Assessment Type 3: Transformative Action (30%)

10‑credit subject

For a 10‑credit subject, students identify and research a local, national, or global issue related to a big idea of their choice, using primary and secondary sources.

Students:

• explore one or more spiritual and/or religious perspectives on their chosen issue
• investigate one or more existing initiatives, and reflect on spiritual and/or religious beliefs and values as a motivation for social action and transformation
• evaluate the efficacy of the initiative/s and suggest possible further actions.

For a 10‑credit subject, the transformative action task should be a maximum of 1000 words if written, a maximum of 6 minutes if oral, or the equivalent in multimodal form.

Examples of a transformative action include, but are not limited to:

• exploring the issue of youth mental health (Growth, belonging, and flourishing), looking at how a particular group is providing support/preventative programs to address this issue (eg. Baptist Care SA, Black Dog Institute or Headspace). Students reflect on spiritual/religious beliefs and values that may motivate this group to social action and transformation. Students evaluate the effectiveness of the program(s) and suggest possible further actions
• exploring the issue of homelessness and evaluating the work of an organisation such as Orange Sky, the Salvation Army or Uniting Communities that offers services to people who are homeless or at risk (Community, justice, and diversity). Students reflect on what more could be done, drawing on the social‑justice principles from a specific spiritual or religious perspective
• exploring the issue of food security, and evaluating the work of Caritas, Mai Wiru, or OzHarvest, which support sustainable food supply and/or production in local and global communities (Life, the universe, and integral ecology). Students reflect on how a spiritual/religious perspective inspires this work, and draw on social‑justice principles to consider what more could be done
• exploring the issue of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody, and evaluating the work of an organisation — such as the Australian Human Rights Commission, Change the Record, or Close the Gap  — that works to reduce incarceration and ensure just treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody (Community, justice, and diversity). Students consider further preventative/remedial measures, drawing on social-justice principles from a specific spiritual or religious perspective.

The following specific features of the assessment design criteria are assessed in a 10‑credit subject:

• exploration and analysis — EA1, EA2
• action and reflective practice — ARP3.

20‑credit subject

For a 20‑credit subject, students identify and research a local, national, or global issue related to a big idea of their choice, using a range of primary and secondary sources.

Students:

• explore one or more spiritual and/or religious perspectives on their chosen issue
• develop and apply an initiative designed to generate transformative social change, or call others to action (advocacy), based on spiritual and/or religious values
• evaluate the impact and/or possible future implications of their initiative on stakeholders, and reflect on spiritual and/or religious belief as a motivation for social action and transformation.

For a 20‑credit subject, the transformative action should be a maximum of 2000 words if written, a maximum of 12 minutes if oral, or the equivalent in multimodal form.

Examples of a transformative action include, but are not limited to:

• exploring the issue of rising sea levels in a specific location and its impact on that community. Students explore this issue through the lens of one or more spiritualities or religions to understand the implications of rising sea levels from a spiritual/religious dimension They initiate change by writing a letter advocating for climate justice to a relevant elected official such as a Minister of Parliament. Students evaluate the efficacy of this form of civic action, and reflect on the spiritual and/or religious principles that underpin student action (Life, the universe, and integral ecology)
• exploring the issue of youth engagement in religious practice and rituals (e.g. Catholic Mass, Jumah, Shabbat) (Growth, belonging, and flourishing). Students reflect on the dimension of celebrating together and belonging in religious expression. Students engage in primary research, such as auditing the number of young people who attend their local religious centre, or interviewing relevant people in their community, as well as drawing on reports that provide insight into regional/national trends. They devise and enact a strategy to increase youth engagement, and evaluate the outcome
• researching the issue of asylum seekers to Australia (Community, justice and diversity). Students reflect on the issue from a spiritual and/or religious perspective. They facilitate an online petition to improve conditions for asylum seekers to Australia, and reflect on the potential positive outcome of this strategy.

The following specific features of the assessment design criteria are assessed in a 20‑credit subject:

• exploration and analysis — EA1, EA2
• action and reflective practice — ARP1, ARP3.