Outline

Overview

As the world's population builds towards 9 billion, we are challenged to create agriculture efficiencies and ensure food and water safety and security. Solutions from the Life Sciences are needed to meet these demands. In this unit you will have the opportunity to develop practical solutions from a range of discipline areas including agriculture, animal science, environmental management, food production and agribusiness. These skills and experiences will facilitate your understanding of current practices and innovations used in the development and management of natural and production ecosystems. The unit builds on applied knowledge gained from units of study undertaken throughout a degree in Life Sciences. As part of a small group of students, you will have the opportunity to work on a collaborative industry relevant research project. The activities will include the design of the study; generation, management and analysis of data; and presenting your findings to a diverse audience both orally and in written format. You will work collaboratively learning skills for better communication, organisation and time management and communication - all of which are competencies that are highly valued by employers and indicate professionalism. By doing this you will gain the ability to work collaboratively in a small team which is part of the essential foundation for a successful career pathway.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	LIFE4888
Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	12
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	144 cp of units of study of which a minimum needs to be 24 cp of 3000-level or 4000-level units of study
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Depth of knowledge in at least one Table A Science major
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Tina Louise Bell, tina.bell@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Tina Louise Bell, tina.bell@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Stephen Cattle, stephen.cattle@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Proposal presentation Oral presentation	5%	Week 03	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Proposal report Written proposal	10%	Week 03	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reflection on group participation Reflective statement on groupwork for proposal presentation	2.5%	Week 03	300 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Science communication Report, case study or design	25%	Week 06	5-10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final report Written report	40%	Week 11	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Final presentation Oral presentation	15%	Week 13	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reflection on group participation Reflective statement on groupwork for final report and presentation	2.5%	Week 13	300 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Group-based assessment tasks

As a group member you will be required to contribute to two oral presentations and a final report. In the first presentation your group will describe how your project will be approached (project proposal). For the second presentation, your group will described how you synthesised your discoveries, demonstrate the final product and provide recommendations. You will also be required to contribute to a final group report on which the second presentation will be based.

Individual assessment tasks

Submitted work includes a report describing the information you were responsible for collecting as part of the project proposal. You will be required to develop a scientific communication piece and present it in both written and oral format. It is also expected that you provide two short reflective statements focussing on the notion of group contribution and participation.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

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	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75-84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65-74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50-64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.
Fail	0-49	At FA level, the student does not meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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:

Late penalties will be applied according to University assessment procedures

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
Multiple weeks	Weeks 7-11: discussion/presentation sessions as required	Tutorial (10 hr)
Week -01	5-day field trip to assess topical land management practices	Field trip (40 hr)
Week 01	Welcome and introduction to LIFE4888	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Managing time, people, and expectations	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Group proposal presentations	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 04	Science communication - is a picture worth 1000 words?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Management of natural and agricultural resources	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Science communication presentations - science explained	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 12	How to tell your story effectively	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Group final presentation	Presentation (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Sydney based students (enrolled as CC or RE) are expected to attend the pre-semester field trip. If you are unable to participate, you must apply for Special Consideration and Arrangements and provide a valid reason why you cannot attend.

Depending on travel restrictions in place due to COVID-19, the field trip may be cancelled at short notice. If this is the case, students will be notified and will not be expected to apply for Special Consideration and Arrangements for this component of the unit.

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 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

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.

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

LO1. Demonstrate an ability to apply discipline-specific expertise to solve authentic industry-led research questions.
LO2. Develop high level collaborative skills by understanding current theory on cooperative learning and demonstrate ability to capitalise on different perspectives and skill sets and resolve team dysfunction
LO3. Engage tools to critically analyse complex problems and identify novel or innovative solutions that may add value for stakeholders
LO4. Systematically compare different styles and sources of information to evaluate validity and efficacy for problem solving and invention.

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.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

Additional costs

Students attending the field trip will be required to pay $200 to cover costs for accommodation, transport, and some meals.

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

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

LIFE4888: Applied Life Sciences Project

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect