Learning activities | Assessment | Resources

Curriculum renewal: The Indigenous Education Strategy
Introduction
Universities are where we educate architects and engineers to build homes and communities, where we train doctors and nurses, teachers, lawyers, social workers and journalists. It is where we educate future leaders and captains of industry. The higher education system is what ultimately builds the prosperity of our nation. And it is also a place where research can help analyse the problems facing the community, where best practice models can be developed by using expertise in particular areas and where Indigenous knowledge and viewpoints can be incorporated into the national knowledge base (Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: Final Report (2012), p.4.)
In 2008, CSU committed to the mission of the Charles Sturt University Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) to align the University's Indigenous Education policies and activities with national Indigenous Education policies, recommendations and guidelines to provide the University with a framework and guidelines for the development of a systematic and coordinated whole-of-institution approach to the implementation of the University's Vision and Key Objectives for Indigenous Education (IES, 2008, p.4.)
The CSU University strategy 2013-2015 has made a commitment to all CSU undergraduates that their programs will incorporate Indigenous Australian content consistent with the Indigenous cultural competence pedagogical framework and that students will have the ability to operate across cultures, spaces and places and with a variety of professions.
We need reconciliation and social justice with and for Indigenous Australians and we need this to become better informed as citizens so that this in turn will inform professional practice and impact in positive ways on the outcomes for Indigenous Australians. We are embarking on the journey to cultural competence ourselves and we want to include Indigenous Australian curriculum and pedagogy to inform and educate our students so that they too are on the journey to cultural competence. We are doing this by incorporating the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework that looks at knowledge and understanding of Indigenous Australian cultures (including pre-invasion societies, historical and contemporary experiences) in all CSU undergraduate degrees; we are critically reflecting on personal values and attitudes and those of the profession we are a part of to develop culturally appropriate skills and strategies, knowledge, values and critical reflexivity.
On completion of this assignment you will have knowledge of the Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) and the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework that is required at CSU.
Learning Activities
You will be required to complete the learning activitiy described below as part of this subject.
You are tasked with promoting a discussion with one of your colleagues or your Course Director about the IES. Prior to this discussion you will need be aware of both external and internal key documents and look critically at the structure of a course you may be involved in relation to the Cultural Competence Pedagogical framework.

Read the following:
Assessment
Task
You are required to prepare a 10 minute audio or audio/visual presentation that offers a reflection about how you could possibly use Cassie's Story, Dyan Ngal in a subject that you are teaching in. Choose an aspect of Cassie's Story: Dyan Ngal relating it to the Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) following discussion with the relevant Course Director. Review the resource in relation to the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework referred to in the IES and its key elements.
To prepare your reflection you should:
View Cassie's Story: Dyan Ngal concentrating on the historical, discipline and/or professional dimension of the resource. Cassie's Story: Dyan Ngal can be found in the IES collection in CSU's Digital Object Management System (DOMS); http://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/f4d605d5-8ded-af93-e1a5-4d20d567d981/1/Version%203%20-%20July/index.html
Then:
- Talk to a colleague or your Course Director about the Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) and the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework, centring your discussion on Cassie's Story: Dyan Ngal and the resources you would use to teach it.
- Complete the required learning activities in the modules. The modules are available at: http://www.csu.edu.au/division/lts/intro_to_landt
Rationale
On completion of this assignment you will have knowledge the Indigenous Education Strategy (IES), the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework and be able to use these as a lens to assess the efficacy of Cassie Story; Dyan Ngal as a learning and teaching resource
Marking criteria
The criteria on which the task will be assessed will be:
- Knowledge of the IES and its various dimensions especially in relation to the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework (20%);
- Application of the above mentioned knowledge to assess the efficacy of the resource Cassie's Story; Dyan Ngal (30%) and;
- Evaluation and awareness of how the historic, discipline and professional dimensions of Cassie's Story; Dyan Ngal connect to current conditions as experienced by Indigenous Australians (50%)
(NB. This subject is graded SY/US. Percentage figures are indicative of the importance of each assessment criteria and do not refer to allocation of marks.
Your assignment will be graded according to the following standards:
| SY |
You demonstrate an understanding of the IES and the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework. This knowledge is demonstrated in a coherent way in your audio/video presentation. You apply the knowledge you have gained to the resource Cassie’s Story; Dyan Ngal whilst making connections between the IES and the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework. This application is demonstrated in a coherent way in your audio/video presentation. You are able to appreciate in your evaluation of the resource the various dimensions of Cassie’s Story; Dyan Ngal and make connections that recognise the effects of history on Indigenous Australian people and be able to demonstrate reflection upon these dimensions pertinent to discipline knowledge and professional practice. This evaluation and awareness is demonstrated in a coherent way in your audio/video presentation.
|
| US |
Your audio/video presentation is vague, confusing and incoherent. There is little evidence of engagement with the relevant material or the literature. Your audio/video presentation fails to make connections or links between the various dimensions of the IES, The Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework and Cassie’s Story; Dyan Ngal. Your audio/video presentation provides little evidence of evaluation and awareness of how the historic, discipline and professional dimensions of Cassie’s Story; Dyan Ngal connect to current conditions as experienced by Indigenous Australians
|
The marking rubric used to grade this assessment will be provided in the resources section of the EEL416 Interact subject site.
Presentation
Your reflection should be presented as 10 minute audio or audio visual report that offers a reflection about how you could possibly use Cassie's Story, Dyan Ngal in a subject that you are teaching in. It is suggested that you gather your thoughts and reflections in written form before you begin recording of your presentation. Further information about how to create an audio and/or visual report will be provided in the EEL416 subject Interact site.
Resources
Explore
The Indigenous Education Strategy
http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/cfis/education-strategy
The Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogywebsite goes further to explain the Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework.
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/landt/indigenous-curriculum/home
National Best Practice in Indigenous Cultural Competence in Australian Universities.
http://www.indigenousculturalcompetency.edu.au./index.html
Review of higher education access and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: final report
http://apo.org.au/research/review-higher-education-access-and-outcomes-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people-fi
Cassie's Story Dyan Ngal can be found in the IES collection in CSU's Digital Object Management System (DOMS).
doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/f4d605d5-8ded-af93-e1a5-4d20d567d981/1/revision-3/index.html
Working with racism resource
http://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/
Read
Ranzin,R. , McConnochie, K. & Nolan,W. (2009). Psychology and Indigenous Australians; Foundation of Cultural Competence. Palgrave MacMillan: Melbourne.