HIST19029 - Modern Japan

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will present a general overview of the major themes in modern Japanese history from the Tokugawa period to contemporary times. It will begin with a discussion of Japanese cultural traditions, followed by an overview of the Tokugawa period. The rest of the unit will explore: Meiji Japan, the era of Taisho and Showa democracy, the rise of militarism, World War II and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the American Occupation, contemporary Japanese politics, economy, society, environment and foreign policy. You will learn, for example, why Japan invaded China, attacked Pearl Harbour and occupied SE Asia, and what explains Japan?s economic miracle. This unit is a great insight into Japan and will enhance your cultural understanding of Australia's most important trading partner.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite: Minimum of 18 Units of Credit

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

There are no availabilities for this unit on or after Term 3 - 2024

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 30%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Presentation and Written Assessment 30%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 33.33% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: 2022 SUTE Unit comments.
Feedback
Some students recommended more variety in the types of assessment and move away from three essays.
Recommendation
From 2024, Modern Japan will have a new Presentation assessment item. Students will be asked to present on a significant Japanese history question with a cogent and convincing argument.
Action Taken
This new assessment piece for the unit (a presentation) will still be the case in 2024.
Source: 2022 SUTE Unit comments.
Feedback
There was a student comment around wanting to engage with primary source documentation, and another comment around greater engagement in teaching. While the unit does contain some examples of primary sources and students are encouraged to read, analyse and use them, there is an opportunity to cater to both these comments at the same time with a prescribed activity via zoom on evaluating primary source documents. This will also be good pedagogy in terms of this unit soon becoming an AQF 8 unit.
Recommendation
Include a student activity of engaging with primary sources in Japanese history. While the activity itself will not be for assessment, the activity will be useful in the sense of using the analysis of primary sources for student essays and presentations.
Action Taken
This was actioned and gave students some skills in interpreting a primary source. Some students used the primary source in their essays.
Source: 2022 SUTE Unit comments.
Feedback
There was a student comment about keeping the unit content updated and general feedback where 'useful learning materials' requires improvement.
Recommendation
Continue to update the various learning materials and bring in more information specifically about Japan and the world over the last decade when there have been many changes to Japan's security needs particularly.
Action Taken
This was actioned.
Source: SUTE teaching evaluation data.
Feedback
One or more students asked that there be more student interaction.
Recommendation
The new assessment item of a student presentation will be designed to occur on zoom so fellow students can listen and provide comment.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. an understanding of the major themes in modern Japanese history as well as contemporary Japanese politics, economy, society (including women and minorities), environment and foreign relations

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Written Assessment •
3 - Presentation and Written Assessment •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1
1 - Communication •
2 - Problem Solving •
3 - Critical Thinking •
4 - Information Literacy •
5 - Team Work •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • • • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • • • •
3 - Presentation and Written Assessment • • • • • •