Student Learning
Division of Students and Education
XLL010
Introductory Academic Program
Unit Outline
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
What is the unit about?
Unit description
The Introductory Academic Program (IAP) is a four week pre-semester course designed specifically for AusAID and other scholarship holders newly arrived at the Hobart and Launceston campuses. It aims to facilitate adjustment to everyday life in Australia, Australian academic culture and student life at each campus; to develop students' English language and academic skills for the successful completion of their chosen degrees; and to diagnose areas of difficulty and recommend ongoing strategies to assist with these.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1.Access resources, facilities and staff to support transition to Australian student life.
2.Conduct research effectively using the University of Tasmania Library and apply the referencing conventions of your chosen discipline and course.
3.Produce academic work that demonstrates honesty and adheres to the general academic conventions at the University of Tasmania.
4.Deliver a structured multimedia presentation on a familiar or research topic.
5.Plan for ongoing development of academic skills to succeed at university.
Graduate Quality Statement
| The University of Tasmania experience unlocks the potential of individuals. Our graduates are equipped and inspired to shape and respond to the opportunities and challenges of the future as accomplished communicators, highly regarded professionals and culturally competent citizens in local, national, and global society. University of Tasmania graduates acquire subject and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills and develop creative and critical literacies and skills of inquiry. Our graduates recognise and critically evaluate issues of social responsibility, ethical conduct and sustainability. Through respect for diversity and by working in individual and collaborative ways, our graduates reflect the values of the University of Tasmania. |
Alterations to the unit as a result of student feedback
The Introductory Academic Program is revised and updated each semester in response to student suggestions and comments.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment schedule
Assessment Task | Date Due | Links to Intended Learning Outcomes |
Assessment Task 1: Diagnostic essay | First draft: Wednesday June 10, 1pm | 3, 5 |
Assessment Task 2: Article critique A | Tuesday June 16, 5pm | 2, 3 |
Assessment Task 3: Article critique B | Friday June 19, 11am | 2, 3 |
Assessment Task 4: Synthesis | First draft: Thursday June 25, 1pm | 1, 2, 3, 5 |
Assessment Task 5: Oral presentation | Tuesday June 30, 9.30am | 2, 4 |
Assessment details
Assessment task 1: Diagnostic essay
Task description
Read an article and use ideas from the text and your own ideas to write an essay that answers the question in the box below (you have 60 minutes to complete the task). You should write the essay in academic style. You should use your own ideas, and also discuss the ideas in the reading. Do not copy from the reading - use your own words. Make sure your essay answers the essay question. Please reference your source(s) in the style used in your School.
Essay Question
| What are some cultural differences in nonverbal communication? Do you agree that nonverbal communication can cause misunderstandings and conflict in cross-cultural interactions? Give reasons to support your answer. |
Reading
The reading is taken from the following source:
Michelle LeBaron, 2003, 'Cross-cultural communication' in Beyond Intractability, edited by Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Published by the Conflict Resolution Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Task length
The essay should be 300-500 words long. This task links to intended learning outcomes 3 and 5.
Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria will be handed out in class, and will also be available on the IAP MyLO site.
Date due
First draft: Wednesday June 10, 1pm (to be begun in class)
Final draft: Thursday June 18, 2pm
Assessment task 2: Article critique A
Task description
A short critique of a journal article on a topic relevant to your chosen degree.
You will use the same topic for Tasks 2, 3 and 4. The topic should be a current topic of scholarly research or debate in your study area. Choose a topic that is important, that you are interested in, and that you are likely to cover in your University of Tasmania course. You will complete three pieces of writing on your chosen topic. Tasks 2 and 3 focus on one article each. In Task 4, you will compare these two articles. It is therefore important to choose articles which are about the same topic, and where there are points of comparison.
Choose your first journal article.
The purpose of this critique is to outline:
- the 'problem' the article addresses and why it is important in your field of study
- the purpose of the research or argument
- the key findings or central argument
- the research method or argument structure
It should also evaluate:
- Whether the purpose has been achieved
- What the article adds to your knowledge and understanding of the topic
- Whether the conclusions are justified
Task length
250 words. This task links to intended learning outcomes 2 and 3
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on how well you:
- Outline the article content
- Evaluate the argument or research
- Use the source
- Communicate in the form of a critique
- Use the conventions of academic English grammar, vocabulary and formal register
A detailed Criterion Referenced Assessment sheet (CRA) will be available on MyLO
Date due
Tuesday June 16, 5pm
Assessment Task 3: Article Critique B
Task description
A short critique of a journal article on a topic relevant to your chosen degree.
Choose a journal article on the same topic as for Article Critique A.
The purpose of this critique is to outline:
- the 'problem' the article addresses and why it is important in your field of study
- the purpose of the research or argument
- the key findings or central argument
- the research method or argument structure
It should also evaluate:
- Whether the purpose has been achieved
- What the article adds to your knowledge and understanding of the topic
- Whether the conclusions are justified
Task length
250 words. This task links to intended learning outcomes 2 and 3.
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on how well you:
- Outline the article content
- Evaluate the argument or research
- Use the source
- Communicate in the form of a critique
- Use the conventions of academic English grammar, vocabulary and formal register
A detailed Criterion Referenced Assessment sheet (CRA) will be available on MyLO
Date due
Friday June 19, 11am
Assessment Task 4: Synthesis
Task description
This is a short review of your research on your topic. You will use the same topic and journal articles as for Critiques A and B. In this task, you will compare the two articles.
Your synthesis will:
- Introduce the topic and its importance in your area of study
- Compare and contrast some recent research in this area
- Identify knowledge gaps or debates, and make suggestions for future work
Task length
500 words. This task links to intended learning outcomes 1, 2,3 and 5.
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on how well you:
- Introduce the topic and its importance in the area of study
- Compare and contrast the two articles
- Identify knowledge gaps or debates, and make suggestions for future work
- Use sources
- Communicate in the form of an essay
- Use the conventions of academic English grammar, vocabulary and formal register
A detailed Criterion Referenced Assessment sheet (CRA) will be available on MyLO
Date due
First draft: Thursday June 25, 1pm
Final draft: Wednesday July 1, 2pm
Assessment Task 5: Oral Presentation
Task description
You will give an oral presentation to the class (and some invited guests) in the final week of the course.
Topic
You can choose the topic for your presentation. It is often useful to choose a topic related to your university study. For example, you could talk about your research area and why it is important, or about the course you have chosen and what you expect to learn. Alternatively you may like to give a presentation about an aspect of life in your home country.
Visuals
A laptop and data projector will be available for the presentations. You should use appropriate visual materials to enhance your talk. You may wish to use PowerPoint for this. If you have not used a data projector or PowerPoint before, there will be a chance to practise using them before the talk. There will be a session on using visuals on Thursday January 29. It would be good if you could have a rough outline of the content of your presentation, and an idea about how you will use visuals, by this date.
Referencing
As with all academic work, any quotations, paraphrases, pictures, maps or graphs that you use during the talk must be referenced appropriately. This means an in-text reference on the slide on which you use the source, and a slide with a full reference list at the end of the talk.
Practice session
You will be able to practise your talk and get feedback from the teacher in class time on Tuesday June 30.
Task length
The presentation should be 15 minutes long. There will be 5 minutes for the audience to ask you questions about your topic at the end of your talk. This task links to intended learning outcomes 2 and 4.
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on:
- Content of presentation
- Structure of presentation
- Delivery
- English expression
A detailed Criterion Referenced Assessment sheet (CRA) will be available on MyLO
Date due
- Thursday June 11: Confirm the topic for your presentation
- Wednesday June 17: Class time to work on the visuals for your presentation
- Tuesday June 30, 9am: Practise your presentation in class time
- Wednesday July 1 or Thursday July 2: Presentations to audience
How your final result is determined
Students do not receive a final grade for the IAP. The feedback from assessment tasks can be used to help you identify areas to continue working on.
Submission of assignments
Assessment Task 1 (Diagnostic Essay) should be submitted in class.
Assessment Tasks 2, 3 and 4 (Article Critques and Synthesis) should be submitted online through the MyLO Drop box. (There will be explanations in class about how to do this.)
Assessment Task 5 (Oral Presentation) will be delivered in class time in the final week of the course.
All written assessment tasks should use the following presentation standards:
- Word-processed
- Minimum 2.5cm left-hand margin and 1.5pt line spacing, with minimum 12 point font
- All pages numbered
- Proof-read (i.e. checked for spelling errors and grammatical mistakes).
Requests for extensions
Given the intensive nature of the IAP course, students are encouraged to submit work by the due date wherever possible. If an extension is required, please email the Unit Coordinator before the due date.
Penalties
As assignments are not graded, there are no penalties for submitting work late. However, it may not be possible to provide timely feedback on work submitted after the due date.
Academic referencing
In your written work you will need to support your ideas by referring to scholarly literature, works of art and/or inventions. It is important that you understand how to correctly refer to the work of others, and how to maintain academic integrity.
Failure to appropriately acknowledge the ideas of others constitutes academic dishonesty (plagiarism), a matter considered by the University of Tasmania as a serious offence.
The appropriate referencing style for this unit is the one you will use in your chosen degree - please discuss with the unit coordinator.
The University library provides information on presentation of assignments, including referencing styles and should be referred to when completing tasks in this unit.
Please read the following statement on plagiarism. Should you require clarification please see your unit coordinator or lecturer.
PlagiarismPlagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else's thoughts, writings or inventions and representing them as your own; for example, using an author's words without putting them in quotation marks and citing the source, using an author's ideas without proper acknowledgment and citation, copying another student's work. If you have any doubts about how to refer to the work of others in your assignments, please consult your lecturer or tutor for relevant referencing guidelines. You may also find the Academic Honesty site on MyLO of assistance. The intentional copying of someone else's work as one's own is a serious offence punishable by penalties that may range from a fine or deduction/cancellation of marks and, in the most serious of cases, to exclusion from a unit, a course or the University. The University and any persons authorised by the University may submit your assessable works to a plagiarism checking service, to obtain a report on possible instances of plagiarism. Assessable works may also be included in a reference database. It is a condition of this arrangement that the original author’s permission is required before a work within the database can be viewed. |
For further information on this statement and general referencing guidelines, see the Plagiarism and Academic Integrity page on the University web site or the Academic Honesty site on MyLO.
Academic misconduct
Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, allowing another student to copy work for an assignment or an examination, and any other conduct by which a student:
- seeks to gain, for themselves or for any other person, any academic advantage or advancement to which they or that other person are not entitled; or
- improperly disadvantages any other student.
Students engaging in any form of academic misconduct may be dealt with under the Ordinance of Student Discipline, and this can include imposition of penalties that range from a deduction/cancellation of marks to exclusion from a unit or the University. Details of penalties that can be imposed are available in Ordinance 9 Student Discipline - Part 3 Academic Misconduct.
What learning opportunities are there?
MyLO
MyLO is the online learning environment at the University of Tasmania. This is the system that will host the online learning materials and activities for this unit.
Getting help with MyLO
It is important that you are able to access and use MyLO as part of your study in this unit. To find out more about the features and functions of MyLO, and to practice using them, visit the Getting Started in MyLO unit.
For access to information about MyLO and a range of step-by-step guides in pdf, word and video format, visit the MyLO Student Support page on the University website.
If something is not working as it should, contact the Service Desk (Service.Desk@utas.edu.au, phone 6226 1818), or Request IT Help Online.
Resources
Required readings
There is no set text for this unit. However, you will be required to find and read academic journal articles relevant to your chosen degree. The Library sessions will teach you how to search for suitable articles. A good starting point is the Library subject guides, available here: http://utas.libguides.com/home
There is also a very useful online guide to using the UTAS library available here: http://utas.libguides.com/new_students
Equipment, materials, software, accounts
You will need to have access to a computer in order to complete and submit your written assignments. The University Library has computers available for student use; you can find information about access to the Morris Miller Library here: //www.utas.edu.au/library/libraries/libraries/morris-miller-library
If you have your own laptop, it will be useful to bring it to the classroom sessions.
Activities
Learning expectationsThe University is committed to high standards of professional conduct in all activities, and holds its commitment and responsibilities to its students as being of paramount importance. Likewise, it holds expectations about the responsibilities students have as they pursue their studies within the special environment the University offers. The University's Code of Conduct for Teaching and Learning states: Students are expected to participate actively and positively in the teaching/learning environment. They must attend classes when and as required, strive to maintain steady progress within the subject or unit framework, comply with workload expectations, and submit required work on time. |
Details of teaching arrangements
Regular classes
Regular classes are held daily from 9.30am - 1pm, Monday to Friday, from Tuesday June 9 - Friday July 3, with some afternoon sessions. These are listed below.
Additional classes
There will be afternoon sessions on:
- Tuesday June 9, 2 - 3pm
- Tuesday June 16, 2 - 4pm
- Thursday June 25, 2 - 3pm
- Tuesday June 30, 2 - 3pm
Excursions
- Tour of University campus and Sandy Bay shops:Wed June 10, 9.30 - 11
- Tour of Hobart city and op shops:Fri June 12, 11.30 - 1
- Bruny Island Cultural Immersion trip (2 days):Mon June 22 & Tues June 23
- Bonorong Wildlife Park & Richmond:Mon June 29, 9.30 - 3
There will be no classes on Monday June 8 as this is a public holiday.
The timetable at the end of this unit outline gives you full details of the program.
Specific attendance/performance requirements
It is a requirement of the AusAID scholarship that students attend all classes. If you are unable to attend any sessions, please notify the unit coordinator in advance.
It is a requirement that all assignments be completed by the due dates. If you are having trouble completing the assignments, please notify the unit coordinator before the due date. Students who fail to complete all assessment tasks will not receive a certificate of course completion. It is important to note that past students have found the assignments to be valuable preparation for their chosen degrees.
Teaching and learning strategies
The IAP program is co-ordinated, designed and delivered by Student Learning lecturers, together with guest sessions from Student Centre student advisers, counsellors and university librarians. The program emphasises group discussion and hands-on learning, and students will have opportunities to develop confidence, build relationships and work effectively with others. Individual writing and speaking assignments will allow students to focus on content relevant to their chosen degrees, and receive feedback that helps them identify and practise areas for further development of written and spoken academic skills. The program acknowledges that students are mostly newly arrived in Tasmania, and thus includes sessions on adapting to everyday life here, as well as excursions to places of local interest.
Work Health and Safety (WHS)
The University is committed to providing a safe and secure teaching and learning environment. In addition to specific requirements of this unit you should refer to the University's Work Health and Safety website and policy.
Communication
Your Student Learning lecturers will see you in class each day, and tell you of any changes to the teaching program or any other arrangements. News and announcements will also be posted on MyLO.
Further information and assistance
If you are experiencing difficulties with your studies or assignments, have personal or life-planning issues, disability or illness which may affect your course of study, you are advised to raise these with the unit coordinator in the first instance.
There is a range of University-wide support services available to you including Student Learning Support, Student Advisers, Disability Services, and more which can be found on the Student Support and Development page of the University website.
Should you require assistance in accessing the Library, visit their website for more information.
Unit Schedule
Below is a sample schedule for this unit.
Week 1 | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
9.30 - 11.00 | QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY | Welcome, online enrolments and banking information Sharmila, Debbie (CBA) | Campus Tour and Morag | Academic integrity/plagiarism: workshop & discussion Priorities for City & Op Shop Tour Morag | Library orientation (2) Catalogue searches, databases and alerts Morris Miller Library E-Lab 1 Find article for Task 2 Louise |
11.00 - 11.30 | Break | Break | Break | Break | |
11.30 - 1.00 | Introduction to Unit Outline & timetable; Needs Analysis survey Writing task 1 - Diagnostic essay Louise | 11.30 - 12.00 Library orientation (1) Tour Intro to individual writing task & presentation CHOOSE TOPIC Intro to UTas website & MyLO homework task [SUBMIT TASK 1 by 1.00pm] Morag | 11.30 - 12.30 12.30 - 1.00 Homework follow-up Individual writing task: Morag | City and Op Shop Tour Louise | |
1.00 - 2.00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
2.00 - 3.00pm Admin & scholarship matters Sharmila | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | 2.30 - 4.30pm Louise available for meetings to discuss article for Task 2 |
Week 2 | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
9.30 - 11.00 | 9.00 start Louise | Incorporating sources, reporting the work of others, paraphrasing (1) Morag | Presentation/seminar skills (1): content and structure Morag | Incorporating sources, reporting the work of others, paraphrasing (2) [SUBMIT TASK 1 FINAL DRAFT by 2.00pm] Louise | 9.30 - 10.30 Legal & (Alison/David) |
11.00 - 11.30 | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break |
11.30 - 1.00 | Individual writing task: critical analysis Louise | Individual writing task: analysing a model answer, giving peer feedback, improving the first draft [Individual writing task Morag | Presentation/seminar skills (2): Delivery/ pronunciation Using Powerpoint & Prezi to enhance presentation skills Morag | Library orientation (3) Louise | Formal academic style [Individual writing task Louise |
1.00 - 2.00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
Afternoon | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | 2.00-4.00 Time management; Building resilience to Stress (Iona Green) | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) |
Week 3 | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
9.30 - 11.00 | Bruny Island Trip | Bruny Island Trip | Incorporating sources, reporting the work of others, paraphrasing (3) [Individual writing task Morag | 9.00 start Morag’s office Morag | Writing - focus on grammar & discourse, including cohesion (3) Louise |
11.00 - 11.30 | Break | Break | Break | ||
11.30 - 1.00 | Individual writing task: preparing to write a research review (Task 4) Morag | Referencing skills [Individual writing task Morag | Pronunciation Louise | ||
1.00 - 2.00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
Afternoon | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) | 2.00 - 3.00 Healthcare, Emergencies, Safety and More (Alison/David) | Faculty/School visits (to be arranged) |
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| Attribution information | |
|---|---|
| Title: | XLL010 - Introductory Academic Program - Unit Outline |
| Source: | https://www.utas.edu.au/health/resources/open-resources/resources/courses/iap/iap-unit-outline |
| Author: | Nell Rundle |
