Students

LAWS4099 – Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) On-Campus Consultancy

2020 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Carolyn Adams
carolyn.adams@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
160cp in LAW or LAWS units and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Students will interact directly with professionals from Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) partner organisations drawn from the legal profession, government, industry and civil society. Mentors from partner organisations will work with students on real world research projects that will feed into and support the legal work of the partner organisation. Mentors will also discuss with students the highlights and challenges of working in their particular field. Students will work in professionally oriented teams to meet the research needs of the partner organisation and will present the results of their research to their partner organisation and their peers for consideration and feedback. Applications to undertake LAWS499 in Session 2 will close at the end of Week 5 in Session 1. The process for enrolling in LAWS499 is to submit a request for an on-line application form by emailing arts.pace@mq.edu.au. If your application is approved you will be advised to submit an application for Special Approval to finalise your enrolment in the unit. The Special Approval Permission Waiver is the last stage in the process, so you do not need to submit this until advised.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • ULO1: engage in a professional and collaborative way with a PACE Partner Organisation on a research project, ensuring that the goals of the research project are understood and met to the greatest extent possible.
  • ULO2: engage in a respectful and collaborative way with other students, including other team members. Ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team project.
  • ULO3: examine a real world research question from a range of angles, including comparative and cross disciplinary approaches where appropriate. Apply theoretical knowledge to complex real world questions. Demonstrate targeted, thorough, comprehensively referenced and academically rigorous research and analysis in response to the question.
  • ULO4: communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.
  • ULO5: recognise and reflect on your own strengths and limitations in relation to your interpersonal skills and your ability to work effectively in a team.

General Assessment Information

Late Penalties

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 (including weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments, for example, group presentation to PACE partner, quizzes and online tests.

Submission

All written assessments in the unit are to be submitted electronically by way of Turnitin on the iLearn page. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit.

Format

All assessment tasks in this unit must be typed in Word format and be double spaced to facilitate marking in Turnitin.

Word Limits

Word limits will be strictly applied and work above the word limit will not be assessed. 

Moderation

Detailed marking rubrics will be made available on iLearn.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 0% Yes Week 1 to Week 13
Team Project Plan 10% No Week 5, Friday, 28 August 2020, 5 pm
Reflective Essay 20% No Mid Session Break, Friday, 18 September 2020, 5 pm
Team Oral Presentation 10% No Week 12, Thursday, 29 October 2020
Team Research Report 60% No Week 13, Friday, 6 November 2020, 5 pm

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26.00 hours
Due: Week 1 to Week 13
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is a Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) unit and it is a requirement of the course that students are able to attend and participate in all of the two hour tutorials in person. The unit is run as an on-campus consultancy and tutorials are considered the workplace for this PACE placement. Students are briefed and oriented during tutorials in Weeks 1 to 3. Students meet and liaise with their external partner organisation during tutorials. They also meet and work with their team each week to develop their research project plan, research report and oral presentation. Students receive explicit training in, for example, team work, providing feedback to peers and marketing their PACE experience to potential employers during tutorials. Finally, students present their oral presentation to their partner organisation and peers for review and feedback during tutorials.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • engage in a professional and collaborative way with a PACE Partner Organisation on a research project, ensuring that the goals of the research project are understood and met to the greatest extent possible.
  • engage in a respectful and collaborative way with other students, including other team members. Ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team project.
  • examine a real world research question from a range of angles, including comparative and cross disciplinary approaches where appropriate. Apply theoretical knowledge to complex real world questions. Demonstrate targeted, thorough, comprehensively referenced and academically rigorous research and analysis in response to the question.
  • communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.

Team Project Plan

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Week 5, Friday, 28 August 2020, 5 pm
Weighting: 10%

Each team is required to submit a Project Plan in response to the project brief provided by the PACE partner organisation. The plan must include a clear outline of how the team proposes to approach the project. It should provide sufficient detail for the PACE partner to be able to give feedback and advice in response. The convenor assesses the Project Plans and the PACE partner provides formative feedback on the plans to ensure the final reports meet the needs of the partner organisation.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • engage in a professional and collaborative way with a PACE Partner Organisation on a research project, ensuring that the goals of the research project are understood and met to the greatest extent possible.
  • engage in a respectful and collaborative way with other students, including other team members. Ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team project.
  • examine a real world research question from a range of angles, including comparative and cross disciplinary approaches where appropriate. Apply theoretical knowledge to complex real world questions. Demonstrate targeted, thorough, comprehensively referenced and academically rigorous research and analysis in response to the question.
  • communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.

Reflective Essay

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16.00 hours
Due: Mid Session Break, Friday, 18 September 2020, 5 pm
Weighting: 20%

Each student is required to submit a reflective essay focusing on their experience as a team member in LAWS4099. The essay must recognise and reflect on individual strengths and limitations in relation to interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team. It must indicate what students have learned about effective teamwork and how they are seeking to apply that learning to improve their performance as a team member and the performance of the team as a whole.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.
  • recognise and reflect on your own strengths and limitations in relation to your interpersonal skills and your ability to work effectively in a team.

Team Oral Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24.00 hours
Due: Week 12, Thursday, 29 October 2020
Weighting: 10%

The teams are required to present the results of their research to their PACE Partner Organisation as an oral presentation during the tutorial held in Week 12. Each member of the team must be present for and participate in the presentation and be prepared to answer questions and respond to feedback from their PACE partner and their peers.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • engage in a respectful and collaborative way with other students, including other team members. Ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team project.
  • examine a real world research question from a range of angles, including comparative and cross disciplinary approaches where appropriate. Apply theoretical knowledge to complex real world questions. Demonstrate targeted, thorough, comprehensively referenced and academically rigorous research and analysis in response to the question.
  • communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.

Team Research Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 60.00 hours
Due: Week 13, Friday, 6 November 2020, 5 pm
Weighting: 60%

Each team is required to submit a Team Research Report, prepared in response to the research project set by their PACE Partner Organisation.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • engage in a professional and collaborative way with a PACE Partner Organisation on a research project, ensuring that the goals of the research project are understood and met to the greatest extent possible.
  • engage in a respectful and collaborative way with other students, including other team members. Ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team project.
  • examine a real world research question from a range of angles, including comparative and cross disciplinary approaches where appropriate. Apply theoretical knowledge to complex real world questions. Demonstrate targeted, thorough, comprehensively referenced and academically rigorous research and analysis in response to the question.
  • communicate orally and in writing using clear language and an appropriate communication style.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

This is a Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) unit and you will be asked to participate and engage on a number of levels. You will be asked to engage with an external PACE Partner Organisation and to undertake a research project in response to a research question posed by the organisation. You will interact with your Partner Organisation both in person during Zoom tutorials and by way of a discussion forum on the LAWS4099 iLearn page.The iLearn page will also provide information on lecture topics, readings and team work exercises.

You will be asked to participate in a team of students working on each research project. Team work is a central focus of this unit, as it is in most work places. Your assessment in this unit will depend in part on your successful engagement with your team and their assessment of your contribution to the work of the team.

The unit will be delivered as a series of weekly one hour lectures, which will be recorded on Echo360. It is important that you listen to the lectures every week for guidance on how the unit is progressing and how best to approach the various assessment items.

You are also required to attend all Zoom tutorials. You will have the opportunity to work with your external partners and your team members during Zoom tutorials. Students will present the results of their work to their external partners in the form of a written report, due in Week 13, and an oral presentation, which will be delivered during the Zoom tutorial in Week 12.

It is essential that you have access to computer facilities that are adequate to allow you to work with your PACE partner and your team over the course of the project. You will be required to work with your team in a shared virtual space, such as Dropbox, and to use other virtual software such as Zoom. Please ensure you are familiar with this technology and that you are in a position to use it effectively.

Each student will be asked to make an undertaking to meet the required time commitment; to complete all assessment and other  tasks; and to grant a licence to the Partner Organisation to use, copy, publish or distribute the research produced by the student in the course of this PACE unit.

Unit Schedule

 

Description

 

Week 1

Introduction to LAWS4099; Attendance, Team Work, Reflection and Review

Forming and getting to know your team

 

Week 2

 Meeting your PACE partner and discussing your project; work on your Research Project Plan

 

Week 3 

Teams and teamwork in theory and practice

 

Week 4

 Running an effective meeting  

Week 5

 Sources and resources; Teams to finalise their Research Project Plans  

Week 6

 Writing and citing; Partners to give feedback on Research Project Plans  

Week 7

 Giving and receiving feedback to your peers  

Week 8

 Making the most of your PACE experience  

Week 9

Effective oral presentations

  

Week 10 

 Work to continue on Research Reports  

Week 11

 Work to continue on Research Reports  

Week 12 

 Oral presentation of work to PACE partner  

Week 13

 Teams to finalise and submit Research Reports

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.

Changes from Previous Offering

In 2020, LAWS4099 will be run entirely online using Zoom.