Course Title: Australian Law
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term2 2013
Course Code: HUSO5156
Course Title: Australian Law
School: 360T Education
Campus: City Campus
Program: C3233 - Certificate III in ESL (Further Study)
Course Contact : Baia Tsakouridou
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254488
Course Contact Email:baia.tsakouridou@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Angela Borrelli angela.borrelli@rmit.edu.au
Karen Gao karen.gao@rmit.edu.au
Marcelle Damicoucas marcelle.damicoucas@rmit.edu.au
Jane Saunders jane.saunders@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 50
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This module aims to familiarise students with the Australian legal system and provides the knowledge and skills required toaccess various aspects of the Australian legal system.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VPAM545 Australian Law |
Element: |
1. Describe the main features of the Australian legal system |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Identify the main differences between civil and criminal |
Element: |
2.Describe the process of accessing legal representation. |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Identify key features of the system of legal representation |
Learning Outcomes
Students will have understaning of the features of the Australian legal system and able to describe the process of accessing legal representation.
Details of Learning Activities
LISTENING
You will:
• listen to a range of audio and film and documentary texts
• take part in conversations
• listen and take notes from guest speaker presentations
READING
You are encouraged to read a wide range of texts relevant to the study context. You will:
• read , analyse and review complex texts for research purposes
• read extended personal and imaginative texts
• read opinion texts
• study items in the news every week and compare television and newspaper news.
WRITING
In a variety of writing activities, you will improve your sentence structure and learn how to use different writing styles. This will include formal letters, course applications, essays, and short reports. You will:
• do a research project based on Australian Law
• take notes from a range of complex texts
• learn to locate and record references used
• learn about research and report writing
• learn to plan, draft and proofread your work.
• become familiar with academic discourse
write a reflective text based on guest speakers on Australian Law
The revision of important grammatical structures will be incorporated into each activity.
Teaching Schedule
Program Dates: Mon 22 July – Fri 6 December, 2013
Term Break: Mon 23 September – Sun 6 October 2013
Public holidays: Tue 5 November (Melbourne Cup Day)
Teaching schedule
This unit of competency is taught within an integrated program.This unit is clustered with VPAU524 The assessment tasks have been put in bold to match the unit of competency. The assessment tasks will also cover other units within the course.
| WEEK | VPAU545 Australian Law |
|
1 22 July |
Orientation/Admin Welcome lunch Diagnostic test |
|
2 29 July |
Law terminology Difference between criminal and civil laws Crime vocab/word puzzles/spelling tests |
|
3 5 Aug |
Crime vocab quiz/spelling test Renting laws/vocab/rights and responsibilities and landlords |
|
4 12 Aug |
Rights and responsibilities of police Prepare students for police guest speaker in wk 5 Explain the police assessment task Introduce new vocab on police talk Spelling test |
|
5 19Aug |
Guest Speaker: Police talk Assess task: Police Talk (due Wk 6) |
|
6 26 Aug |
Punishments |
|
7 2 Sept |
Methods of Punishment |
|
8 9 Sept |
Collection of folio |
|
9 16 Sept |
Mid-Semester Interview |
|
10 23 Sept |
Read a text about the Court system and answer questions |
|
11 10 Oct |
Excursion to: Magistrates Court (learn court/system/representatives and roles Assessment task set |
|
12 17 Oct |
|
|
13 24 Oct |
Aust law Guest speaker Accessing legal aid/costs/criminal law vs civil law. Assess task set Short summary |
|
14 7 Nov |
Crime and statistices |
|
15 14 Nov |
|
|
16 21 Nov |
|
|
17 28 Nov |
|
|
18 6 Dec |
Volunteer and resume workshop |
**The teaching schedule maybe subject to change. Students will be advised via Blackboard and in class should changes occur.
Teaching Schedule: This course will be delivered weekly. The times will be outlined in the program delivery plans which are updated each week.
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
TEXTS AND EQUIPMENT
There are no set texts in this course, but it is recommended that you bring:
• English-English dictionary (we ask that you do not use a translation dictionary)
• Thesaurus
• Display folder with plastic sleeves
• Highlighter pens
• Notebook or loose leaf paper
• Headphones (use your own or they can be purchased from the Carlton Library very cheaply)
• USB (Memory stick)
Overview of Assessment
You must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of the competencies in order to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks. You may be assessed by
- group research project
- report writing
- evidence of note taking and research skills
Assessment Tasks
Assessment tasks:
Summative assessments:
Assessment 3 Police Talk participate in a group discussion Due: Week 6
This is a task which focuses on report writing. It involves preparing for writing a report by listening to the guest speakers, taking notes, and planning and writing up a report. It involves listening, note taking, summarising, vocabulary and grammar development and paragraph writing. Students will take notes whilst listening, and participate in small group discussion and expressing opinions with evidence and examples. Students will also evaluate their participation in the discussion and identify areas for improvement.
Assessment 7 Magistrates’ Court research project Due: Weeks 11 & 12
This task involves researching skills, discussion and report writing. Students will start the task by reading and doing online research of the court system in Australia and exploring the virtual tour. They then listen and take notes at the court room through an excursion to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. The task will culminate in report writing about the research, excursion and case study. The task involves computer skills assisting online research, reading, analysing, note taking, vocabulary development, grammar development and referencing.
Assessment 8 Australian Law guest speaker research project Due: Week 13
This is a task which focuses on summary writing. It involves preparing for writing a report by listening to the guest speaker, taking notes, and planning and writing up a report. It involves listening, note taking, summarising, vocabulary and grammar development and paragraph writing. Students will take notes whilst listening to the guest speaker and participate in small group discussion and expressing opinions with evidence and examples. Students will also evaluate their participation in the discussion and identify areas for improvement.
Assessment 10 Research report: Group oral presentations Due: Weeks 16 & 17
This task utilises the research from the report and involves planning and presenting a formal group oral presentation using PowerPoint of 15-20 minutes. The task also provides opportunities for peer assessment and self evaluation.
Formative assessments: ongoing observations, summaries and review of student work
Please note:
Assessments tasks will include other courses (Units of competency) from the program.
All Assessment tasks should be submitted by the deadline. If an extension is required you must ask your teacher for one before the due date.
Assessment Matrix
Assessment Matrix
Each assessment cover sheet clearly outlines the competencies being addressed in the task in relation to performance criteria. The sum of assessment tasks will cover all units and their elements over a range of occasions. You will be given opportunities to demonstrate competency in a variety of ways throughout the program. You are encouraged to discuss any problems or concerns with your teacher or student co-ordinator. An assessment matrix will be available on myRMIT
Course Overview: Access Course Overview