This course provides flexible intensity of learning as a 6 unit course. The course delivers low-intensity online learning built around an intensive class of 5 or 6 days duration. The content is variable - offering a variety of core areas of research expertise in Archaeological and Evolutionary Science, always taught over one academic session. The course has a standard generic structure, but with varied topic content, like a reading course or sub-thesis.

Students commence the course with 4-5 weeks of independent reading and research as preparation. The student then attends a 5 day intensive course normally on campus at the ANU, at the ANU Kioloa Field station, at NARU or at another laboratory or residential field location. This intensive five day program is followed up with work on tasks and course assessments with on-line supervision at low intensity, for delivery and completion by the end of the session/semester.

Normally each year, this course will deliver a minimum of three Masterclass courses. The content and topics will vary from course to course. At least ONE Masterclass will be offered per year with the option of up to four Masterclasses per annum with one in each of the Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring Sessions, dependent on student demand and availability of faculty and/or visitors.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. develop a basic understanding of skills and concepts in the thematic area defined for the Master Class;
2. practice the core skills and handled materials, data and/or equipment which are appropriate to a basic level of research training or professional practice in the thematic area of the Master Class;
3. acquire a sound overview of contexts and situations in which the theme area is applied in archaeological and/or evolutionary practice;
4. reach a level of expertise appropriate to designing a small project or desk-top study in which skills defined for the theme area of the Master Class could be applied; and
5. achieve a critical level of understanding of basic literature for the theme area of the Master Class.

Research-Led Teaching

Every year the topic of this course changes to reflect the research specialisation of our ANU Biological Anthropology and Archaeology staff members. In 2026, Prof Laura Wilson will train students based on her expertise in microCT and 3D modelling, including data collection from 3D models and data analysis methods. Prof Tim Denham will contribute lecture content on archaeological applications of microCT. By the end of the course, students will have conducted a scientific research study, which in the case of novel findings, may be suitable to be revised and submitted as a research article to an international peer-reviewed journal.

Required Resources

Computing and Software Requirements:

• Students will need to have a working PC (Windows 10 or newer) or Mac (macOS High Sierra 10.13 or newer) to participate in the tutorial sessions. Information about the 3D software required will be provided at the start of the course.

Required Readings and preparatory content

• A reading list will be available on Canvas prior to the start of the course. All readings will be made available via Canvas. In addition, pre-recorded tutorial vidoes will be provided to support learning of the freeware 3D software to be used in the course.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

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	Self-directed learning
2	Self-directed learning
3	Self-directed learning
4	Self-directed learning
5	Self-directed learning
6	Self-directed learning
7	Intensive week: All lectures and practical labs will be delivered between Mon 7 Sept and Fri 11 Sept inclusive. Classes will run in-person from 10:00-16:30 each day. You must attend these sessions.	Assessment Quiz - Fri 11 Sept (in class)Research Presentation - Fri 11 Sept (in class)
8	Self-directed learning
9	Self-directed learning	Background Essay - Fri 25 Sept (due 23:59)
10	Self-directed learning
11	Self-directed learning
12	Self-directed learning	Research Report - Fri 23 Oct (due 23:59)

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Literature review essay	30 %	25/09/2026	1
In-class quiz	20 %	11/09/2026	1
Research presentation	10 %	11/09/2026	1,2
Research report	40 %	23/10/2026	2,3,4

* 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 Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

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.

Assessment Task 1

Literature review essay

This essay will review the use of microCT imaging in one of the following fields of research:

• Archaeobotany

• Geoarchaeology

• Palaeopathology

• Evolutionary morphology

• Archaeological ceramics

• Other (if interested in another field please discuss with Laura)

The essay accounts for 30% of the course assessment grade, and should cover the types of microCT imaging used in the research field, the ways in which it has been applied, how microCT has been used in conjunction with other analytical methods as well as future directions of research. Essays should be maximum 2000 words in length and must be submitted through Canvas.

Assessment Task 2

In-class quiz

The quiz (20% of assessment grade) will take place in-person at 10.00am the morning of Friday September 11th. This will be a short, written quiz, which will cover concept definitions and key course content from the lectures and slides presented on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th September.

Assessment Task 3

Research presentation

Oral presentations (10% of assessment grade) with accompanying PowerPoint slides will be given by each student on the afternoon of Friday 11th September, illustrating the progress made on their research projects during the practical workshop sessions. Presentations should be approximately 10 minutes with no more than 7 slides and will outline the research question/s, methods used/to be used, images, meshes and/or animations produced so far, work still to be completed and identify any issues addressed or foreseen. Please note that your research project/report does not need to be completed before the presentation. The presentation is a good opportunity to get input and advice regarding final output of your research project.

Assessment Task 4

Research report

This research project (40% of assessment grade) can be tailored to the research interests of each student but will involve a small research project undertaken using one or more microCT datasets and an accompanying written report. Training datasets will be available for use via Canvas or students can work on their own datasets if preferred. Possible projects include 2D and 3D visualisation with qualitative analysis, 3D visualisation with morphometric analysis, or data segmentation with quantitative analysis. The final project report must include the research question/s, a protocol outline which shows the data segmentation, manipulation and/or visualisation processes undertaken, 2D images or stills produced, quantitative or qualitative analysis methods applied to the data and a discussion section including research implications, limitations encountered and future improvements and research directions.

Research reports should be between 4000-5000 words, however, output should include (as applicable) original images, meshes or animations.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community 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 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 University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses 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. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

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

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. OR 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 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.

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