Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit provides the foundational knowledge required to locate, interpret and apply literature in Law, Human Rights and Criminal justice. Students will develop the skills to identify authoritative sources of information such as legislation, judicial precedent, and peer-reviewed research in the social sciences. Further, Students will develop essential skills in reading, writing and research as they acquire, practice and extend their knowledge of legislation, judicial precedents and social science research.
This unit aims to provide and introduction to the core academic skills required in the study of criminology.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Discuss core topics in Law, Human Rights and Crimi...
Learning Outcome 01
Describe and apply the fundamental principles of p...
Learning Outcome 02
Develop and assess participation and academic writ...
Learning Outcome 03
Research cases, legislation and social science res...
Learning Outcome 04
Implement the essential requirements of academic w...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
• Topics in law, criminology and human rights
• Finding peer-reviewed academic journal articles
• Statistics and official publications
• Crime statistics
• Assessing quality of source material
• Legislation
• Finding legislation
• Case law
• Finding case law
• Writing style for law and criminology
• Grammar and punctuation
• Referencing and formatting
• Essay writing
Assessment strategy and rationale
Learning process.
Through lectures and tutorials, students are assisted to develop skills in active reading, critical thinking, the use of authoritative sources in accordance with the expectations of academic performance.
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to assess student achievement of the learning outcomes and graduate capabilities listed below. This unit is assessed by three written assignments.
The assessment tasks follow an incremental, building block approach with the use of various supportive techniques such as tutorial feedback by tutors in the lead up to each assessment and assessment feedback provided for each assessment task.
Strategies aligned with transition pedagogies will be utilised to facilitate successful completion of the unit assessment tasks. For each assessment, there will be the incorporation of developmentally staged tasks with a focus on a progressive approach to learning. This will be achieved through activities, including regular feedback, particularly early in the unit of study to support their learning; strategies to develop and understand discipline-specific concepts and terminology; in-class practice tasks with integrated feedback; and greater peer-to-peer collaboration.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1 Annotated Bibliography- This assessm...
Assessment 1 Annotated Bibliography-
This assessment builds knowledge around the identification and interpretation of authoritative literature in law, human rights and criminal justice
20%
Assessment 2 Essay Outline- This assessment build...
Assessment 2 Essay Outline-
This assessment builds on the skills developed in the first assessment to develop skills in the application of authoritative sources in the formations of a logical argument/ essay structure.
30%
Assessment 3 Essay- This assessment requires stud...
Assessment 3 Essay-
This assessment requires students to demonstrate the culmination of writing and research skills developed through the unit by producing a complete essay.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
There are 12 Lectures and 12 Tutorials conducted within a 12 week semester or ACU Online 10 week asynchronous delivery mode. This unit will be taught as a 1-hour lecture followed with 3 hours of workshops. Our strategy is to encourage students to actively engage with unit content and their peers; to provide a clear link between lecture content and tutorial practicum to develop skills that bridge the gap between theory and practice. Within an integrated learning framework, lectures will provide core content relating to law and criminal justice and begin the process of exploration, which will be followed by detailed explanation and further investigation in tutorials. Through direct interaction between students and teachers, students are encouraged to engage in critical analysis of the foundational knowledge they acquire; to test that knowledge by applying it to factual situations; to produce solutions supported by legal and criminological authorities and arguments; and to reflect on their learning. Each component is intended to build on knowledge and skills and progressively scaffold student learning. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple preparatory and practice opportunities to guide in-class and out-of-class study. Technology assistance in the form of online learning resources, notices, assessment information (including online submission, marking and return of results/feedback), is student focused, affording greater accessibility and flexibility to the learning experience.
Further to this, to ensure students are ready to transition from the Diploma and articulate into the second year of undergraduate study, transition pedagogies will be incorporated into the unit as the key point of differentiation from the standard unit. This focuses on an active and engaging approach to learning and teaching practices, and a scaffolded approach to the delivery of curriculum to enhance student learning in a supportive environment. This will ensure that students develop foundation level discipline-based knowledge, skills and attributes, and simultaneously the academic competencies required of students to succeed in this unit.
ACU Online
This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in
how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice
and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding,
application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.