Unit rationale, description and aim
To succeed at university, students need to participate in academic and student life effectively. This unit offers students an introduction to university life, academic conventions, and insight into the discipline requirements in their first year of study. In this unit, students will develop and use the academic language and literacy skills required for university learning in Australia. Students will also develop research, critical reading and thinking skills, and reflective strategies required at an undergraduate level, in order to communicate effectively in academic contexts. The topics, issues and tasks explored will not only prepare students to navigate discipline-specific requirements and to apply those skills but also help them become independent learners. The aim of this unit is to assist students in developing academic knowledge, skills and strategies to succeed in their diploma program and transition into their future academic course in Business and Information Technology.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify appropriate sources of information and pe...
Learning Outcome 01
Apply academic conventions including appropriate r...
Learning Outcome 02
Evaluate information using critical thinking and/o...
Learning Outcome 03
Construct academic spoken or written texts coheren...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to the academic learning community
- Academic integrity
- Introduction to research skills, evaluating sources and referencing
- Introduction to literacy in Business and Information Technology
- Awareness of diversity and perspectives (including First People’s perspectives)
- Academic and critical reading strategies
- Reflective thinking, including language of reflection
- Academic writing: style, register, paragraph development, and incorporating evidence
- Oral communication skills
Assessment strategy and rationale
To successfully complete this unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and obtain an overall mark of at least 50%. The unit assessments are designed to assist students in preparing for similar assessments in both diploma and bachelor discipline units. Assessment tasks are scaffolded to incrementally develop students’ understanding and application of the academic skills and conventions required in a tertiary setting.
Assessment 1: Students will apply their knowledge of academic skills and conventions as presented in the unit via a quiz. This assessment is also designed to alert students to areas that need improvement.
Assessment 2: Students will select a discipline-related topic for a written research task. They will receive guidance and support throughout the process. This includes developing research skills, reading strategies, learning how to summarise and cite academic texts, and interpreting and evaluating ideas. They will then present their findings and conclusions in a clear and organised written format suitable for their discipline.
Assessment 3: Students will revisit the topic examined in Assessment 2, to present in a spoken format, incorporating critical analysis and awareness of diverse perspectives. Reflective strategies will also be assessed.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Academic literacy quiz Enables stu...
Assessment 1: Academic literacy quiz
Enables students to identify and apply their understanding of academic sources, conventions and perspectives.
25%
Assessment 2: Written task Enables students to s...
Assessment 2: Written task
Enables students to source and evaluate information, organise ideas coherently, and synthesise information in order to construct a written piece on a discipline-related topic.
35%
Assessment 3: Presentation Enables students to p...
Assessment 3: Presentation
Enables students to present and evaluate ideas and perspectives on a discipline-related topic. The ability to use reflective strategies will also be assessed.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy integrates transition pedagogy and universal design for learning, supporting a variety of learning styles and equipping students with skills and strategies to manage the demands of university life. This unit offers opportunities for academic skills development and knowledge of academic conventions through workshops and tasks, enabling students to apply these skills across all units. It also introduces students to the resources provided by the library and academic skills unit. Learning outcomes and tasks are constructively aligned to progressively and logically develop students’ academic literacy and to allow students to communicate their understandings in a variety of ways. This unit consists of a combination of online learning modules, and scheduled campus-based or online workshops. The flipped classroom approach in the online modules builds understanding of academic expectations at a self-directed pace, preparing students for workshops to engage with peers and bring questions for discussion. Workshops focus on collaborative learning, while supporting students’ progression toward becoming more autonomous learners. Learning is scaffolded with clear instructions, guides, accessible resources, and regular peer and teacher feedback. This approach aims to foster an understanding of discipline content and how students can leverage their individual learning styles to enhance academic performance.