Educational+Action+Plans+for+a+peaceful+future

ACTION NAME: **Action Plans relating to Educational Strategies for a peaceful future**


 * DESCRIPTION**

1. Maintain and consolidate the essence of the Humanitarian Pillar through Human Rights Course, Global Concerns, World Today, DROP and SAFUGE within the college Academic and Extra Academic Programs. 2. Seek to involve RCNUWC graduates within the programs. 3. To ensure the smooth introduction of the new IB Global Politics course without any detriment to other Group 3 subjects. 4. As far as possible all courses incorporate “peace” issues within the subject coursework.

1. Course content emphasising peace concerns will be published in “Wiki form” on the college websites (in an appropriate detail depending on the intended audience- students through subject pages – parents and interested browsers on www.rcnuwc.no). 2. At least one graduate involved or associated with each college activity during 2011. 3. The IB Global Politics course includes the essence of the RCNUWC Human Rights course. The course attracts at least two classes of students per year (minimum 24 students)
 * MEASURABLE GOALS**

1. New framework for DROP or an alternative to DROP articulated by January 2011? SAFUGE submits plans for action for 2010-2012 by Jan 2011 - continues to explore new projects on an annual basis. 2. Global Concerns, World Today and Humanitarian EAPs given pride of place in calendar and weekly schedules. 3. Establish interest through alumni coordinator by December1st 2010. Publish opportunities from Jan 2011. Issue invitations from February 2011. Assess, report and motivate further at the August 2011 10 year reunion. 4. Planning for IB Global Politics (IBGP) continues at the IBO with RCNUWC involvement on the IBGP subject committee. Pilot scheme for IBGP begins in September 2012 with RCNUWC as a pilot school. Initial feedback on IBGP course May 2013 – final feedback from pilot schools Dec 2013. IBGP offered world-wide September 2014 at HL and SL
 * TIMEFRAME AND MILESTONES**

1. CAS Coordinator, Director of EAP and teachers responsible for individual programmes. 2. Alumni Coordinator and Director of Development. 3. Teacher responsible for Hunan Rights and Director of Academic Programs.
 * RESPONSIBLE PERSONS**

1. Within the EAP annual budget. 2. Text books and AV materials within AP budget (by readjustment) 3. Attendance at IBGP subject committee meetings – costs met by IBO 4. IBGP workshops for Group 3 staff– within IBPD budget
 * COSTS/RESOURCES**

Curriculum becomes more widely known an example of education for a peaceful future.
 * RELEVANT FOR:**

Progress in all areas. Human Rights teacher on subject committee for Global Politics (3) Pilot scheme to be offered at RCN – starting September 2012. see below for details. From Norway with Love Conference in Oslo November 2011 Global Concerns March 2012 first online collaboration with another UWC (Waterford Swaziland) Conference on Oslo day at the beginning of school year in August 2012 April 2012 Look at http://eap.rcnuwc.no for more cases and updated activities.
 * STATUS: **

** Global Politics **
 * Introduction**

Global politics is a pilot course in group three which explores fundamental political concepts aligned to contemporary global issues. It has emerged from the success of four existing school based syllabi (SBSs): peace and conflict, political thought, world politics and international relations, and human rights. It draws inspiration from the best aspects of these SBSs while developing its own subject matter, and builds on fundamental political concepts in a variety of contexts and geographic levels. The course nurtures the capacity to interpret competing and contestable claims in these areas and enables students, through an analytical approach, to interpret the impact of politics on global development. To this end global politics draws on a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. The course is being developed in collaboration with educators and consultants with diverse experience and expertise. The global politics course is an exciting addition to group three. It embodies international awareness as it examines key issues and considers contemporary case studies at a variety of levels, from community to regional, national and international. Throughout the global politics course teachers have the opportunity to choose relevant examples and case studies to ensure that the course appropriately meets their students’ needs, regardless of their location. Further, global politics invites comparison between such examples and case studies to ensure a transnational perspective. The course also fosters international mindedness as it encourages students to reach an awareness of their own responsibility at a local level and an appreciation of our shared responsibility as citizens of an increasingly interconnected world.
 * Timeline**


 * **Year** ||  **Activity**  ||
 * 2009/10 || Development of curriculum & assessment model; content ||
 * 2010/11 || Development of curriculum & assessment model; content; set up OCC site; recruitment of pilot phase schools ||
 * 2011/12 || Finalized guide and support material published; accreditation and university recognition starts ||
 * 2012/13 || Restricted pilot with 8 schools ||
 * 2013/14 || Restricted pilot with 14 schools (8+6) ||
 * 2014/15 || Restricted pilot with 20 schools (8+6+6) ||
 * 2015/16 || On open (mainstream) offer or continues as pilot subject until approval by the Diploma Review Committee ||


 * Course Development**

Several development meetings have taken place throughout 2009 and 2010. The most recent of these took place from 10th -12th November 2010 and was attended by teachers, university consultants and IB staff. The key tasks completed at this meeting were:

· a provisional syllabus and assessment outline was agreed, to be distributed to schools interested in offering the pilot course · the structure and content of the HL extension was clarified · the nature and content of the internal assessment task was decided · the definitions, examples and case studies used in the subject guide were clarified · a draft of the key skills section of the subject guide was produced

This report contains a brief summary of the development work completed at these meetings, as well as providing a summary of the key sections of the draft guide, such as the syllabus and assessment outlines, and information about the internal assessment task.


 * Provisional Syllabus Outline and Content**

A number of different syllabus outlines were discussed at the development meetings. At standard level much of the discussion centred on whether students should study a compulsory set of units, or whether there should be a single compulsory unit, with teachers then being able to choose an optional theme(s) to focus their course on a particular area. Although there were seen to be positives to both approaches it was felt that offering optional themes would reduce the breath of the course, and breadth is particularly important as this is a starter subject, with many students engaging with the subject for the first time. The idea of a core of a number of compulsory units was also seen as fundamental to the interdisciplinary approach desired in the course.


 * **Provisional Standard Level Syllabus Outline: Four Core Themes**

 · **Power, sovereignty and international relations** (This theme focuses on the dynamics of power and how it is manifested and legitimised at various levels. The unit also examines the roles and interactions of state and non-state actors, and evaluates their success in achieving their aims and objectives.)

 · **Human Rights** (This theme focuses on the nature and practice of human rights at a variety of levels. It examines the nature and origins of human rights, the practice of human rights, how human rights agreements are ratified, enforced and contested, and how different groups and organizations pursue and advocate human rights.)

 · **Development** (This theme focuses on the nature of and various pathways towards development, and current issues and debates surrounding development. It examines the contested meanings of development and how it can be measured, how state policies, local concerns and practices, and international organizations affect development, and how economic forces affect development.)

 · **Conflict and post conflict transformation** (This theme focuses on different types of conflict and post conflict transformation. It includes an analysis of different forms of violence and the application of humanitarian intervention and post conflict reconciliation.) ||


 * Higher Level**

The focus of the HL extension is on contemporary global challenges. As well as providing the opportunity to study chosen areas in greater depth, the HL extension develops higher order skills of analysis and synthesis.

At HL issues are approached through the study of detailed case studies. Two topics are chosen, from a list of six possible topics. For each of the two topics chosen students examine two detailed case studies (although more can be studied.) The six possible topics are:

 · **Environment and sustainability**  · **Poverty**  · **Health and disease**  · **Migration**  · **Cultural survival/ identity rights**  · **International security**

The case studies selected within each topic must allow for comparisons/contrasts, and must be selected from different regions to ensure that students engage with case studies outside of their own region. It is acceptable for students to use the same regions for different topics, but within a topic the case studies must be from different regions. This ensures coverage of more than one region, but does not force students to study case studies from four separate regions. For clarity an “official” list of regions for the purposes of this course will be put into the subject guide in order to avoid any confusion over what counts as different regions. For each case study students should examine background and evidence, the impact at various levels, and the responses at various levels.

**Assessment**

The assessment objectives for the SL and HL Diploma Programme global politics course will follow the same structure as most other group three subjects. Assessment objective 1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specified content Assessment objective 2: Demonstrate application and analysis of knowledge and understanding Assessment objective 3: Demonstrate synthesis and evaluation Assessment objective 4: Select, use and apply a variety of appropriate skills and techniques **I****nternal Assessment**

There has been detailed discussion over the nature of the internal assessment task. A number of possible formats were discussed, and it was decided that the most exciting way forward would be to introduce a practical “field work” component as the internal assessment task. This was seen to avoid repetition with the work produced in the two exam papers, and also in the extended essay. It was also seen to be a way of encouraging students to engage with a political issue at a local level.

The nature of the task reflects a desire that the IA task should be more exciting and lively than a traditional essay based task, but also should involve the eliciting of information from a valid source, be experiential, and potentially be backed up by limited secondary reading. The focus of the practical IA task should be on making connections between the local and the global, and on encouraging practical engagement with an issue, rather than on methodology. The IA should also link to one of the four core topics. It aims that students should engage with a local manifestation of one of the issues arising from the four core themes by conducting an interview with an individual from a local community group/ NGO.

There was discussion over the practical issues surrounding the completion of a practical interview. These include health and safety considerations, but also ethical issues surrounding the collection of data and consent. As a result of these discussions it was agreed that a list of ethical guidelines similar to the one provided in the social anthropology subject guide will be provided in the subject guide. The concern was also raised that some schools might struggle to complete the task as they are so geographically remote. It was agreed that in extreme cases this task could be completed by telephone or online, which would seem to overcome these logistical difficulties. Another issue discussed was whether the IA task needed to be completed individually or whether students could complete the task in pairs or groups. It was agreed that although the interview could be conducted in groups, the write up must be done individually.

The structure of the activity and how it would potentially be assessed were discussed and it was agreed that this would also be discussed in more detail at subsequent meetings. It was agreed that there would be five aspects to the task: selection of issue, description of engagement (what happened), analysis and synthesis (synthesis of evidence from the engagement with own knowledge to explain the local-global connection, making reference to the relevant concepts from the core), reflections (including limitations, what they would change, etc. as well as positives- how did their understanding move on/change) and the formal requirements (w orks consulted, word count, etc.) There was discussion of how much emphasis should be on each section, and the following suggested structure and breakdown of marks was agreed. **External Assessment**
 * Provisional Suggested Structure of the Internal Assessment Task **
 * Report Section || Criterion || Assessment Objective(s) || Marks out of 25 || Suggested word limit per section ||
 * Selection of issue || A || Assessment Objective 1: knowledge and understanding || 3 || 200 ||
 * Description of engagement || B || Assessment Objective 1: knowledge and understanding || 5 || 400 ||
 * Analysis and synthesis || C || Assessment Objective 2: application and analysis, Assessment Objective 3: synthesis and evaluation || 10 || 800 ||
 * Reflections || D || Assessment Objective 3: synthesis and evaluation || 4 || 200 ||
 * Formal Requirements || E || Assessment Objective 4: appropriate skills || 3 ||  ||

The assessment structure is made up of two papers to be completed by both SL and HL students, and then a third paper to be completed by HL students only. Paper one focuses on skills and knowledge, and requires students to respond to a stimulus material(s). For paper one the responses are broken down into four sections, progressing towards the final section requiring students to synthesise information from the stimulus material(s) with their own knowledge.

Papers two and three are essay based papers. Paper two, completed by SL and HL candidates, will require students to write essays broken down into two parts. In contrast paper three, completed by HL candidates only, requires students to write complete essay answers which are not broken down into two parts.

**Provisional Assessment Outline**


 * **__SL__** || **__HL__** ||
 * Paper 1: 1hour and 15 minutes

A skills and knowledge based paper based on the four core themes.

Students will respond to a stimulus material(s). The questions will be broken down into parts, with four parts a) to d). There will be a progression from part a) on knowledge and understanding through the higher order skills in part d) on evaluation and synthesis.

This component will be worth 30% || Paper 1: 1 hour and 15 minutes

A skills and knowledge based paper based on the four core themes.

Students will respond to a stimulus material(s). The questions will be broken down into parts, with four parts a) to d). There will be a progression from part a) on knowledge and understanding through the higher order skills in part d) on evaluation and synthesis.

This component will be worth 20% ||
 * Paper 2: 1 hour and 45 minutes

An essay paper based on the core themes, testing knowledge and understanding through to evaluation and synthesis.

Students write two essays, on two different core themes, from a choice of two essay titles for each theme. Each essay is worth 25 marks, and is subdivided into two parts; part a) assessing knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, and worth 10 marks, and part b) testing higher order skills on evaluation and synthesis, and worth 15 marks.

This component will be worth 45% || Paper 2: 1 hour and 45 minutes

An essay paper based on the core themes, testing knowledge and understanding through to evaluation and synthesis.

Students write two essays, on two different core themes, from a choice of two essay titles for each theme. Each essay is worth 25 marks, and is subdivided into two parts; part a) assessing knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, and worth 10 marks, and part b) testing higher order skills on evaluation and synthesis, and worth 15 marks.

This component will be worth 30% || (completed by HL students only)
 * || Paper 3: 1 hour and 45 minutes

An essay paper based on the HL extension topics, testing knowledge and understanding through to evaluation and synthesis.

Students write two essays, each worth 25 marks, on two different HL topics. Students can choose from a choice of two questions per topic, and are required to make reference to their chosen case studies.

This component will be worth 30% ||
 * Internal Assessment: 20 hrs

Practical engagement activity

Students engage with a local manifestation of one of the issues arising from the four core themes by conducting an interview with an individual or organisation and producing a 1200-1600 word write-up of on the interview.

This component will be worth 25% || Internal Assessment: 20hrs

Practical engagement activity

Students engage with a local manifestation of one of the issues arising from the four core themes by conducting an interview with an individual or organisation and producing a 1200-1600 word write-up of on the interview.

This component will be worth 20% ||

**Opportunities for Comment/ Further Information**

A Global Politics page has been set up on the Online Curriculum Centre, and will be regularly updated as new information becomes available. From January 2011 there will be a link to a feedback questionnaire on this page of the Online Curriculum Centre. It is also possible to contact the Curriculum Subject Area Manager for Global Politics (Jenny Gillett) on jenny.gillett@ibo.org with any comments, feedback or questions relating to the course.