Overview
This unit examines the major agricultural production systems used for food and fibre production. Students will gain an overview of the importance and scale of agricultural industries from Queensland, national and global contexts. The unit covers on-farm management and recognises the constraints to production in current and future farming systems. Understanding of different components of on-farm management will be combined with a broader understanding of how the components interact with each other and the wider worlds of nature and economics. Key factors involved in establishing new industries and the importance of comparative and competitive advantages to the ongoing success of existing industries in a competitive global market are considered. The unit provides foundation knowledge for more detailed studies in agricultural science and agribusiness.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
BIOL11101 Field and Farm Ecology
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 - 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).
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 Comments in class
More time spent explaining expectations for assessment tasks would have been useful
No changes to be made. This course was in teach out in 2016 and will not be offered again.
- Describe the features of the major agricultural production systems in Queensland, Australia and globally.
- Appraise aspects of the production systems and identify areas where future constraints to production are likely to occur.
- Apply knowledge of competitive and comparative advantage to explain success of major agricultural industries in Queensland.
- Identify interactions among production practices and environmental and economic factors that characterise different production systems.
None applicable
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 25% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||
| 3 - Examination - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 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 - Presentation - 25% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Examination - 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.
c.j.oneill@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to the course.
Overview of global, Australian and Queensland agricultural industries.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
A brief history of Agriculture: the evolution of agricultural production systems.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Current production status of Queensland and Australian agricultural industries.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Beef industry production practises
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Other livestock industries production practises
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cropping industry production practises
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Horticultural industry production practises
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Competitive and comparative advantages: livestock industries
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Competitive and comparative advantages: plant industries
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Environmental considerations in agricultural production
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Future farming systems: trends and technologies that will shape agricultural production - sustainability
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Summary
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Please note there is no Residential School for this unit
1 Presentation
Prepare and deliver a 25 minute presentation (about 25 PowerPoint slides) to the class (and expect 5 minutes of questions from the class) on a Queensland agricultural industry of your choosing. You must choose an industry or industry sector that generates a single main product (eg the egg production industry sector rather than the poultry industry, or fresh market tomato industry rather than the vegetable industry). Check with your lecturer for the choice of the topic and theme of the presentation.
In your presentation, you should cover the following topics:
- Size and location of the industry in Queensland and in Australia
- Production practices used by the industry
- Major issues faced by producers in the industry in Queensland
- Your views on how you think the industry will change in the future
Assessment will be based on accuracy of the information presented, your presentation skills and your understanding of the material presented.
Week 5 Wednesday (5 Apr 2017) 10:30 am AEST
Presentation in week 5 via Zoom
Week 5 Friday (7 Apr 2017)
The presentation will be assessed for effective communication (as per evaluation sheet provided)
Assessment will be based on accuracy of the information presented, your presentation skills and your understanding of the material presented.
APS 2017: Assignment 1 Feedback Sheet for presentation skills
Presentation Evaluation Sheet
Title:
Speaker:
| Ext | Gd | Av | NI | Comment | |
| Opening: (3 pts) | |||||
| Attention getting | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Logical | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Sets scene | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Body: (5 pts) | |||||
| Main points articulated | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Supporting material | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Transition | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Sound reasoning | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Sources cited | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Conclusion: (2 pts) | |||||
| Logical closure | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Sufficient information | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Delivery: (4 pts) | |||||
| Physical presence | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Vocal variety | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Eye contact | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Use of notes | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Use of pause | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Use of visual aids | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Use of humour | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Gestures | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
| Overall: (6 pts) | |||||
| Convincing argument | Ex | Gd | Av | NI | |
Evaluation: Ex = Excellent; Gd = Good; Av = Average; NI = Needs Improvement
Time:
Most need of improvement:
Highlight of presentation:
- Describe the features of the major agricultural production systems in Queensland, Australia and globally.
- Appraise aspects of the production systems and identify areas where future constraints to production are likely to occur.
- Apply knowledge of competitive and comparative advantage to explain success of major agricultural industries in Queensland.
- Identify interactions among production practices and environmental and economic factors that characterise different production systems.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Cross Cultural Competence
2 Written Assessment
Select an agricultural enterprise and present an analysis of the key production practices used in a crop or livestock production system at the enterprise. Focus on the practices that are used to optimise productivity and product quality. In your analysis of the production practices, describe the practices and explain how each practice influences productivity and/or product quality. Use information from the scientific literature to support your key points.Check with your lecturer the choice of topic and thematic statement for the report.
A scientific report with a word limit for the assignment of 3000 words (plus or minus 10%).
Week 10 Wednesday (17 May 2017) 10:30 am AEST
Electronic submission
Week 12 Wednesday (31 May 2017)
Electronic submission
Assessment criteria for this assessment item are:
- Knowledge of the practices used in agricultural production and understanding of the basis for use of the practices
- Ability to analyse and evaluate information presented throughout the course
- Ability to communicate in a written scientific format
APS 2017: Assignment 2 Feedback Sheet
| Criteria | Possible Marks | Your Mark | Comment |
| Quality of Argument: | (35) | ||
| Your written work fully addresses all parts of the assignment question. | 10 | ||
| Your argument/thesis statement is fully supported by the reference material that you have chosen, but you haven’t been biased. | 10 | ||
| You have chosen reference material that is relevant to the assignment question and you have presented this material accurately. | 10 | ||
| You have discussed the topic in detail – only one sentence per point. | 5 | ||
| Written Expression: | (15) | ||
| Fluent and succinct writing – short sentences; only one idea in a sentence and paragraph; correct spelling and punctuation; use of a topic sentence for each paragraph; word length correct +- 10%. | 10 | ||
| Harvard referencing and all references acknowledged. Note: maximum of 10% as an internet reference | 5 | ||
| TOTAL | 50 |
Word count (3000):
General comment:
- Appraise aspects of the production systems and identify areas where future constraints to production are likely to occur.
- Apply knowledge of competitive and comparative advantage to explain success of major agricultural industries in Queensland.
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
Examination
Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).
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?
