Students

PICX818 – Counter Terrorism

2017 – S2 OUA

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lise Waldek
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
PICT818 Counter Terrorism 2017 S2 Evening PICT818 Counter Terrorism 2017 S2 External
Unit description Unit description
Terrorism is a controversial issue in part because of the debates and confusions around how best to defend against it. This unit will build on PICX802 by critically examining a range of themes central to effective practical counterterrorism, from a community, state, regional and global perspective. Strategic and tactical counter terrorism will be explored with particular focus on key concepts such as radicalization and de-radicalisation, countering violent extremism, and understanding terrorist narratives and counter narratives. Wider issues contextualising the sociology and anthropology of terrorist violence will be considered, as will ethical debates concerning appropriate counterterrorism response, how terrorism ends, and the relationship between counterterrorism and human rights. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Active Participation 10% No Ongoing
Critical Literature Review 40% No Sunday of Week 5
Research Essay 50% No Sunday of Week 11

Active Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Active Participation refers to the demonstration of sustained informed and critical contributions to seminars or online forums, the demonstration of reflective intellectual practice, the completion of some online or in-class tasks, and the demonstration that you have engaged with the set reading materials for the course. Active participation will primarily be seminar based for internal students, and online forum for external and OUA students. Details on the requirement are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Critical Literature Review

Due: Sunday of Week 5
Weighting: 40%

This assessment requires you to compare, contrast, and critically assess two peer-reviewed academic journal articles on counter-terrorism. You will be expected to identify and cogently argue the strengths and weaknesses of these articles, and contextualise them within the broader field of counter-terrorism studies. Further instructions on this assignment will be available to enrolled students through the iLearn site. Additional information will also be communicated in lectures. This task is due at midnight on the Sunday of Week 5. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Research Essay

Due: Sunday of Week 11
Weighting: 50%

This assignment requires you to write a sustained 3500 word critical research essay on a key scholarly debate relating to countering terrorism and/or countering violent extremism. The essay will demonstrate you have critically engaged with contemporary literature on counter terrorism and countering violent extremism, that you have critically evaluated a range of perspectives, and synthesised them into a coherent and appropriately evidenced argument. A series of essay questions will be displayed through the iLearn site and students are required to select one question from the list. Instructions on the essay questions and further guidance for this task are available to enrolled students on the iLearn site, and will be communicated in lectures. This task is due at Midnight on the Sunday of Week 11. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Delivery and Resources

DELIVERY AND RESOURCES

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in iLearn discussion forums and preparing assessments. 
  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar and tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.
  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit. 

REQUIRED READINGS

  • The citations for all of the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site. Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement. 
  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au
  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
  • Information about IT used for this unit is available at https://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • All text based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked, and returned electronically. This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.
  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS Word document by the due date.
  • Most assessment tasks will be subjected to a 'Turnitin' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university's Disruption Policy. Extensions will not in normal circumstances be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Disruption to Study: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration/disruption-to-studies

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • If an assignment is submitted late, 5% of the available mark will be deducted for each day (including weekends) the paper is late.
  • For example, if a paper is worth 20 marks, 1 mark will be deducted from the grade given for each day that it is late (i.e. a student given 15/20 who submitted 4 days late will lose 4 marks = 11/20).
  • The same principle applies if an extension is granted and the assignment is submitted later than the amended date. 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.
  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.
  • If the number of words exceeds the limit by more than 10%, penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words over the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

  • Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: http://student.mq.edu.au/support/complaints_appeals/appeals/grade_appeals/
  • Conforming to the Grade Appeal Policy, individual works are not subject to regrading

STAFF AVAILABILITY

  • Department staff will endeavor to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.
  • Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.

Unit Schedule

UNIT SCHEDULE

  1. Introduction: Violence and Counter Violence as modes of communication
  2. Hard Counter Terrorism: War and Military engagement
  3. Hard Counter Terrorism: Covert and Proxy engagement
  4. Soft Counter Terrorism: Negotiations and Sanctions
  5. Resourcing CT – Policing, military, intelligence
  6. CT in the International Environment
  7. Countering Violent Extremism: UK Prevent Case-study
  8. Countering Violent Extremism: Ideology vs Individual
  9. CT in the Australian Context
  10. NSW and Social resilience
  11. Rehabilitation and/or Punishment: The role of the prison in CT
  12. Ethical and Legal issues in CVE
  13. Conclusion 

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment tasks

  • Active Participation
  • Critical Literature Review
  • Research Essay

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Active Participation
  • Critical Literature Review
  • Research Essay

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment tasks

  • Active Participation
  • Critical Literature Review
  • Research Essay

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment tasks

  • Critical Literature Review
  • Research Essay

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment tasks

  • Active Participation
  • Critical Literature Review
  • Research Essay

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Assessment task

  • Active Participation