Course Title: Investigation Readiness

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Investigation Readiness

Credit Points: 12.00

Flexible Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

OENG1201

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

PGRDFx2019 (ATS)

OENG1201

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

PGRDFlex22 (ZZZZ)

OENG1201

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

PGRDFlex23 (STEM),

PGRDFlex23 (All)

OENG1201

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

PGRDFlex24 (All)

Course Coordinator: Nic Connelly

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 438083165

Course Coordinator Email: nic.connelly@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: B057-03-033

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities: It is expected students enrolled in this course have some knowledge and/or working experience in the different transport industry sectors such as aviation, maritime, rail and/or roads.


Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the principles underlying the incident/accident investigation framework and provides specialised expertise in areas needed by transport safety professionals across different sectors.

In the first part of the course, you will focus on the regulatory framework that underpins the investigation process predominantly in Australia and South-east Asia. You will also address some fundamentals of safety organisation functions and its articulation with the investigation process.

In the second part of the course, you will deal with human interface techniques, where you will be provided with various tools to support the investigation process from a mental health and Work, Health, and Safety (WHS) perspective. This includes study of critical incident stress management, WHS, on-site safety and management of blood borne pathogens. 

Finally, you will learn and apply cognitive interviewing techniques and communication skills to utilise during the investigation process.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for Graduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation

1. Needs, Context and Systems

  • Exposit legal, social, economic, ethical, and environmental interests, values, requirements and expectations of key stakeholders.
  • Identify and assess risks (including OH&S) as well as the economic, social and environmental impacts of industry activities.

2. Problem Solving and Design

  • Anticipate the consequences of intended action or inaction and understand how the consequences are managed collectively by your organisation, project or team.
  • Develop and operate within a hazard and risk framework appropriate to industry activities.

4. Professional Practice

  • Initiate, plan, lead or manage industry activities.
  • Understand the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary industry practice in the specific discipline.
  • Communicate in a variety of different ways to collaborate with other people, including accurate listening, reading and comprehension, based on dialogue when appropriate, taking into account the knowledge, expectations, requirements, interests, terminology and language of the intended audience.
  • Demonstrate orderly management of self, and professional conduct.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of the role that independence, evidentiary standards and confidentiality has on investigation outcomes. 
  2. Evaluate and apply strategies in relation to critical incident stress management.
  3. Evaluate key WHS risks at an accident/incident site and provide critical judgement to maintain safety.
  4. Critically analyse information collected from interviews of witnesses by using key technical and theoretical underpinnings of interpersonal communication and cognitive interviewing.
  5. Conduct interviews of witnesses by using key technical and theoretical underpinnings of cognitive interviewing and understanding of human limitations.


Overview of Learning Activities

The primary learning mode will be lectorials, supported by assignments, progressive and online assessments. As a complementary form of acquisition of knowledge in the different topics, students will be stimulated to participate in in-class discussions around selected case studies which are representative of real industry scenarios.

Some topics will require students to review the course material prior to the lectorial, then allowing more time for group discussions, presentations, and analysis of selected cases.

Course-related resources will be provided on the course Learning Management System (LMS), which is accessed through myRMIT. This can include lecture material, tutorials, and references.

This course includes a Work Integrated Learning experience in which your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/or community is integral to your experience. Examples include:
● industry presentations and panel
● simulations and role plays using industry case studies and processes (cognitive interviewing)


Overview of Learning Resources

All course-related resources will be provided on the Learning Management System (LMS), which is accessed through myRMIT. These will include course notes, and other learning materials generated by the lecturer(s), references, and approved links to useful material on external web-sites. The intent is to support flexible and student-directed learning as much as possible. Whilst the primary teaching method is through pre-recorded lectures, where possible, all course materials (inclusive of lectorial slides, case studies, tutorials, assignments, related readings, and some assessment items) will be made available to students via the course myRMIT Studies / Canvas website LMS.

There are no prescribed texts for this subject due to its broad and multidisciplinary nature. Links to online articles, e-Reserve or eBooks will be provided via the course myRMIT Studies / Canvas website LMS.


Overview of Assessment

X This course has no hurdle requirements.
☐ All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Leaning & Teaching).

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1: MCQ Quiz              
Weighting 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs: 1 - 5

Assessment 2:Case Study
Weighting 40%
This assessment task supports CLOs: 1 - 5

Assessment 3: Cognitive Interviewing
Weighting 40%
This assessment supports CLOs 4: and 5

All assignments must be submitted online via the myRMIT Studies Canvas/Turnitin portal by the due date/time. No hard copies or emailed copies of assignments will be accepted. Late submissions are penalised at the rate of 10% calendar per day overdue. Feedback will be delivered by speed grader through the LMS or delivered directly. Group feedback will be posted on the LMS.