Review of VCE Global Politics
Units 3 and 4
Summary of proposed changes to the study
design
General changes
The review process for VCE Global Politics Units 3 and 4 focused on:
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clarity of key knowledge
parity of options within areas of study
extent of content in areas of study
review of key knowledge to ensure that the study is not dated and can cover a range of
contemporary case studies
Specific changes
Unit 3
Unit 3: Global Actors
i.
Area of Study 1: Global Actors
Changes:
 Key knowledge for each global actor simplified to ‘aims, role and power’ rather than the
cumbersome and ambiguous ‘aims and objectives, role, power and influence’
 Key knowledge on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) clarified to specify one case study
and remove ambiguity about the extent of this key knowledge.
 ‘Non-government’ to replace ‘non-state’ as clearer terminology in distinguishing states and
institutions of global governance from other global actors
 Subsequent modifications to key skills and area of study description
ii.
Area of Study 2: Power in the Asia–Pacific region
Changes
 The removal of specific detail from the key knowledge which has become dated even within
the last two years due to changes in leadership and foreign policy and replacing this with a
common key knowledge framework which applies to each of the Asia–Pacific states:
Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan and the United States of America.
© VCAA February 2015
Review of VCE Global Politics Units 3 and 4
Unit 4
Unit 4: Global challenges
i.
Area of Study 1: Ethical issues and debates
Changes:
 Revision of key knowledge covering the nature and number of the ethical debates to three
debates for each option. This will create greater parity and workload amongst options.
ii.
Area of Study 2: Global challenges
Changes:
 Change in title from ‘Crises and responses’ to ‘Global challenges’
 Review of titles of crises for clarity: ‘environmental degradation’ is now ‘climate change’,
‘intra and inter-state conflict’ is now ‘armed conflict’ and ‘state and non-state terrorism’ is
now ‘terrorism’.
 Rewording of the fourth Key knowledge dot point to include ‘key aspects’ so that it is
equivalent for each of the options. Review of numbers of ‘Key aspects’ to be covered to
three per option to create parity
© VCAA February 2015
Page 2
Review of VCE Global Politics Units 3 and 4
Assessment
Outcome statements have been altered in two areas of study: Unit 3 Area of Study 2 and Unit 4
Area of Study 2.
Unit 3 Outcome Statements
Current Study Outcome
Statements
Consultation Draft Outcome
Statements
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to evaluate
the power and influence of key
global actors in the twenty-first
century and assess the extent to
which they achieve their aims.
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to evaluate
the power of key global actors in
the twenty-first century and assess
the extent to which they achieve
their aims.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to analyse
and evaluate types and forms of
power as used by a specific AsiaPacific state in the region in pursuit
of its national interest
Outcome 2
On completion of this units the
student should be able to to
evaluate how effectively an AsiaPacific state uses power and
foreign policy instruments within
the region to achieve its national
interests
Total marks
Marks
allocated
Assessment tasks
50
50
The student’s performance on
each outcome should be
assessed using one or more of
the following formats:
• a multimedia presentation
• a case study
• an essay
• a report
• a test
• structured questions
• short answer questions
an extended response
.
100
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 50 per cent.
Unit 4 Outcome Statements
Current Study Outcome
Statements
Consultation Draft Outcome
Statements
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to analyse
two global political issues from a
range of perspectives and evaluate
the effectiveness of global actors’
responses to these issues
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to analyse
two global political issues from a
range of perspectives and evaluate
the effectiveness of global actors’
responses to these issues
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to explain
the characteristics of two
contemporary global crises and
evaluate the effectiveness of
responses to these.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to explain
the characteristics of two
contemporary global challenges
and evaluate the effectiveness of
responses to these.
Total marks
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 4 contributes 50 per cent.
© VCAA February 2015
Page 3
Marks
allocated
50
50
Assessment tasks
The student’s performance on
each outcome should be
assessed using one or more of
the following formats:
a multimedia presentation
• a case study
• an essay
• a report
• a test
• structured questions
• short answer questions
an extended response
.
100