Course Title: Apply writing and presentation skills within a justice environment

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2017

Course Code: JUST5726

Course Title: Apply writing and presentation skills within a justice environment

School: 365T Global, Urban and Social Studies

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4323 - Certificate IV in Justice

Course Contact: Irene Pagliarella, Program Manager

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4581

Course Contact Email: irene.pagliarella@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Linda Apostolovski

Email:

linda.apostolovski@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 40

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

Nil

Course Description

In this course you will develop the skills and knowledge required to research, analyse and evaluate, document and present information that meets organisational requirements across a range of justice environment contexts.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VU20870 Apply writing and presentation skills within a justice environment

Element:

1. Plan for writing complex document/s for a justice environment context

Performance Criteria:

1 Purpose and objectives, format and specific requirements of document/s are determined 1.2 Function and suitable use of descriptive, analytical, evaluative interpretative and investigative reports is reviewed 1.3 Research information and required resources are delineated 1.4 Appropriate use of language, including grammar and syntax is examined and practised 1.5 Research referencing requirements for range of written materials is examined and practised

Element:

2. Research and develop complex document/s for a justice environment context

 

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Research is conducted and collated 2.2 Document/s is developed in designated format, to discipline standard and suitable for dissemination objectives 2.3 Feedback on suitability of document is obtained according to organisational requirements

Element:

3. Present information in a justice environment context

 

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Presentation strategies, format and delivery methods that match the requirements of the target audience location, resources and required personnel are determined and practised. 3.2 Presentation is conducted according to determined strategies, format and delivery methods. 3.3 Feedback is sought from key personnel and used to inform future practice.

Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements and the following;


• Conduct research for a report or document
• Effectively use written and oral skills, to industry standard, in the development and presentation of a researched document
• Reference sources of information through in-text referencing and bibliography according to specific citation system
• Understand the knowledge of research and presentation methods
• Understand the knowledge of privacy legislation, regulations and standards


Details of Learning Activities

Students will participate in a variety of learning activities and include:

  • class exercises to review discussions/lectures
  • Blog/Wiki or other online discussions and participation
  • analysis/critique of relevant reading material
  • seminars/workshops
  • group activities/projects
  • group discussion
  • research
  • independent project based work
  • Simulated and/or practical placement.


Teaching Schedule

Week 1: Essay writing.   Week 2: APA Referencing.    Week 3: Paraphrasing, report writing and research for material related assessment 1.    Week 4: Project based activity (Students to work on Essay due in week 5).   Week 5: Project based activity (Student to work on Justice writing piece, case note on an offender due in week 6 and oral presentation due in week 7.    Assessment task 1 Due (1,000 word essay: Topic: Drug/Alcohol and Domestic Violence. 40%).   Week 6: Lecture on Oral presentations. Assessment task 2 Due (Justice Writing Piece. 40%).    Week 7: Oral Presentations in class (On Essay Topic. 20%).  

NOTE: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of speakers and   resources.

 

Attendance
It is strongly advised that you attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain competency.

You are expected to attend all scheduled classes and some classes will have sessions that are compulsory to attend (please see individual course guides). If you cannot attend a class you should advise your RMIT Educator, as RMIT monitors all student attendance.

As a student, competency is demonstrated through both knowledge and practical skills relevant to the course content and within the classroom environment. Engagement with educators and other students is critical to you maximising learning opportunities and achieving satisfactory results. Participation in classroom discussion and activities will allow educators to apply observational assessment during role-plays, exercises and assignments and provide you with feedback.

Absence from class can seriously limit your ability to pass or achieve good results. You may be asked to attend a meeting to explain more than three absences from a subject and enter into a negotiated plan of action with your Educator.  This meeting is recommended as an early intervention approach that may possibly identify any underlying issues which may be affecting your attendance and identify support that RMIT may be able to give you.

Clearly, non-attendance at an assessment will result in failure of that assessment.  If your academic progress is reviewed, a good class attendance may be helpful in showing evidence of your commitment to your studies in Justice.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

There is no prescribed text for this course.

All readings and other resources necessary for this course will be available through Blackboard.

 

GUSS Skills Central (http://gussskillscentral.edu.au/) is a site developed specifically for students in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT. It provides links to a range of resources for supporting student work on assessments and negotiating university studies more generally.

PowerPoint’s for the lectures will generally be made available AFTER the class; however these are not a replacement for attending lectures.  Lectures may have additional information, activities or visual material, which will not be available through Blackboard.

It is essential that you access the Blackboard site at least once a week, as announcements and emails are considered an effective means of communication between educators and students.

 


Overview of Assessment

Assessments may incorporate a variety of methods including role-plays, observations, lectures, tutorials, class discussion, reports, group/individual training workshops, and audio-visual presentations.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

 

A student charter http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/studentcharter summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=c15i3ciaq8ca


Assessment Tasks

Formative Assessments

There will be in class individual and group formative assessments related to communication and writing skills to support the development of knowledge and skills consistent with the required skills and knowledge of the unit and linked to summative assessment tasks 1, 2 and 3. For example, this will include an APA referencing activity.

 

Summative Assessments

 

There are three summative assessment tasks to prove competency in this course. The assessable tasks are as follows:

 

Task 1: Part A & Part B

 

This task involves the submission of a written assessment on a selected topic (Part A) followed by an oral presentation on the topic (Part B).

 

Summative Assessment 1:

 

Part A involves a written argumentative essay of 1,000 words that demonstrates the students ability to defend their position on a selected topic using evidence to support their viewpoint. Students are required to gather (conduct research) and evaluate information and resources from scholarly sources including textbooks and journal articles to assess, defend, use several different arguments and clearly write on the selected topic. Summative assessment 1 will contribute to 40% of the final grade.

 

Summative assessment 2:

 

Students are required to write a case note on an offender. The report needs to incorporate factual information of the presenting issues, outcomes and recommendations that flow from the report. Summative assessment 2 will contribute to 40% of the final grade. 

 

Summative assessment 3:

 

Part B: Involves a 3-minute oral presentation. Students are required to research and present on the essay topic. Part B will contribute to 20% of the final grade. These will take place during the final class in week 7.


Assessment Matrix

This is available via MyRMIT/Studies

The assessments have been designed to cover all Learning Outcomes and will be graded in accordance with RMIT’s Mark Table which is as follows:

 

CHD

Competent with High Distinction

CDI

Competent with Distinction

CC

Competent with Credit

CAG

Competency Achieved - Graded

NYC

Not Yet Competent

DNS

Did not Submit for Assessment

 

Grades which apply to course delivered in accordance with competency-based assessment (not-graded)

 

CA

Competency Achieved

NYC

Not Yet Competent

DNS

Did Not Submit For Assessment

 

Assessment Deadlines

Any due date for any assignment is to be considered a deadline. You can submit work at any time prior to the submission date, but it must be into the Administration office by close of business (5pm) of the day the submission is due. 

Assessment Format

As a student of the Justice VE program, it is expected that you adhere to the following criteria regarding essays/research/reports;

  1. For a CERTIFICATE IV written assessment task/s – up to 1500 words, 3 academic references and ONE in-text citation per paragraph.
  2. A paragraph is usually between 200 – 250 words.
  3. A sentence is usually between 20 - 25 words.
  4. American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing Style is the EXPECTED referencing style for the school of Criminal Justice (VE).
  5. We highly recommend that all students download a copy of the APA Referencing Guide which is available on the Blackboard or purchase a Pocket Guide to APA style from the campus bookshop.
  6. APA Referencing system is to be used and all in-text citations must be recorded according to APA standards.
  7. An academic reference is a scholarly source (journal articles that are peer reviewed, a published book, an approved government or organisation website etc).
  8. Written reports, research projects or essays are to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and familiarity with the prescribed or negotiated topics
  9. It is expected that all submitted work will be well written, with clear and consistent grammar, expression and punctuation. It must be well structured and address the issues raised in the chosen topic in a logical ordered and organised manner.
  10. Written submissions must demonstrate appropriate preparation, reading and research.
  11. Double or 1.5 spacing and a font size of 10-12 must be used in either Arial or Times Roman. Do not submit double paged assessments.
  12. All assignments to be submitted via the Drop Box (Building 37, level 2) and submitted via email to the Advanced Diploma email address to verify submission (advdipjusticeassignments@rmit.edu.au). Assessments must be submitted by 5pm (close of business).
  13. Written assessments will also be submitted with a Turnitin Report attached (as instructed by your Educator).

Other Information

Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters: rmit.edu.au/students

 

Cover Sheet for Submissions
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work, including online submissions. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of implications of plagiarism.

Please refer to the following link for on-line submission statements;

http://www1.rmit.edu.au/teaching/technology/esubmission

 

Cover sheets do NOT form part of your word limit for written assessment tasks.

 

Assignment Submissions:

 

The submission of assessments on the due date is the responsibility solely of the student. Students should not leave assignment preparation until the last minute and must plan their workloads so as to be able to meet advertised or notified deadlines.

 

If you have not been granted an extension or special consideration, you need to submit any work that has been completed on the due date.

 

For assignments 1 to 10 days late, a penalty of 10% (of the marks awarded) per day will apply. For assignments more than 10 days late, a penalty of 100% will apply. Weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) are considered when counting total late days for electronic submissions but not for hardcopy submissions.

 

Weekends and holidays will attract the same penalty as weekdays.

 

Assignments that are late by 7 days or more will not be marked and will be awarded zero.

 

 

 

Attendance
It is strongly advised that you attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.

 

Applying for an Extension

Extension of time for assessment tasks may be granted where circumstances beyond your control prevent submission by the published due date. Speak with your teacher or course coordinator regarding applying for an extension.

 

Applying for Special Consideration

If you are seeking an extension of more than seven calendar days (from the original due date) you must lodge an Application for Special Consideration form, preferably prior to, but no later than two working days after the official due date. Late applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. For information about Special Consideration and how to apply, see:

http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration

 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship through respecting the work of others whilst having the freedom to build new insights, new knowledge and ideas. RMIT University upholds the values of academic integrity as fundamental to the scholarship undertaken by all members of its community. Whenever you refer to another person’s research or ideas (either by directly quoting or paraphrasing them) you must acknowledge your source.

 

If you are even in doubt about how to properly cite a reference, consult your lecturer or the academic integrity website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/academicintegrity

The RMIT library provides tools to assist with your referencing http://www1.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing

 

Plagiarism and Collusion

Plagiarism and collusion constitute extremely serious academic misconduct, and are forms of cheating. You are reminded that cheating, whether by fabrication, falsification of data, or plagiarism, is an offence subject to University disciplinary procedures. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is your own. It is a form of cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to expulsion from the University. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form, including electronic data, and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited. Plagiarism is not acceptable.

 

Examples of plagiarism include:

  1. Copying sentences or paragraphs word-for-word from one or more sources, whether published or unpublished, which could include but is not limited to books, journals, reports, theses, websites, conference papers, course notes, etc. without proper citation;
  2. Closely paraphrasing sentences, paragraphs, ideas or themes without proper citation;
  3. Piecing together text from one or more sources and adding only linking sentences;
  4. Copying or submitting whole or parts of computer files without acknowledging their source;
  5. Copying designs or works of art and submitting them as your original work;
  6. Copying a whole or any part of another student's work; and
  7. Submitting work as your own that someone else has done for you.
  8. Enabling Plagiarism: the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy your own work is also an offence.

 

For further information, please see the RMIT Plagiarism Policy –  http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=sg4yfqzod48g1 (unresolved) – and the RMIT Student Conduct Regulations – http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=r7a7an6qug93

 

Plagiarism Software

The originality verification software Turnitin may be used in this course. For details, see: http://www.turnitin.com

 

Complaints Procedure:

RMIT University is committed to providing a harmonious study and work environment for all students and staff. The University recognises your right to raise concerns about academic, administrative or support services without recrimination and has policies and procedures to assist in the resolution of complaints.

 

Most issues are resolved at the local level and you are encouraged to take steps to resolve your issue locally. The student complaint procedure details steps to take if your problem is not resolved or you believe the response you received is unreasonable.

 

Student Complaints Policy: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/policies/studentcomplaintspolicy

Student complaints Procedure: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=i1lexipvjt22

Student Complaints Form: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/v4ujvmyojugxz.pdf



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