Outline

Overview

New digital technologies are rapidly emerging as conduits for criminality as well as tools of policing and criminal procedure, and in the infrastructure of punishment. In this unit of study, students will learn about the impacts of technologies on crime and justice: in the commission of new crimes, in law enforcement and regulatory challenges, national security, and digital transformations in court procedure and court space, algorithmic risk assessments, corrections, and in the supervision of offenders. This unit of study draws from socio-legal literature and the emerging field of Digital Criminology to understand the profound shifts occurring in the move from terrestrial to digital environments, and from human 'reality' to augmented, virtual and artificial platforms in the criminal justice system.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	LAWS6358
Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Carolyn McKay, carolyn.mckay@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	40% PowerPoint Presentation and Word document Production of a PowerPoint presentation and Word written script	40%	Week 06 Due date: 05 Sep 2022 at 17:00	Max 10 minutes/Max 3000wd written script
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Case study/research essay outline Brief outline of case study/research essay	0%	Week 10 Due date: 10 Oct 2022 at 17:00	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	60% Case study Research essay	60%	Week 11 Due date: 17 Oct 2022 at 17:00	5000 words inc. references/footnotes
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The 40% assessment requires the submission of a:

1. PowerPoint presentation video (maximum 10 minutes) and

2. Word document (maximum 3000 words including all references or footnotes); PDF is NOT acceptable and assessments submitted in this format will not be marked.

Due Date: Monday 5 September, 2022 at 5pm. Students who receive a grant of Special Consideration may receive an extension or alternative task at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator.

Instructions: There is one question only.
You must answer the question in your own words. You will receive no marks for simply copying from the seminars or other sources.

Question: Recent criminological scholarship goes beyond the scope of ‘cybercriminology’ and examines ‘how digital technologies are conceptualised within research on crime and (in)justice’. (Gordon, F., McGovern, A., Thompson, C and Wood, M. (2022) ‘Beyond Cybercrime: New Perspectives on Crime, Harm and Digital Technologies.’ International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 11(1)(i))

Why does recent scholarship seek to go beyond ‘cybercriminology’?
How does ‘digital criminology’ address any shortcomings of ‘cybercriminology’?
Choose ONE actual event from 2022 that assists in explaining ‘digital criminology’. Provide sufficient explanation of your selected event.
Your response should draw on material covered in the first half of the unit including the set textbook and recommended readings, and further research as necessary.

The 0% Case Study Outline (500 words) is a prerequisite to completion of the Case Study.

Due date: Monday 10 October, 2022 at 5pm. Students who receive a grant of Special Consideration may receive an extension or alternative task at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator.

The 60% Case Study (5000 words maximum including reference list or footnotes):

Due date: Monday 17 October, 2022 at 5pm. Students who receive a grant of Special Consideration may receive an extension or alternative task at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator.

Choose a 2022 media story that relates to an event regarding digital criminal behaviour, digital law enforcement or digital regulation, digital criminal procedure or digital punishment. Choose a media story that you are interested in and that will be good for independent research and analysis in the context of the material covered in this unit of study, Digital Criminology.

Analyse the media story using ONE of the following theories only:

Digital criminology
Feminist criminology
Cultural criminology
Visual criminology
Surveillance theory

Suggested headings for the case study include:

1. Title

2. Summary of the 2022 media story and event

3. Issue, problem or significance relating to Digital Criminology

4. Explain the theory chosen to analyse the event and its relevance

5. Apply theory to the event

6. Discussion / Conclusion

Assessment requirement to pass a unit of study

A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Work receiving a high distinction grade will generally exhibit the following characteristics: • Completely answers the question. • Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. • Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). • Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. • Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75 - 84	Work receiving a distinction grade will generally exhibit the following characteristics: • Completely answers the question. • Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. • Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. • Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. • Generally well expressed and free from errors. • Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65 - 74	Work receiving a credit grade will generally exhibit the following characteristics: • Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. • Contains no significant errors • Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. • Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. • Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50 - 64	Work receiving a pass grade will generally exhibit the following characteristics: • Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. • Contains some significant errors. • Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. • Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. • Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. • Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. • Adequate expression. • Overall, demonstrates the minimum level of competence in the assessment and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies in the degree or subject area.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: • Does not answer the question. • Contains significant or numerous errors. • Few or no identifiable arguments. • Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. • Lack of research or analysis. • Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. • Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per calendar day or part thereof. For example, a submission after 5:00pm but by 11:59pm on the due date for submission will attract a 10% penalty. A submission after midnight of the due date for submission will attract a 20% penalty.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Ongoing	Introduction: Digital Criminology; Understanding Digital Criminology	Seminar (3 hr)
	Theorising Digital Criminology; Researching Digital Criminology	Seminar (3.5 hr)
	Criminal Behaviour in the Digital Age	Seminar (4.5 hr)
	Victimisation in the Digital Age	Seminar (2 hr)
	Digital Policing; Regulation	Seminar (4.5 hr)
	Peer Review Session; social justice in digital society	Workshop (2 hr)
	Digitised Justice	Seminar (3 hr)
	Digitising punishment and supervision	Seminar (1.5 hr)
	Workshopping students' individual case studies / Conclusion	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for each unit of study. Attendance requirements may be satisfied by online attendance as specified by the Unit Coordinator. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a student being precluded from sitting the final assessment.

For units offered in Intensive mode, participation in all scheduled sessions may be expected by a Unit Coordinator in order to satisfy the requirements of the unit.

Word count penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will INCLUDE bibliography; footnote numbers; footnote citation; cover page; body text; headings and sub-headings; and quotations.

Referencing: All submitted work must be fully and accurately substantiated with evidence and citations. It must be compliant with the University Academic Honesty in Coursework Policy 2015. You are allowed to reference your work by using either (1) a recognised academic ‘Harvard’ style of referencing (author family name and date in brackets in the text of the paper, using a page number for direct quotes only, and a Reference List at the end of the paper); for an example see the American Psychological Association Style Guide; or (2) the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) – a link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476376.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The prescribed textbook is Powell, Anastasia, Stratton, Gregory and Cameron, Robin. Digital Criminology: Crime and Justice in Digital Society. (Routledge, 2018).

For other required readings, please refer to the Reading List tab in Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate critical knowledge of new forms of crime and victimisation
LO2. demonstrate critical knowledge of responses and initiatives from police, government regulators, prosecutors, the courts, and corrections
LO3. demonstrate skills in critical analysis and application of theoretical and regulatory frameworks to understand the social and legal implications of digital transformations in offending, detection, prosecution, and punishment
LO4. demonstrate skills in evaluating prospects for regulation and law reform.
LO5. demonstrate skills in independent research

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In response to 2021 student feedback, the final seminar/workshop will be dedicated to discussing students’ individual case studies.

Additional information

Resources - Sydney Law Students

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

LAWS6358: Digital Criminology: Tech and Crime

Intensive September, 2022 [Block mode] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect