| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Applied Ethics in Contemporary Societies |
| Unit ID: | BAXDC3004 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (At least 30 credit points from BSWUG1001 or CHSUG1001 or CHSUG2001 or CHSUG2002 or CHSUG2004) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (BAXDC2004 and CHSUG3004 and PHILO1004) |
| ASCED: | 091701 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Ethical issues permeate society and frequently interrupt people's life. They appear in diverse contexts such as personal and social spheres, the ecological, and even the professional domains of our existence. Our response to these ethical issues illustrates who we are as people, determines which organisations and institutions we engage with, and demonstrates the values we express in the world. Identifying and reflecting on ethical issues throughout society is critically important and enables us to responsibly navigate the complexity life. This unit is an Applied Ethics course, typically taught at an advanced bachelor level, that introduces students to key ethical theories and principles, values, and codes of ethics aiming to deepen student's thinking regarding the ethical issues they are likely to encounter as social agents, as professionals and as practitioners in the community. In this unit we take a reasoned and affective approach to ethical issues as we contemplate and apply ethical theories, principles, values, and codes of ethics to case studies and other real-world scenarios that involve complex ethical decision-making. Students will develop skills researching issues of personal and professional relevance and interrogating these through key ethical lenses. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | |  | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically analyse ethical principles and theories and grasp their implications for contemporary ethical issues and professional practice. |
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| K2. | Interrogate how values (personal/professional/political/social) inform the way we address ethical obligations in a diversity of contexts, including everyday contexts and/or micro practice, institutional and organisational contexts. |
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| K3. | Explain the requirements of ethical reasoning and decision-making. |
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| K4. | Demonstrate and an advanced awareness of the competing perspectives and norms at work in debates concerning ethical conduct, contemporary ethical issues, and frameworks for professional ethical practice. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Effectively apply the skills involved in ethical reasoning and argument in everyday contexts, including professional contexts. |
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| S2. | Examine and evaluate ethical arguments and conclusions through independent research. |
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| S3. | Demonstrate advanced proficiency in expression and defence of ethical positions and arguments in both oral and written forms. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Recognise and reflect on different accounts of ethical norms, decisions, and actions. |
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| A2. | Articulate and justify ethical positions in verbal and written form, demonstrating advanced proficiency with the conventions and techniques of ethical argument and decision-making. |
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| Unit Content: |
This unit may include the following topics
• Introduction to Applied Ethics
• Normative Theories for Applied Ethics (inc. Deontology, Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, Relational Ethics)
• Ethical obligations towards organisational/professional codes of ethics.
• Business Ethics (inc. Sustainable Development Goals, Corporate Social Responsibility, Whistleblowing, Corruption)
• Ethical dilemmas and models for ethical decision making.
• Individual and Human Rights
• Autonomy and the Body
• Animal Ethics
• Ethics and technology (inc. AI)
• Ethical responsibilities to diverse peoples.
• Ethical considerations in relation to sustainability and the environment.
• Critical Reflection and Critical Thinking
• Inequality
• Moral Reasoning
• Personal and Professional Values
• Feminist Ethics
• Intercultural Ethics |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S3, A1, A2 | Identify, select and critically analyse ethical principles, theories and contextual factors relevant to a case study or issue. Presented orally with a written reflection. | Oral presentation with written reflection | 40-50% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, A1 | Research and critically analyse a contested ethical issue, and present this analysis in extended written form demonstrating advanced comprehension of the issue and applicable ethical theories and/or instruments. Discuss and select the topic in consultation with unit coordinator. | Written Assessment - Critical Analysis | 40-50% | | 3. | K1, K3, K4, S3, A1, A2 | Compose response to unit topics to engage in class discussions. | Active engagement assessment task | 10-20% |
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