Students
BIOL8750 – Contemporary Conservation in Australia
2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, Other
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Adam Stow
Caitlin Kordis
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MBiotech or MBioBus or GradDipBiotech or MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or GradCertConsBiol or MEnv or MEnvPlan or GradDipEnv or MMarScMgt or MSusDev or GradDipSusDev or MPlan or MSc or MScInnovation or MScInnovationBioConsMgmt or BBioConsMConsBiol
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
BIOL7750
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides a current perspective of the values, threats to existence and conservation of Australian wildlife. The special characteristics of the Australian biota (plants, animals and other organisms) and the key threatening processes are discussed as well as its global and historical context. The role of biological research in informing conservation management is explored, and how conservation-based research is communicated and interpreted. An emphasis is placed on case studies in conservation biology with critical analysis of conservation successes and failures.
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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: Describe theoretical concepts in conservation biology and current conservation issues in Australia and abroad
- ULO2: Communicate scientific research and issues in conservation to various target audiences in verbal and written form
- ULO3: Evaluate literature on conservation issues within peer-reviewed scientific literature and present them in the popular media
- ULO4: Identify how research in conservation biology influences environmental management practices and assess how effectively this is undertaken
- ULO5: Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge
General Assessment Information
Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.
All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.
Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero unless late submissions are specifically allowed as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn.
If late submissions are permitted as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn a consistent penalty will be applied for late submissions as follows:
A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Abstract | 10% | No | 11/4/22 |
| Weekly Online Quizzes | 24% | No | Weekly |
| Research Presentation | 26% | No | 18/4/22 |
| Popular science article | 40% | No | 16/5/22 |
Research Abstract
Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: 11/4/22
Weighting: 10%
A short abstract to summarise your presentation, as if you were presenting it at an international scientific conference.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Communicate scientific research and issues in conservation to various target audiences in verbal and written form
- Identify how research in conservation biology influences environmental management practices and assess how effectively this is undertaken
- Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge
Weekly Online Quizzes
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 24%
On the day following most lectures (excluding final lecture), a quiz will become available on iLearn (worth ~2%) that you will have 7 days to complete. The online exercises will consist of short answers and multiple-choice questions that revise the topic of each lecture (including tutorial discussions), encourage thinking and research skills, in alignment with the Austral Ark textbook chapters. The exercises may involve consulting peer-reviewed literature discussed in lectures, external websites, and chapters within Austral Ark. The schedule for the availability and due dates of each online quiz will be available on iLearn. Note: quizzes become available before 5pm the day after each lecture and will close 7 DAYS LATER at 5pm.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe theoretical concepts in conservation biology and current conservation issues in Australia and abroad
- Communicate scientific research and issues in conservation to various target audiences in verbal and written form
- Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge
Research Presentation
Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 18/4/22
Weighting: 26%
Your task is to give a presentation (using powerpoint slides with audio only) to provide a RESEARCH UPDATE AND SYNTHESIS on a conservation issue of interest, integrating scientific literature published in the last FIVE years around your topic. You are required to choose a topic of conservation interest in Australia or New Zealand/ Oceania. The topic you choose may, e.g., be in relation to a threatened/invasive species, a threatened habitat, or threatening processes such as fire, disease spread or human disturbance.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Communicate scientific research and issues in conservation to various target audiences in verbal and written form
- Identify how research in conservation biology influences environmental management practices and assess how effectively this is undertaken
- Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge
Popular science article
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 16/5/22
Weighting: 40%
You will write a popular science article for The Conversation (see https://theconversation.com/au). To do this, you will choose a recently (less than 1 year old) published scientific paper from a journal within conservation biology. The chosen journal article may focus on conservation issues occurring in any part of the world (i.e. not restricted to Australia or New Zealand).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe theoretical concepts in conservation biology and current conservation issues in Australia and abroad
- Evaluate literature on conservation issues within peer-reviewed scientific literature and present them in the popular media
- Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge
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
Lectures will be pre recorded and available via ECHO. Seminars will be face-to-face and online. All resources will be available via ilearn.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
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 since First Published
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 28/02/2022 | Corrected errors with the assignment due dates |
Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook