CRIM11003 - Indigenous Australians and the Criminal Justice System

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This foundational unit provides you with the knowledge and skills to work effectively within Indigenous contexts of the Criminal Justice System. This unit responds to the over-representation of Indigenous Australians within the criminal justice system, as offenders and as victims. You will discuss the impact of invasion and economic disenfranchisement on individuals and communities and explain systemic responses in policing, courts and corrections. Through the curriculum, you will be equipped with the skills and expertise to work toward sustainable societies that respond to inclusiveness based on respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance. This unit explores the position of Indigenous Australians before the Western justice system and provides you with the attributes that allow you to be an active citizen engaged in reconciliation and social justice for Indigenous Australians.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the 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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2024

Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Online

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).

Assessment Overview

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 50%
2. Online Quiz(zes) 20%
3. Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books 30%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 83.33% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 31.58% response rate.

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.

Source: Survey
Feedback
Overall fantastic unit with excellent and informative content which is truly applicable to real-world situations.
Recommendation
Build on current content and themes, and update course materials to include discussion of contemporary real-world events and issues.
Action Taken
Many of the previous unit materials were retained. These were further enhanced by application of First Nations developed content.
Source: Survey
Feedback
Included many assessments, fewer submissions would be easier to keep track of.
Recommendation
Further refine assessment structures and number of submissions required, and send reminders of upcoming deadlines.
Action Taken
Assessment due dates were staggered, with an overarching document providing the term schedule and due dates. The due dates were clearly stated on Moodle, and reminders were provided to students via Moodle and Teams, as well as regularly in workshops.
Source: Survey/in class
Feedback
Class was interesting and challenging, learned a lot about Indigenous history and experiences in the justice system.
Recommendation
Continue to build on content that contextualises current experiences of the criminal justice system within the history and legacy of colonialism. Further develop interactive class activities that encourage exploration and discussion of these issues.
Action Taken
Workshop activities were challenging and creative, allowing students to explore complex and controversial topics and issues in a safe learning environment. The ability for students to explore unfamiliar events and issues was remarked upon in qualitative student feedback. Workshop attendance should continue to be promoted throughout the course of the term to ensure attendance and participation are sustained.
Source: Student feedback - evaluations
Feedback
Applicability and relevance of course materials
Recommendation
Ensure that students understand why specific materials are being provided on Moodle by providing a synopsis (either written or recorded) and mentioning materials in the lecture recording. Application and discussion of the materials provided on Moodle should continue during workshops and attendance should be encouraged to ensure the opportunity to apply learning materials in a problem-based learning framework.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Student feedback - qualitative
Feedback
Safety of learning environment
Recommendation
Students appreciated the provision of a safe learning environment in which complex and controversial topics could be explored, debated and discussed without judgement. This is critical when considering the bias and pre-conceptions that students may bring to the unit, particularly non-indigenous students. Continue to foster a safe space for learning through inclusive, reciprocal dialogue, role modelling and carefully considered feedback.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Critique the connections between the criminal justice system, health, mental health and poverty, particularly for Indigenous Australian youth
  2. Critically reflect on current strategies that aim to improve relations between Indigenous Australians and criminal justice agencies
  3. Discuss the impact of historical and contemporary approaches to criminal justice on Indigenous Australians
  4. Discuss theories of colonialism and post-colonialism as they pertain to contemporary Australian justice issues
  5. Communicate using fundamental Indigenous Australian cultural competency.

No external accreditation is relevant to this award.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment • • •
2 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • •
2 - Problem Solving • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • •
2 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • •
3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books • • • •