School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Essential Skills for University Study in Criminology and Law
  • Unit Code

    CRI1100
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Natalie Jane GATELY

Description

University students require a number of general and academic study skills to enable them to successfully study and achieve within their undergraduate course. This unit is designed specifically for students enrolled in a Criminology and Justice course. Using relevant theory and applied activities, students will examine their personal learning style and time management skills. They will be introduced to effective academic writing and oral communication practices, critical thinking skills, paraphrasing practices, referencing conventions, effective teamwork skills, and information technology systems. Students will also be introduced to fundamental research methods in Criminology and Justice, to allow them to effectively read, interpret and understand research papers, and how to use them to support their academic writing. The skills acquired in this unit will be able to be transferred to learning processes in other units of study.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply appropriate referencing conventions to work using the ECU Referencing Guide; APA (5th ed.) and the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.
  2. Build and participate effectively within teams.
  3. Demonstrate proficiency in paraphrasing.
  4. Develop and apply time management strategies.
  5. Employ critical thinking skills with a focus on interpreting and applying academic literature.
  6. Employ effective oral communication practices via informal and formal presentation methods.
  7. Explain the purpose and structure of various academic writing genres such as reports, essays and literature reviews.
  8. Improve academic writing practices including sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar and punctuation.
  9. Interpret their personal learning style.
  10. Prepare written academic assessments.
  11. Use information technology systems, such as Blackboard and library databases to support learning and assessment activities.

Unit Content

  1. Personal styles of learning.
  2. Time management for effective study.
  3. Information technologies for academic study.
  4. Critical thinking skills.
  5. APA referencing skills.
  6. Paraphrasing principles and practice.
  7. Forms of academic writing: Skills and practice.
  8. Essential skills for oral presentations.
  9. Strategies for effective teamwork.
  10. Effective examination skills.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit is conducted in both the on-campus and online modes. On campus students will attend weekly seminars. Online students will receive the unit content via the BlackBoard Learning Management System and online tutorials. Regular online access is essential.

Assessment

GS2 GRADING SCHEMA 2 Used for Undifferentiated Pass/Fail units inc. practical units or work-integrated learning

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescription
Assignment ^Academic Skills Exercises
Test ^Paraphrasing and Referencing Skills Test
Presentation ^Team Presentation
ONLINE
TypeDescription
Assignment ^Academic Skills Exercises
Test ^Paraphrasing and Referencing Skills Tests
Presentation ^Team Presentation

^ Mandatory to Pass


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

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