UnitLevel 2Undergraduate

SCI2030 Indigenous science: Science through the eyes of Australia’s first peoples

Faculty of Science

SCI2030 Indigenous science: Science through the eyes of Australia’s first peoples is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2024 in Semester 2 and Summer B at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2024
Semester 2, Summer B
Clayton
Assessment
No exam
4 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Overview

This unit introduces you to the presence of science in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices and shows you the amazing traditions and technology that Australia’s first people developed over millennia. You will develop a deeper appreciation of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and the fact that science itself is a culture.

Cultural competency is now seen as a key employability skill. This unit will instil in you an understanding of how traditions (and the science that is part of them) can easily be lost when a culture or opinion is allowed to dominate at the cost of others. As such you will leave the unit with a deeper appreciation of different traditions and knowledges and better prepared to take on knew knowledge, and appreciate different views and approaches towards science.

There is also a strong focus on developing your communications skills, another key employability skill. The uptake and understanding of science concepts will be assessed by how well you can articulate their ideas in a wide range of assessments.

Offerings in 2024

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterClaytonOn campus
Summer semester BClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • Workshop and field work associated activitieWorkshop
    25%
  • Reflection activitiesOther
    20%
  • Assignment
    27.5%
  • Group projectProject
    27.5%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Identify science found within traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices;

  2. 2

    Communicate science found within traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices;

  3. 3

    Reflect on their intercultural competence and how that can impact how people value other people’s knowledge and traditions;

  4. 4

    Identify and communicate key events post-colonisation which have impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s ability to use their traditional practices for the good of their communities, and to recognise the importance of these changes

  5. 5

    Design a culturally appropriate science communication piece in lines with a need in an Indigenous community or, to communicate Indigenous science to a non-indigenous audience.

Workload and teaching

  • Workshops24 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning
  • Teaching approachField trips
  • Teaching approachOnline learning

A total of 144 hours of work consisting of:

  • Twelve 2-hour workshop and a field trip
  • The remaining workload comprises preparation for class, post-class study and preparation of assessments.

Active learning will occur in workshops.

The field trip will allow you to apply the knowledge developed during this class through an experience on country.

Online learning will be used to illustrate and explain concepts and to highlight links between learning material and how we can respectfully approach new concepts and sources of information as scientists.

Where it fits

SCI2030 is part of 1 area of study in the 2024 handbook.

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Andrew Giles
Chief Examiners
Andrew Giles

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for SCI2030?

SCI2030 has no prerequisites.

When is SCI2030 offered?

In 2024, SCI2030 runs in Semester 2 and Summer B at Clayton.

How much work is SCI2030?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does SCI2030 have an exam?

No. SCI2030 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.

Which majors and minors include SCI2030?

SCI2030 is part of Environmental security.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
2
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Organisational unit
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Available