DEVT 3002 - Development Studies Professional Practicum

North Terrace Campus - Summer - 2014

The Development Studies Professional Practicum (DSPP) offered by the Australian Consortium for In-country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) provides an opportunity for students to gain valuable experience working as an intern with a development organisation in a developing country context while learning about a country that is central to global efforts to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. The course will involve four main components, all of which will be carried out in Jakarta, Indonesia: two weeks of intensive Indonesian language training aimed at achieving basic competency; a series of lectures by experts on development issues in Indonesia; field trips to related sites; and an internship with a development organisation in which English is widely used. Possible host organisations for the internship include multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, local and international non-governmental organisations, local and international business organisations, research institutes, and government departments and agencies. For further information on applying, including the application due date, please visit the ACICIS website at http://www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/hi/dspp2.html. Students who are interested in this program should register their interest with the Program Convenor for Development Studies prior to applying.

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Course Details

Course Code	DEVT 3002
Course	Development Studies Professional Practicum
Coordinating Unit	Anthropology and Development Studies
Term	Summer
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 35 hours per week for 2 weeks, plus 160 hours internship placement
Prerequisites	24 units of Level I courses, plus at least 12 units of Advanced level courses
Restrictions	Available to BDevelopSt students only or by permission of Program Convenor
Quota	A quota will apply. Students will need to apply to, and be accepted by, ACICIS
Assessment	Language exam (40%), participation (10%), 4500 word reflective journal (50%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Andrew Rosser

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1	Demonstrate knowledge of concepts and terminology associated with development practice
2	Demonstrate ability to conduct practical debates over development issues
3	Demonstrate knowledge of the structure of the development industry
4	Demonstrate some knowledge of Indonesian language
5	Demonstrate knowledge of key development issues in Indonesia

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1-5
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	2, 3
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	2
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	1, 2
A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community.	1
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	1, 3, 5

Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course endeavours to facilitate student learning about development through experiential learning. While students can learn much about development through classroom-based activities, practical field experience provides students with an opportunity to gain insight into the nature of development work as it is carried out by particular organisations; apply skills they have learned in classroom settings to specific, ‘authentic’ problems; develop new technical skills; learn to ‘survive’ in a different political, social and cultural environment (including coping with operating in a different language environment and coping with the practical challenges of living in a foreign land); and learn about themselves and, in particular, their suitability for a career in development.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Weeks 1-2
20 hrs language classes per week
12 hrs lectures on development issues and/or field trips per week
16 hrs independent language study and reading per week

Weeks 3-6
40 hours work as intern per week
8 hours independent study/journal preparation per week

Learning Activities Summary

Weeks 1-2
Morning: Indonesian Language Classes
Afternoon: Field trips and lectures related to development issues in Indonesia (the exact topics covered will vary from year to year but typically include politics, the economy, conflict and security, religion, environment and poverty.

Weeks 3-6
Internship

Specific Course Requirements

A quota will apply. Students will need to apply to, and be accepted by, ACICIS. A work placement and field trips are required components of the course. Students will need to cover the cost of travel to and living in Jakarta including the cost of socio-cultural visa from the Indonesian embassy.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

The assessment consists of three tasks:

1. Language exam (40%), held at the end of week 2
2. Participation (10%), assessed at the end of week 6
3. 4500 word reflective journal (50%), due at the end of summer semester
The proposed assessment structure is aimed at helping students to attain the graduate attributes by requiring them to participate in practical development work, carry out this work in a way that demonstrates an understanding and respect for cultural difference and diversity and an understanding of civil responsibility and social justice, reflect critically on this work and how it relates to Indonesia’s development challenges, and demonstrate basic competency in Indonesian language.

There are no collaborative student assessment tasks and no tasks are negotiated with the students.

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are expected to behave in a professionally and culturally appropriate manner during the course. Attendance and language classes and lectures is recorded but is not compulsory. Host organisation supervisors monitor attendance during the internship but again it is not compulsory. Students are not required to achieve a minimum result in any particular component of the course.

Assessment Detail

The language exam is based on material covered during the intensive two-week intensive language program. The exact content of the exam will vary depending on the student’s starting ability-level—e.g. beginner, intermediate, advanced—reflecting the streamed nature of the language classes.

Participation is assessed on the basis of recorded attendance at the language classes and lectures/field trips, feedback from host organisation supervisors, involvement in an end-of-program debriefing session, and an oral exam with and a report from the ACICIS DSPP Project Officer.

The 4500 word reflective journal will vary in content depending on the student’s precise experiences. However, typically it would include an overview of (i) the work of the host organisation, (ii) its place in the development sector, (iii) the nature of the tasks that the student undertook during the internship, and (iv) the student’s reflections’ about what s/he has learned about development—especially development practice—during the program.

Submission

Language exam: Language exam is held at Atma Jaya University and is collected by Atma Jaya staff; 2 week turnaround on assessment.

Reflective journal: to be submitted in Discipline of Anthropology and Development Studies; UoA cover sheet required; 2 week turnaround on assessment of reflective journal; late penalty of 10% per work day; no resubmission of work.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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