This course provides an opportunity for high-achieving science students to apply and develop professional skills and attributes in an area of their choice. This course offers opportunities to network with professional organisations such as local and national government and industry, and to acquire skills, knowledge and professional attributes which will facilitate future employment and career outcomes. The internship will be under the direct supervision of a workplace professional, with access to an appropriate academic within the ANU Colleges of Science. Students are generally expected to have already completed Science courses relevant to their placement topic. The internship is expected to be on a topic of professional interest to the student and the supervising workplace.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Students who have successfully completed this course should be able to:- Demonstrate the ability to work under professional supervision, and gain useful background of a professional context and how that workplace operates;
- Communicate clearly and coherently in a professional context;
- Analyse, consolidate and synthesise broad theoretical and/or professional knowledge through research to identify and propose solutions to complex problems with intellectual independence;
- Exercise critical thinking and judgment in the context of developing advanced professional knowledge; and
- Conduct a project with some independence.
Staff Feedback
Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:
- written comments
- verbal comments
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.
Other Information
Please note, internships are unique to each students. The assessment start and end dates used in the Assessment Summary refer to the official start and end date of the session of enrolment. Individual start and end dates will be confirmed with each student prior to enrolment. Indicative timeframes are provided in the assessment detail.
Class Schedule
Week/Session | Summary of Activities | Assessment |
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1 | Overview: The Science internship program offers students an opportunity to participate in placements within science, technology and science policy organisations and enables them to apply and develop professional skills and attributes in an area of their choice. The Colleges of Science offer a limited number of internship places with a number of institutions and applications for these internship places are highly competitive. For enrolment in a 6 unit course the expected contact hours at the host institution is one full day a week throughout the semester (~90 hours) plus personal study/ research time equivalent to a total of 130 hours for the semester. For the 12 unit course this time is doubled. If the internship is taken in intensive mode an equivalent number of hours is expected in each case. | All assessment items contribute towards satisfying the course requirements. |
Assessment Summary
Assessment task | Value | Due Date | Return of assessment | Learning Outcomes |
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Project proposal | 100 % | * | 02/12/2020 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Written report | 100 % | 30/06/2020 | 02/12/2020 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Oral presentation | 100 % | 22/06/2020 | 02/12/2020 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Personal reflection | 100 % | 30/06/2020 | 02/12/2020 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
* 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
Students will be required to attend a compulsory induction session prior to commencing the internship. This session will be offered by the ANU Career Centre and will provide guidance in professional behaviour in the workplace and effective communication. The induction session will be held in the first week of semester.
During the internship, students will be expected to act in a professional manner and work under the guidance of the host supervisor. Students should liaise with the host supervisor on a regular basis while completing the internship.
Students will attend the host premises as agreed and abide by the details listed in the Internship Schedule. Students will be expected to follow any business conduct guidelines, induction processes, safety procedures or workplace directions as required by the host and specific Internship Schedule.
Students encountering any problems during their placement should, if appropriate, first address these with the host supervisor. If students feel this is not appropriate under certain circumstances then issues should be raised with the ANU supervisor or the Internship convenor (science.internships@anu.edu.au).
Assessment Task 1
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5
Project proposal
Word limit: 1000
Due: Three weeks from commencement of internship
Guidelines:
The project proposal should outline the scope of the project to be undertaken at the start of the placement. It is recognised that the direction and focus of the project may change during the internship depending on findings and other factors outside the control of the intern. The proposal should be seen as an indication of intent, not necessarily the final outcome.
Rubric
Assessment Task 2
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5
Written report
Word limit: 5000
Due: Last teaching day of semester/session
Guidelines:
The Science Internship requires the completion of a final report under the direct supervision of a professional in a workplace and with guidance from the ANU supervisor.
The report should include an executive summary and outline the rationale for the project, methods used in obtaining data, results obtained and a summary, which may include recommendations for future research or practice within the organisation.
Students should be aware that if they intend to conduct interviews with people or use a written survey as part of their research they will need to seek ethics permission from University authorities. Information regarding this can be found on the ANU Services website.
The report will be assessed by the ANU supervisor with input from the placement supervisor and course convener in accordance with an assessment scale as indicated below.
Rubric
Not Satisfactory | Minimum requirements to pass the course | ||||
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Not Satisfactory | The topic was not addressed. Response on issues not relevant to the topic. | Provides solid analysis relevant to the topic. | |||
Structure including logical development of content | Lack of logical organisation and development of ideas | Demonstration of organisation and development of ideas. | |||
Research of primary and scholarly secondary sources. | No evidence of research. | Evidence of research; identifying existing research with significant flaws, errors, gaps in sources. | |||
Written communication including English expression, grammar and punctuation. | Report contains many errors; confused and unclear in many places. Main ideas not expressed clearly. | Well written with minimal grammatical errors |
Assessment Task 3
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5
Oral presentation
Time limit: 20-30 mins
Due: During the final week of the teaching session
Guidelines:
The Science Internship requires the completion of an oral presentation to a professional and academic audience.
The student must give a presentation summarising their internship project. The oral presentation will be assessed by the ANU supervisor with input from the placement supervisor and course convener in accordance with the assessment criteria indicated below. Generally it is expected that the oral presentation will take place at the host institution to allow attendance and participation from staff not directly involved in supervision.
Rubric
Presentation | Content | ||||
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Audience engagement | Was the background to the project adequate? | ||||
Well planned and organised | Did the results justify the conclusions? | ||||
Effective use of slides | Understanding of the limitations of the project? | ||||
Clear and logical presentation |
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Assessment Task 4
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5
Personal reflection
Word limit: 1000
Due: Last teaching day of semester/session
Guidelines:
The objective of the reflection is for the student to evaluate the learning experience of the placement in relation to professional knowledge and skills.
The indicative questions below suggest ways in which you could evaluate your learning experience you do not need to answer them all. You should think broadly about the objective of the reflection.
- What did I learn?
- What advice would you offer future students who undertake an internship?
- How could value be added to the internship program?
The reflection should be written in essay style but may include dot points if this would aid comprehension. The course reflection should be submitted at the same time as the report.
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
For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.
Late Submission
Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:
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.
Extensions and Penalties
Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted 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.
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
Convener
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Research Interests |
Chris Browne
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Instructor
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Research Interests |
Chris Browne
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