Teaching Introduction to Asian Religions: A QM-Informed Framework Grounded in Lived Religion, Ethics, and Media

This teaching guide presents a transferable framework for designing and teaching an introductory course on Asian religious traditions. Informed by pedagogical principles commonly associated with Quality Matters, the framework emphasizes alignment, transparency, and scaffolding while remaining adaptable across institutional contexts and teaching formats. Rather than organizing the course primarily around belief systems or abstract doctrines, the guide foregrounds lived religion, ethical practice, ritual, visual culture, and historical context alongside textual traditions. Intended for instructors teaching Introduction to Asian Religions or related survey courses, the guide outlines core pedagogical principles, course structure and thematic logic, approaches to assessment, and strategies for the selective use of film and contemporary media. Particular attention is given to avoiding civilizational essentialism, conducting comparative analysis without flattening difference, and responsibly incorporating instructor scholarship and ethnographic perspectives. The guide is offered as an open, citable pedagogical resource to support reflective, ethically grounded instruction in religious studies.