Overview
This unit will provide students with an opportunity to apply the basic tenets of key investigation related issues including safety of investigators onsite, planning and preparing for the conduct of investigations, analysis of accident and related scenes of failure, taking effective photographs as evidence and conducting witness interviewing. There will also be a focus on the law as it applies to the conduct of investigations and related issues such as continuity of evidence.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
AINV11003 Introduction to Investigative Methods
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 1 - 2020
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).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
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
Students appreciated hands-on learning at residential schools, which allowed them to receive immediate feedback on their practice.
Continue to ensure that the residential school is primarily a hands-on practical experience for the students.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Students believed it would be beneficial to have a practice session on witness interviewing on day one of the crash lab before undertaking their witness interview for assessment.
Program a face-to-face session on witness interviewing into day 1 of the residential school. This could also include a practical demonstration. This is to build on the lectures given prior to the residential school.
- Plan and prepare for an investigation.
- Analyse an accident environment.
- Take accident photographs suitable for causation evidence.
- Conduct and record witness interviews in an appropriate manner.
- Prepare a detailed accident investigation report.
- Apply principles of investigation law and continuity of evidence.
- Employ effective communication strategies appropriate to investigative methods practice.
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the intermediate practitioner.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 30% | ||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 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 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
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.
k.perry@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Introduction to the unit:
- Unit expectations
- Moodle tour
Laws pertaining to accident investigation
- Rights and obligations
- Safety and risk management
- Conflict management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Accident investigation planning.
- Equipment
- Briefings
- Contextual bias
- Cordons
- Critical decision making
- Notes and sketches
- Media management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Photography and video
- Use of various capture equipment
- DSLR camera
- Point and shoot cameras
- Video
- Mobile phone
- Night photography
- Micro-photography
- Technical photography and measurements
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Task 1 Due Monday 23 March 9am AEST
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Evidence collection
- Identification
- Prioritisation
- Accident scene evidence collection (Primary & secondary scenes)
- Post site visit evidence collection
- Recording and storage
- Corruption, contamination, context and destruction
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Witness Statements
- Powers to take statements
- Identifying witnesses
- Planning the statement
- Hostile and uncooperative witnesses
- Use of various methods to take statements
- PEACE
- Cognitive interviewing
- 5 part statement
- Differences in approach to witness vs possible defendant
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Task 2 Due Monday 6 April 9am AEST
Module/Topic
No lecture.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Report writing
- Purpose
- Audiences
- Report structure
- Writing style
- Ethics and integrity
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Residential school preparation
- Logistics
- Program
- Expectations
Presentation Skills
- Use of visual media
- Presentation styles - Good & Bad
- Terminology - Know your audience
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Residential school - Bundaberg campus
- Management of accident scene
- Providing assistance in at an accident scene
- Practical evidence collection
- Delivering a Presentation of initial findings
- Accident Forensic scene appreciation
- Hot scene reviews
- Returning to scene after processing of evidence
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Residential School 4 - 8 May, Bundaberg Crash Lab
PART A - Detailed equipment and PPE required
PART B and Part C of the Portfolio will be due for submission on the final day of the residential school
Part D - Professionalism will be assessed during the residential school.
Task 4 Due Monday 4 May 9am AEST
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Introduction to contemporary mapping & demonstration techniques
- 3D scanning
- Drones
- Photogrammetry
- 3D printing
- Virtual reality
- Credibility of contemporary techniques in court
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Presentation slides to be submitted 11 May 2020 9.00am.
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Logic diagrams
- Revisit logic diagrams for your accident scenario
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Lecture:
Researching accident data
- Purpose
- Previous accidents
- Government data sites (ATSB, Coronor's offices etc)
- Public resources
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tutorial:
Open forum
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Q & A session - Questions will be answered about final report or any other related material.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
You will undertake 4 tasks on various topics discussed through out the term. These may include areas such as:
- Safety
- Laws
- Evidence
- Photography and video
A word limit of maximum 500 words (or equivalent) applies to each of the 4 tasks and referencing is required when necessary.
This assessment task is worth 20% of the total marks for this unit.
You will submit your submissions in the appropriate assessment link in Moodle.
4
Task 1 due 0900 Mon 23 Mar; Task 2 due 0900 Mon 6 Apr; Task 3 due 0900 Mon 20 April; Task 4 due 0900 Mon 4 May
Feedback within 1 week of submission
The detailed assessment criteria for each part will be provided and explained during the term. In summary, students will be assessed on their demonstration of:
- Technical knowledge and application of the steps of the risk management process
- Understanding of various evidence collection methods
- Management of an accident scene
- Written expression & presentation of material
- Plan and prepare for an investigation.
- Employ effective communication strategies appropriate to investigative methods practice.
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the intermediate practitioner.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Portfolio
Part A: Preparedness (3%)
This assessment is designed to ensure that you are well prepared for your practicum at the crash lab. This assessment requires you to undertake a series of activities that will help you maximise your preparedness to be successful.
In order to achieve this you will need to:
- Review relevant literature (textbooks, websites, etc) to identify suitable literature, document templates and tools to support your investigation activities at the crash lab.
- Review the feedback you received for your workbook assessment tasks in AINV11003 Introduction to Investigative Methods.
- Review your learning from all previous AINV courses.
- Participate in the course lectures, or watch the recordings in Moodle, each week in the lead up to the residential school (Students in previous years have found this to be invaluable).
- Prepare your equipment required ready for the residential school - detailed in lectures and on Moodle.
- Complete a risk assessment of the hazards, risks and issues you might expect to encounter at the crash lab. As a minimum, you should assess the hazards you might expect to encounter at a two car collision on a suburban road. NOTE: The risk assessment needs to be submitted 1 week prior to the first day of the residential school.
Part B: Scene Management and Collection (21%)
During the residential school activities you will be working in teams. Each student will have the opportunity to collect and document physical evidence, take photographs of an accident scene, manually map an accident scene, interview witnesses and lead an investigation team.
You will update and add to your portfolios during the scheduled activities in the Crash Lab. These will include:
- Contemporaneous notes
- Accident scene sketches
- Evidence and photograph logs
- Continuity Records
- Photographs of the scene
- Witness statements
- Construction of a basic event tree
Before the end of the residential school, your portfolio will be assessed so that you can demonstrate your understanding of the material you have collected. Your professionalism, team leadership, team participation and witness interview technique will also be assessed during the activities at the residential school.
Note: You will be required to share your portfolio items you created at the res school with other members of your investigation team, so that your team members can complete their own practicum reports following the res school. Please make sure you bring a large capacity USB stick to the res school so that you can easily share files with your peers.
Please note: For members of your investigation teams to successfully finalise their portfolio items, you will need to share the artefacts that you collected or created during the investigation of the accident scenes. Failure to provide this information to your investigation team members in the period specified by your lecturers, will result in an automatic fail of this assignment.
Part C: Presentation (6%)
During the residential school you will develop and present a 10 minute talk, with supporting visual media on a topic to be advised during residential school. The instructions for this presentation will be provided on Day 1 of residential school. You will submit the visual media via Moodle by 0900 hours of the Monday after your residential school.
Part D: Professionalism: (Pass/Fail)
Throughout the Residential School you will be assessed on your ability to apply a professional approach to all activities.
Risk Assessment to be submitted 27 April 2020 9am (AEST). Portfolios will be assessed onsite at the crash lab. Presentation material to be submitted the Monday following the residential school. Further details of the assessment arrangements will be included in Moodle and at the commencement of the residential school.
Feedback will be provided on portfolio work before students leave the residential school
Note: This assessment- parts A, B & C is marked out of 100 marks in total, representing 30% of the overall grade for this unit. Part D is a Pass/Fail component. Part D must be passed in this assessment to pass the unit.
PART A: - Preparedness 10 marks (Crash Kit 10 marks, risk assessment 10 marks) Students are required to attend the first morning of the residential school with equipment and PPE detailed during the lectures. Failure to be prepared with detailed equipment and PPE will result in the student being excluded from the practical activities of the residential school until the shortcomings are corrected.
PART B: - Scene Management & Evidence Collection 70 marks (Scene management 25 marks, physical evidence collection 20 marks, witness statement 25 marks)
Scene Management - Management of the allocated team in the control of the accident site, and management of the team to undertake onsite duties for a thorough investigation.
Physical Evidence Collection – has collected, engaged with and can verbally explain:
- the photograph.
- sketch map and the process required to develop a scale map from this.
- log sheets completed by their team.
Also has
- witness statement - has identified the appropriate witness, planned questions, collects a statement using appropriate techniques and prepares a written witness statement.
- sufficient materials and understanding to be able to prepare a report.
- recognised weaknesses in collected materials and has a plan to address any shortcomings identified.
PART C: – Presentation 20 marks
Presentation – Presentation style, formatting & content will be marked against a matrix provided to the students prior to the residential school.
PART D:– Professionalism (Pass/Fail) Throughout the residential school, students are expected to apply professional approaches to all activities.
A detailed marking rubric will be available in Moodle at the commencement of term.
- Analyse an accident environment.
- Take accident photographs suitable for causation evidence.
- Conduct and record witness interviews in an appropriate manner.
- Apply principles of investigation law and continuity of evidence.
- Employ effective communication strategies appropriate to investigative methods practice.
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the intermediate practitioner.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Written Assessment
Following the residential school, you are required to prepare and submit a complete set of consolidated evidence artefacts in a preliminary report. You are also required to produce a reflection on the tasks you undertook at the residential school.
You are required to submit 2 documents:
1. Report
The evidence artefacts gathered during residential school need to be consolidated and presented in a report style document and should include, but not be limited to:
- Executive Summary pertaining to the accident you were managing
- Table of contents
- Background of accident you were managing
- Preliminary analysis (event tree)
- All logs for the accident you were managing. (Photograph, Evidence, Continuity, Access)
- Minimum of 15 photos demonstrating the activities taken at both.
- the accident you were managing, and
- the accident you were photographer for (total 30 photos)
- Sketch map of both
- the accident you were managing, and
- the accident you were map maker for.
- The scale map document prepared by you of the scene you were mapper for.
- The signed witness statement you collected.
- Outline what evidence you would wish to collect to assist you with your investigation and further lines of enquiry (mind map, or grouped listing etc.).
Artefacts should be appropriately captioned and sequenced in the report.
2. Reflection (approx. 1,000 words)
Practicum work conducted in the crash lab will emulate the evidence gathering in an accident investigation in the field and students will apply their knowledge of investigation methods. Following the residential school, you will:
- Review your performance in the portfolio and address any weaknesses
- Review and update your crash kit in readiness for your next investigation
- Review your practicum assessment outcomes from the residential school and reflect on potential remedial actions
- Reflect on your preparation and capacity for leadership of investigation teams
- Reflect on your professional practice confidence and competence during the residential school activities
- Highlight any changes you would make to your investigation undertaken.
Please note: For members of your investigation teams to successfully finalise their portfolio items you will need to share the artefacts that you collected or created during the investigation of the accident scenes. This is a component of professionalism and failure to provide this information to your investigation team members in a timely manner, will result in an automatic fail of this assignment.
We will discuss the expectations with regard to this assessment thoroughly prior to and during the residential school.
A detailed marking rubric will be available in Moodle during of term.
Review/Exam Week Wednesday (10 June 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Three weeks following submission
Report (40%)
The report should be a professionally presented format consisting of 1 .pdf file. it should contain the materials listed in the task. You will be assessed on:- The structure and layout of the document
- The accuracy of the material provided
- Depth of the background information
- Selection of photographs demonstrating the activities at the sites.
- Photograph quality
- Completeness of sketch map when you were mapper
- Accuracy of the scale map document produced
- The efficacy of the preliminary analysis (event tree)
- Extent of list of proposed lines of enquiry.
The document will be presented professionally, well set out and all copied material is required to be legible.
Reflection (10%)
Practicum work conducted in the crash lab will emulate the evidence gathering in an accident investigation in the field and students will apply their knowledge of investigation methods. Following the residential school, you are required to write a reflective piece covering the points set out in the task. You will be assessed on:
- Document structure
- Depth of reflection
- Any weaknesses are addressed with realistic remedial actions
- Punctuation and grammar
Please note: For members of your investigation teams to successfully finalise their portfolio items you will need to share the artefacts that you collected or created during the investigation of the accident scenes. Failure to provide this information to your investigation team members in the period specified by your lecturers, will result in an automatic fail of this assignment.
We will discuss the expectations with regard to this assessment thoroughly prior to and during the residential school
- Analyse an accident environment.
- Take accident photographs suitable for causation evidence.
- Conduct and record witness interviews in an appropriate manner.
- Prepare a detailed accident investigation report.
- Apply principles of investigation law and continuity of evidence.
- Employ effective communication strategies appropriate to investigative methods practice.
- Demonstrate reflective skills appropriate to the development of the intermediate practitioner.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
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.
What can you do to act with integrity?
