Outline

Overview

Scientific research is one of the keys to expanding our understanding of the workings of the universe, and is a key driver of technological innovation, which in turn drives many social changes. This unit of study introduces scientific research at a tertiary level to students with a passion and enthusiasm for research science and a demonstrated aptitude in science. In small groups, you will engage with cutting-edge problems studied by research groups across the Faculty of Science. Led by a senior undergraduate group leader, and supported by an academic expert, you will learn about a field of study related to this problem. Together you will collect and critically investigate data, then create models, formulate hypotheses, and draw conclusions supported by these data. Your group will collectively develop collaboration and communication skills, and engage a wide audience in the Showcase event where you will present your results to other students, academics, and the general public. You will also develop your scientific writing skills by preparing a scientific report on the outcomes of your study.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	SCDL1991
Academic unit	Science Faculty
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	must be in the Dalyell stream
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Strong understanding of the scientific method. Students should have completed a science subject at HSC level or completed a university-level science subject
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jonathan Danon, jonathan.danon@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Skills-based evaluation	Individual performance Supervisor(s) & mentor(s) evaluate student's individual contributions.	20%	Ongoing Due date: 24 May 2024 at 23:59	Ongoing — see Canvas for details.
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Reflective task: journal Journal reflecting on research progress and experience. #earlyfeedbacktask	10%	Week 03 Due date: 05 Mar 2024 at 23:59	200 words per week minimum
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written project pitch Intro report pitching the project.	15%	Week 05 Due date: 22 Mar 2024 at 23:59	up to 2 pages (see Canvas for details)
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Showcase presentation Slides due in advance. Groups present findings. Delegate for Q&A.	20%	Week 12 Due date: 11 May 2024 at 23:59	8 minutes plus Q&A
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written report Fully referenced scientific report summarising project findings.	25%	Week 13 Due date: 25 Jan 2024 at 23:59	Approximately 2000-3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reflective Journal: Executive Summary Executive summary of reflective journal and research contributions.	10%	Week 13 Due date: 24 May 2024 at 23:59	400-500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas, including assessment rubrics and exact deadlines.

Project pitch (individual): Individual students will prepare a 1-2 page pitch briefly summarising the research problem that your group will address, including a background, motivation, a description of your research question and the aims of your investigation, and what your expected/hypothesised research outcomes will be. The exact format of this task will be up to your supervisor, tailored to the specific project.
Final report (group): The report will be a group effort and each student in the group will contribute equally. This report can be written in a style suitable for the informed reader (supervisor and in-field academics) and specific terms and jargon can be used. References and figures should be included (but are not included in the word count) just like a professional report or a review in a scientific journal. Specific details will be provided on Canvas.
Showcase presentation (group): You will present your findings as a group at the Dalyell Showcase evening during week 12. Your 8-minute presentation will be assessed by all academic supervisors and Dalyell coordinators present. Part of the assessment is a Q&A session at the end of the Showcase.
Individual performance: The group leader and supervisor will assess the individual research contribution of each student. Informal tasks (e.g., writing samples, research notes, reflective tasks) may be used to help assess individual performance and contributions.
Reflective tasks: Students will individually engage in structured weekly reflection about the process and experience of research. Please prepare this as a Google Document with History sharing, and supply the URL. You will also be required to provide an executive summary of these reflections. Instructions for both will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (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	When you don’t 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.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 02	Showcase information session from UoS coordinator — general advice, guidelines and Q&A session about how to get started with your research projects, and information on presentation and report writing skills.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Groups will check in with the Unit Coordinator for progress and planning. Please bring any questions or concerns. Everyone is welcome, but at least two representatives from each group should attend. Timeslots for this will be released on Canvas.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	An evening Showcase event, including presentation practices and the main presentations. Each group will present a short talk, and will provide a representative to answer questions on a panel.	Presentation (4 hr)
Weekly	You will be sorted into project groups of 4-8 students each, according to project preferences. Each group will be assigned a senior student mentor in addition to the academic supervisor. You will be expected to meet with the student mentor and/or the supervisor, as well as teammates on a weekly basis, and put in approximately 12 hours of effort per week as a combination of meetings and individual work.	Independent study (12 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Students are expected to attend all group meetings unless evidence of valid absence (e.g., medical certificate, unmovable commitment) is provided to the group supervisor. All students are expected to attend the final Showcase seminar, for which absences require use of the Special Considerations system.

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

There are no prescribed readings for this unit. Each project group will need to engage with the academic literature of their field in consultation with their supervisors and group leaders.

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. solve a scientific problem independently, in collaboration with a team of researchers.
LO2. effectively communicate and collaborate in a group.
LO3. work effectively as part of a team.
LO4. obtain and integrate information from a range of scientific resources (books, journals, online, meetings with experts).
LO5. critically analyse the information you obtain.
LO6. formulate innovative and creative ideas.

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.

No changes from Sem2 2023 except incorporation of #earlyfeedbacktask into reflective journal assignment (due mid-Week 3).

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Some projects may involve work at other locations. In these cases, consult project supervisors for specific site visit guidelines.

Work, health and safety

We are governed by Work, Health and Safety Legislation and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

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

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

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

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

SCDL1991: Science Dalyell Showcase

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

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

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect