VCE Philosophy case studies
VCE Philosophy · Put your knowledge to work in context.
VCE Philosophy is a Victorian Certificate of Education study accredited from 2025, set out in a study design covering Units 1 to 4. The study design document describes the areas of study, outcomes and assessment for the subject, and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority publishes supporting materials for planning programs, developing a program, a text list, teaching and learning activities, general assessment advice and performance descriptors. The VCE Philosophy case studies are 5 cases and about 3,546 words.
1The Hospital Ethics Committee and the Family's Request
A 71-year-old patient with advanced dementia and a recent severe stroke is on a ventilator in an intensive care unit. The medical team judges that continued ventilation offers no realistic chance of recovery and recommends withdrawal.
706 words, about 4 min2The Student Council's Algorithmic Budget Cut
A student council at a large secondary college must cut $18,000 from its activities budget. The council proposes using a simple scoring rubric: each activity is rated on participation (number of students involved), cost per participant, and 'visibility' (how much the activity raises the college's profile).
680 words, about 3 min3The Scientist, the Sponsor, and the Missing Data
A researcher completes a trial of a new study-skills intervention across four schools (n = 640). The pre-registered analysis shows no significant improvement in exam performance, but a post hoc subgroup analysis of one school (n = 90) shows a large positive effect.
737 words, about 4 min4The Autonomous Patient Who Refuses the Safe Option
A competent 34-year-old patient with a treatable but potentially fatal infection refuses the standard antibiotic course. She explains that she has read about the risks of antibiotic resistance and believes that taking the course will contribute to a collective harm; she proposes instead an unproven herbal regimen she has researched online.
709 words, about 4 min5The Museum's Repatriation Decision
A regional museum holds a collection of ceremonial objects acquired in the 1890s from a colonial expedition. The originating community, now represented by a cultural council, has formally requested return of the objects for use in ceremonies.
714 words, about 4 min