Research-Led Teaching

Each of the lecturers in this course is an active researcher with expertise in areas of research closely related to their lecture modules. As appropriate, their lectures will draw on that expertise and include examples of their own research to illustrate advances in our understanding and questions that still need to be answered about the biology of organisms of biosecurity concern.

Required Resources

There are no prescribed texts for this course.

Recommended Resources

A list of online biosecurity resources will be provided.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given written feedback on opinion articles and case studies.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introductory lectures and lecture in Module 1
2	Lectures in Module 1 and guest seminar
3	Lectures in Module 2 and guest seminar
4	Tutorial on preparation of opinion articles and case studies, lectures in Module 3 and guest seminar
5	Lectures in Module 4 and case studies	Case study assessment
6	Case studies	Case study assessment
7	No lectures and no case studies (unless class numbers warrant scheduling of case studies in Week 7)	Opinion articles due. Mid-semester exam
8	Case studies	Case study assessment
9	Lectures in Module 5 and guest seminar
10	Lectures in Modules 5 and 6, and guest seminar
11	Lectures in Module 6 and 7, and guest seminar
12	Lectures in Module 7 and wrap-up lecture

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Opinion Article	20 %	16/09/2019	25/10/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Case study	30 %	19/08/2019	25/10/2019	1, 2, 3
Mid-semester exam	25 %	26/08/2019	20/09/2019	2
End-of-semester exam	25 %	31/10/2019	28/11/2019	2

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Attendance at 80% of case studies and four of the six guest seminars is a course requirement. Submission of an opinion article and presentation of a case study are also course requirements.

Examination(s)

There will be a mid-semester examination and an end-of semester examination each worth 25% of the course mark i.e. a total of 50%. Students must achieve an overall examination mark of at least 40% in the final exam to pass the course i.e. at least 20 out of 50.

Please note, that where a date range is used in the Assessment Summary in relation to exams, the due date and return date indicate the approximate timeframe in which the exam will be held and results returned to the student (official end of Semester results released on ISIS). Students should consult the course wattle site and the ANU final examination timetable to confirm the date, time and venue of the exam.

Assessment Task 1

Opinion Article

Write an article in the style of an opinion piece in the Canberra Times (or other major Australian newspaper). The article should discuss a biosecurity threat that has been highlighted in recent or current news reports. The article should provide accurate biological information about the threat and express an opinion about the way the threat has been or should be handled. It should be written in an entertaining style and should be pitched in a way that the information provided can be easily understood by the general public. The article should be about 600 words long (± 60 words) and should have a catchy title of no more than ten words. A list of references and other sources of information used to prepare the article should also be provided. The reference list must be separated from the rest of the text by using the heading References or Bibliography, otherwise the reference list will be included in the originality score generated by Turnitin. Examples of opinion articles and tips on how to write opinion articles will be provided. For HPO students, an essay will replace the opinion article, as set out in the assessment for BIOL6106 .

Assessment Task 2

Case study

Choose a case study topic that does not address the same kind of threat organism as the opinion article. Prepare and present a twelve-minute Powerpoint presentation with no more than ten content slides (excluding title and end slides) describing a past or present pest or disease incursion, its biology and impact, how it was or is being handled, the actual or likely outcome of the incursion and lessons learnt. Three minutes will then be allowed for questions. Your ability to fit your presentation to these constraints will form part of the assessment. A list of references or sources of information used to prepare the presentation should be provided on a separate slide following the last slide of your presentation. Sources of images used should be included in the slides showing the images. For assessment purposes, your Powerpoint presentation should be uploaded via Wattle immediately before or after you have presented your case study.

Students will present on different dates which will be discussed in class. The due date indicates the approximate date the first presentations are due, the return date indicates the end of the teaching period.

Assessment Task 3

Mid-semester exam

There will be a 1.5-hour mid-semester exam. The exam will cover all material presented in lectures (including the introductory lectures) before the mid-semester break. The exams will be divided into sections corresponding to the introductory lectures and each of the four lecture modules, with each section requiring answers to several short-answer questions. The number of questions in each section is determined by the number of lectures in each module. Answers to 3 out of 4 questions will be required for the introductory lectures, 3 out of 4 questions for each of the two-lecture modules, 4 out of 5 questions for the three-lecture module, and 5 out of 6 questions for the four-lecture module giving a total of 18 answers required out of a total of 23 questions. This formula is designed to ensure that a more equal weighting is given to each lecture in terms of revision required and marks allocated.

Please check the course Wattle site and the ANU Examination Timetable to confirm the date, time and location of the mid semester exam.

Assessment Task 4

End-of-semester exam

There will be a 1.5-hour end-of-semester exam. The exam will cover all material presented in lectures and two of the three guest lectures given after the mid-semester break. The exam will be divided into sections corresponding to each of the three lecture modules and each of the two guest seminars, with each section requiring answers to several short-answer questions. The number of questions in each section is determined by the number of lectures in each module. Answers to 2 out of 3 questions will be required for each of the guest lectures, 4 out of 5 questions for the three-lecture module, and 5 out of 6 questions for the four-lecture modules giving a total of 18 answers required out of a total of 23 questions. This formula is designed to ensure that a more equal weighting is given to each lecture in terms of revision required and marks allocated.

The date range in the Assessment Summary indicates the start of the end of semester exam period and the date official end of semester results are released on ISIS. Please check the ANU final Examination Timetable http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-timetable to confirm the date, time and location exam.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

Hard copy submission of assessments will not be accepted unless approved by the Associate Dean (Education). If approved, hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Copies of opinion articles will be returned with feedback, either as hard copies handed out in class or as soft copies sent by email. Feedback on case studies will be sent by email.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Draft versions of assignments may be submitted multiple times for originality checking via Turnitin prior to submission of your final version. The date the final version is submitted will be deemed the date of submission for the assignment.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students