In 2017, Universities Australia launched its Indigenous Strategy 2017–2020, with its aim being to “support the advancement of Indigenous peoples in and through Australia’s universities”. A core part of this aim was to ensure “all students will encounter and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content as integral parts of their course of study”. In 2022, Universities Australia launched its 2022-2025 Indigenous Strategy, which expanded upon its 2017-2020 strategy to promote action rather than being aspirational. The strategy continues to have a focus on embedding Indigenous knowledge into curriculum so that all graduates will have “a strong foundational understanding of Indigenous values and knowledges” and to ensure that the Indigenous content is “meaningful, appropriately developed and appropriately resourced”.
Mudang-Dali means ‘to live’ in the Dharug language. At Macquarie University, situated on Dharug land, the Mudang-Dali Indigenous Connected Curriculum Framework has been providing academics with the confidence and support to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, values, and philosophies into the curriculum. We have been seeing positive learning examples across all disciplines, showcasing the richness of Indigenous knowledge systems in different learning settings including in lectures, workshops, field trips and practicals.
There has, however, been limited discussion on assessment accompanying these learnings. To emphasise and reinforce the significance of these learnings to our students, it is important that there are meaningful assessment tasks related to the Indigenous content in the curriculum. In doing so, students obtain a deeper understanding of Indigenous knowledge, ways of learning, and perspectives, and we show them that we value Mudang-Dali. We also enrich our own knowledge as educators.
In this presentation, we will provide examples of assessments that have accompanied Mudang-Dali content and have given meaningful learning and transformative experiences for our students and the educators. This includes examples that have fostered exchange of knowledge, skills and capability strengthening for Macquarie University staff and students and our First Nations collaborators.
REFERENCE
Universities Australia (2022) Indigenous Strategy 2022-25; https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/UA-Indigenous-Strategy-2022-25.pd
