Note that this will be published online only.
• Sample examinations will be prepared and
published in early 2012
What’s in a name?
• International Politics changed to Australian and Global
Politics. Why?
• New name reflects the content – both Australian and Global
• SD in both areas concerns power and power relationships =
Politics
• Increasing contemporary use of the term ‘global’ to describe
phenomena eg GFC, Global people movements etc.
• Both terms ‘global’ and ‘international’ are used in the SD
• There is a variety of usage in tertiary institutions (eg Global
Politics, Uni of Melbourne, IS is in School of Politics at
Monash)
Contemporary Focus
All Units of Australian Politics, Unit introductions:
VCE Australian Politics is contemporary in focus. While
the focus of this study is the twenty-first century and
current events, historical events, examples and
illustrations may provide students with contextual
understanding and may provide unique examples of the
workings of the Australian political system.
Contemporary Focus
All units of Global Politics, Unit introductions,
This unit is concerned with contemporary issues and
events. While these may have antecedents in issues
and events before the twenty-first century that
students need to understand to contextualise
contemporary global situations, focus needs to be on
the twenty-first century when choosing particular
examples and case studies.
Unit 1: The national citizen
Current
2012-2016
Politics, power and people
The national citizen
Areas of Study
Areas of Study
1. Democracies and Dictatorships 1. Power politics and democracy
2. Leading people
2. Exercising and challenging
power
Unit 1: Broad changes
• An opportunity to consider the nature of politics and
power in a broader context
• Strong focus on Australian content and providing a better
background to Units 3 and 4 Australian Politics than the
current study design
• Far more detail in the Key knowledge dot-points to make
the scope of the content clearer for teachers – NOT to
increase workload.
• Strong focus on contemporary Australian democracy –
rather than to provide a theoretical/ institutional course in
politics
Unit 1: The national citizen
Area of Study 1: Power, politics and
democracy
Outcome 1
Describe and analyse the nature and purpose
of politics and power in a broad sense and in
the context of contemporary Australian
democracy
Unit 1: Area of Study 1
• Introduces students to the broad nature of
politics and the use and types of power
• Recognition that politics and power can be
exercised in non-formal settings - uses students
own knowledge of power in their everyday lives
• Encourages students to reflect on their views
and opinions in relation to current issues
• Introduces students to broad features of
democracy in Australia and the ways that young
people can be involved
Unit 1 AoS 1: Activity: 5 – 10 minutes
Power and Responsibility
‘Elite sportspeople such as AFL footballers
occupy positions of power, and hence must
accept the responsibility that goes with that
power.’
‘I disagree. They are entertainers, not politicians.
Provided they don’t break the law, they can do
whatever they like in their private lives.’
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What do you think?
Unit 1: The national citizen
Area of Study 2: Exercising and challenging
power
Outcome 2
explain why people seek political power, and the
major political ideologies that influence political
involvement and political movements.
Unit 1: Area of study 2
Covers:
• Motivations for political involvement
• Leadership styles
• Political ideologies
• Political movements
Provides opportunities for students to look at
contemporary case studies of leaders/ political
movements/ and links between ideologies and
actions
Unit 1, AoS 2:Activity (10 minutes)
Left, Right or Centre?
• Devise a series (5-8) questions designed to
determine a person’s attitude or opinion on a
series of political/social/economic/cultural issues.
• Pose those questions to the person next to you.
• Does that assist in determining their political
ideology?
Unit 2: The global citizen
Current
2012-2016
Politics, power and people
The global citizen
Areas of Study
Areas of Study
1. Looking out
1. Global threads
2. The international community
2. Global cooperation and conflict
Unit 2: Broad changes
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21st century rather than an historical approach
Approaches globalisation from the perspective of
students
Introduces students to forms of global
participation and the roles of global actors
Focuses on international cooperation and
conflict
Provides more detail in the Key knowledge dotpoints to make the scope of content clearer NOT
to increase workload
Unit 2: The global citizen
Area of Study 1: Global Threads
Outcome 1
Identify the ways in which the lives of citizens in
the twenty-first century are interconnected
globally.
Unit 2: Area of study 1
• Focus on political, economic and social threads
which connect citizens in the twenty-first century
• Allows students to start with ‘threads’ which are
familiar to them and be introduced to others
• Allows exploration of a huge range of examples
(Facebook, WikiLeaks, McDonalds)
• Explores the notion of ‘global citizenship’ and
key concepts associated with globalisation
Unit 2: The global citizen
Area of Study 2: Global cooperation and
conflict
Outcome 2
Describe and analyse the extent to which the
international community is cohesive, and
whether it can effectively manage cooperation,
conflict and instability in relation to selected case
studies.
Unit 2: Area of study 2
• Centres on international cooperation and conflict
and how it is managed by the international
community
• Allows for case study focus of cooperation and
conflict
• Case studies include environment, refugees,
war, genocide and organised crime
Activity: Global citizenship ( 10 minutes)
• How are you a global citizen?
• Describe three of your current roles as a global
citizen ( eg shopping on eBay)
• How could you use these experiences in an
assessment task for Unit 2 ( eg a poster or
YouTube)?
Unit 3: Global actors
Current
2012-2016
Global issues and conflicts
Global actors
Areas of Study
Areas of Study
1. Globalisation and
Internationalism
1. Global actors
2. Global conflicts
2. Power in the Asia-Pacific
region
Unit 3: Broad changes
• Provides a clearer introduction to global politics
through focus on key actors – rather than the
current study design
• One of the key global actors, the state, is the
focus of Power in the Asia- Pacific.
• Global conflicts moved to Unit 4
• Far more detail in the Key knowledge dot-points
to support teaching and learning as well as a
definition of Asia- Pacific as the focus for Area of
study 2
Unit 3: Global actors
Area of Study 1: Global actors
Outcome 1
Evaluate the power and influence of key global
actors in the twenty-first century and assess the
extent to which they achieve their aims
Unit 3: Area of study 1
• Introduces students to global actors and their
aims and objectives, roles, power and influence
• Provides clear focus on particular challenges to
states, the institutions of global governance and
the power of TNCs
• Allows the use of a range of contemporary
examples and issues as contexts in which to
teach the key knowledge
Unit 3: Global actors
Area of Study 2: Power in the Asia-Pacific
region
Outcome 2
Analyse and evaluate types and forms of power
as used by a specific Asia-Pacific state in the
region in pursuit of its national interest
Unit 3: Area of study 2
• Expands student knowledge of the role and
power of the state
• Uses one state in the Asia-Pacific from Australia,
China, Indonesia, Japan, USA
• Focus is power within the region – and the AsiaPacific Region is defined
• Key knowledge for each state is defined
Unit 3 : Questions?
Unit 4: Global challenges
Current
2012-2016
International relations
Global Challenges
Areas of Study
Areas of Study
1. Power in the Asia-Pacific
region
1. Ethical issues and debates
2. Australian foreign policy
2. Crises and responses
Unit 4: Broad changes
• Australian Foreign Policy no longer separate
Area of study
• Asia-Pacific to Unit 3
• Broader focus from terrorism in the current study
• Covers two areas: the notion of an international
society through the consideration of ethical
debates within two ethical issues AND Global
crises and the responses to these.
• New issues in Unit 4: People movement,
Development, Arms control and disarmament,
Economic instability
Unit 4: Global challenges
Area of Study 1: Ethical issues and debates
Outcome 1
Analyse two global political issues from a range
of perspectives and evaluate the effectiveness
of global actors’ responses to these issues
Unit 4: Area of study 1
Introduces students to issues from a range of
perspectives and asks them to evaluate the
effectiveness of responses: TWO of
• Human rights
• People movement
• Development, focussing on poverty and
inequality
• Arms control and disarmament
Scope of the debates is specified
Unit 4: Global challenges
Area of Study 2: Crises and responses
Outcome 2
Explain the characteristics of two contemporary
global crises and evaluate the effectiveness of
responses to these
Unit 4: Area of study 2
•Introduces students to the characteristics of two
contemporary global crises from: environmental
degradation, intra-and interstate conflict, state
and non-state terrorism, economic instability
•Asks students to evaluate the effectiveness of
responses and solutions
•Aims to get students to understand the
challenges facing global actors in dealing with
global crises
GP Unit 4 activity (10 minutes)
• Look at the Key knowledge for either area of
study
• Share some current examples and case studies
that could be used to teach Unit 4
• Provide feedback to the group
Advice to teachers/ Resources
NOT MANDATED.
However:
•Provides a range of advice on the study
•Examples of issues and case studies
•Sample teaching and learning activities
•Examples of detailed learning activities
•Week by week plans for units
Resources
•Online from the study page
Assessment: Units 1 and 2
• Satisfactory completion of a unit is based on
whether a student has demonstrated
achievement of all of the specified outcomes
• Assessment is school-based and teacher
assessed
• Be guided by the Key knowledge and Key skills
when developing learning activities
• Assessment tasks should be part of the teaching
and learning program
Assessment Units 1 and 2
• Assessment tasks should be completed mainly
in class
• Select a variety of assessment tasks to provide
for different learning styles
• Select tasks from the lists on pages 15 – 16 and
20 of the study design
• The number of tasks is up to the school – the
purpose is to allow students to demonstrate the
outcome
GP- Assessment Unit 3
Outcomes
Marks
Allocated
50
Assessment tasks
Outcome 1
For each outcome select
Evaluate the power and influence
one or more of the
of key global actors in the twentyfollowing:
first century and assess the
• a multimedia presentation
extent to which they achieve their
• a case study
aims.
• an essay
• a report
Outcome 2
50
• a test
Analyse and evaluate types and
• structured questions
forms of power as used by a
• short-answer questions
specific Asia-Pacific state in the
• an extended response.
region in pursuit of its national
interest.
Total Marks
100
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 25 per cent.
GP- Assessment Unit 4
Outcomes
Marks
Allocated
50
Assessment tasks
Outcome 1
For each outcome select
Analyse two global political
one or more of the
issues from a range of
following:
perspectives and evaluate the
• a multimedia presentation
effectiveness of global actors’
• a case study
responses to these issues.
• an essay
• a report
Outcome 2
50
• a test
Explain the characteristics of two
• structured questions
contemporary global crises and
• short-answer questions
evaluate the effectiveness of
• an extended response.
responses to these.
Total Marks
100
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 25 per cent.
Assessment Units 3 & 4
S/N
Satisfactory completion of unit is based on whether the
student has demonstrated achievement of all specified
outcomes
Contribution to Study Score
Unit 3 School-assessed coursework
25%
Unit 4 School-assessed coursework
25%
Examination – end of year
50%
Assessment : Units 3 & 4
School-assessed coursework
• Teacher set and assessed and reported to
VCAA
• See Assessment Handbook for advice on
assessment tasks and performance descriptors
• Range of assessment tasks available
• Part of the regular teaching and learning
program, and completed mainly in class within a
limited time frame
• SACs may be audited by VCAA.
Assessment Units 3 & 4
Examinations
• Sample examination will be published in 2012
• Format and structure still to be decided
• As is the case at present, the examination will
be of two hours duration.
Thanks to AGP presenters:
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Paul Gilby
Anna- Louise Simpson
Gregory Sturges
Rod Wise
Contact Details
Pat Hincks
Curriculum Manager: Humanities and Social
Sciences
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
(VCAA)
Ph: (03) 9651 4439
Mobile: 0400 831 632
Hincks.patricia.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
www.vcaa.vic.edu.au