Overview
This unit will provide students with a grounding in basic tenets of key investigation related issues including safety of investigators onsite, planning and preparing for the conduct of investigations, broad understanding of the nature of accident and related scenes of failure, effective photography methods and witness interviewing techniques. There will also be a focus on the law as it applies to the conduct of investigation and related issues such as continuity of evidence.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2017
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Have Your Say Survey
Students appreciate the team environment that is created by the lecturers and students.
Continue to develop the group discussions weekly on the Moodle site.
Feedback from Have Your Say Survey
Weekly assessment focus prompts on the Moodle pages helped students keep on track
Continue to use the weekly assessment focus prompts on the Moodle pages.
Feedback from Have Your Say Survey
Ensure that students have sufficient time to engage with feedback between assessments.
Review assessment deadlines and order to ensure that students have sufficient time to engage with feedback between assessments
Feedback from Have Your Say Survey and Moodle Discussion
Identify alternative recent case studies for use in the Case Study Assessment
Review the choice of Case Studies to identify recent Australian alternatives.
- Explain the application of OHS principles while carrying out onsite investigations.
- Compare and contrast methods of analysing scenes of accidents and other failures.
- Demonstrate forensic photography techniques.
- Explore contemporary witness interview methods
- Interpret the law in relation to the conduct of investigations and describe the rules of evidence
- Employ effective communications strategies appropriate to investigative activities
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the beginning practitioner
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
1 - Group Discussion - 30% | |||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||
3 - Written Assessment - 30% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
1 - Communication | |||||||
2 - Problem Solving | |||||||
3 - Critical Thinking | |||||||
4 - Information Literacy | |||||||
5 - Team Work | |||||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||||
8 - Ethical practice | |||||||
9 - Social Innovation | |||||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Group Discussion - 30% | ||||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
3 - Written Assessment - 30% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.thompson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Module 1 : Introduction - Getting to Know You, Moodle, this Unit and its Assessments.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 2 : OHS at the Accident Scene.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Moodle Activity 1 : Introduction and Case Study Selection
Due : Monday (24 Jul 17) 09:00AM AEST
Module/Topic
Module 4 : Introduction to Evidence Week 1
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 4 : Introduction to Evidence Week 2
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Moodle Activity 2 : OHS Issues
Due : Monday (7 Aug 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Moodle Activity 3 : Evidence Quiz
Due : Monday (21 Aug 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 6 : Laws pertaining to the Investigation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Moodle Activity 4 : Planning and Logistics - Preparing for the Investigation
Due Monday (4 Sep 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Module/Topic
Module 7 : Accident Scene Week 1
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 7 : Accident Scene Week 2
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Activity 1A : Witness Interview Critique
Due : Monday (18 Sep 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Workbook Activity 1B : Witness Interview Statement
Due : Monday (18 Sep 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Module/Topic
Module 7 : Accident Scene Week 3
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Case Study Analysis
Due Monday (25 Sep 16) 09:00 AM AEST
Case Study Analysis Due: Week 11 Monday (25 Sept 2017) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Module 8 : Completing the Workbook 2 Assessment : Hints and Tips
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Activity 2 : Accident Scene, Photography, Sketch and Map
Due Monday (9 Oct 17) 09:00 AM AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Group Discussion
You will be directed to complete a variety of Moodle-based activities throughout the term. These will include activities about:
- Introducing yourself and choosing your case study (Due 09:00 Mon 24 July).
- Discussing OHS Issues (Due 09:00 Mon 7 August).
- Evidence Quiz (Due 09:00 Mon 21 August).
- Discussing Planning and Logistics when Preparing for the Investigation (Due 09:00 Mon 4 September).
Further information will be provided in your Lectures and in Moodle.
As per study schedule
Maximum of three weeks after submission deadline
As a general rule assessment criteria for all assessment items include
1. (90%) Content - includes the accuracy, relevance and application of key concepts, analysis, argument, language and grammar used in answering a question or report (see marking criteria for individual requirements).
2. (10%) References - includes the provision of a reference list and the application of the Harvard style for referencing information, data, tables or images sourced for the assignment or report. Where relevant, any additional specific assessment criteria for each assessment piece will be provided through Moodle.
- Explain the application of OHS principles while carrying out onsite investigations.
- Employ effective communications strategies appropriate to investigative activities
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the beginning practitioner
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
This task requires submission of a series of workbook activities that provide an opportunity to practise the skills developed in the unit, including:
- Witness Interview Critique (Due Mon 18 September).
- Witness Interview Statement (Due Mon 18 September).
- Accident Scene Photography, Sketching and Mapping (Due Mon 9 October).
Further information will be provided in your Lectures and in Moodle.
As per study schedule
Maximum of three weeks after submission deadline
As a general rule assessment criteria for all assessment items include
1. (90%) Content - includes the accuracy, relevance and application of key concepts, analysis, argument, language and grammar used in answering a question or report (see marking criteria for individual requirements).
2. (10%) References - includes the provision of a reference list and the application of the Harvard style for referencing information, data, tables or images sourced for the assignment or report. Where relevant, any additional specific assessment criteria for each assessment piece will be provided through Moodle
- Compare and contrast methods of analysing scenes of accidents and other failures.
- Demonstrate forensic photography techniques.
- Explore contemporary witness interview methods
- Employ effective communications strategies appropriate to investigative activities
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the beginning practitioner
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
3 Written Assessment
This activity enables you to use your learning from the unit to thoroughly explore and analyse your chosen case study. The analysis will include:
- Introduction
- Investigation Legal Context
- Using Evidence in Investigation
- Effectiveness of the Investigation
- Conclusion
While there is no specific word count, 2500 - 3000 words is a general guide. Submit the analysis as a Word or PDF file.
Further information will be provided in Lectures and in Moodle.
Due Monday (25 Sep 16) 09:00 AM AEST
Week 11 Monday (25 Sept 2017) 9:00 am AEST
Maximum of three weeks after submission deadline
As a general rule assessment criteria for all assessment items include
1. (90%) Content - includes the accuracy, relevance and application of key concepts, analysis, argument, language and grammar used in answering a question or report (see marking criteria for individual requirements).
2. (10%) References - includes the provision of a reference list and the application of the Harvard style for referencing information, data, tables or images sourced for the assignment or report. Where relevant, any additional specific assessment criteria for each assessment piece will be provided through Moodle.
- Interpret the law in relation to the conduct of investigations and describe the rules of evidence
- Employ effective communications strategies appropriate to investigative activities
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.