Critical Reasoning and Academic Literacy PG (10436.1)

Please note these are the 2025 details for this unit
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Critical Reasoning and Academic Literacy PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online
Intensive
 Bruce, Canberra
Hanoi, Vietnam
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Academic Program Area - Education Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit focuses on the development of critical reasoning and academic literacy with the aim of enhancing students' capacities to complete a broad range of assessment types at a progressively higher level while maintaining academic integrity. Students will learn to critically assess arguments in academic writing, to construct sound arguments, and to make effective grammatical choices to produce high quality oral and written work.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Define and critically evaluate an argument presented in a text;
2. Demonstrate and justify the selection and implementation of effective oral presentation strategies;
3. Demonstrate strategic use of grammatical resources to achieve coherence and cohesion in written work; and
4. Construct a critically informed argument in a piece of research-based writing that reflects academic integrity.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2025 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2024 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 05 February 2024 Online Dr Siewimm Tan
2024 Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam Period 1 26 February 2024 Intensive Dr Siewimm Tan
2024 Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam Period 3 29 July 2024 Intensive Dr Siewimm Tan
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Online Dr Siewimm Tan
2025 Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam Period 1 24 February 2025 Intensive Dr Siewimm Tan
2025 Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam Period 3 28 July 2025 Intensive Dr Siewimm Tan
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Required Texts

Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. (2023). Critical thinking: A student's introduction. 7th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill Education. [E-book available via Canvas]

Maimon, E. P., & Yancey, K. B. (2020). A writer's resource: A handbook for writing and research. 6th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill Education. [E-book available via Canvas]

Additional resources will be made available on the unit Canvas site. Students are also expected to do independent secondary research.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

Special assessment requirements

Requirements

Students must complete and submit all assessments to pass the unit. An aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit.

Moderation

Moderation is used in the TESOL courses to maintain agreed standards in the assessment of student work through a valid, consistent and transparent process, in line with the UC Assessment Policy. Sample assignments at different grade levels will be moderated for each assessment item in each unit. All assignments that receive a mark of 45 or more but less than 50 percent will also be moderated. In addition, if a student receives an overall mark close to a grade boundary, their assignments will be moderated before their final result is released.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

The Academic Integrity Module is a mandatory (non-assessable) requirement in this unit. This module teaches you about plagiarism and how to avoid it. Once you have completed the module, you will receive a course completion certificate. Please upload this certificate to the Academic Integrity Module DropBox (under Assessments) before you start work on any assessment item. Students who do not submit the AIM certificate will be given a withheld (WH) grade until such time as they upload it to the Canvas site.

Learner engagement

Students are expected to attend workshops, listen to lectures, engage with relevant e-resources and readings, participate in online and class activities, conduct independent secondary research, work in groups and complete all assessment items to the best of their ability. They should also consult the unit convenor or lecturer when in doubt.

Breakdown of workload

Workshop activities: 36 hours

Reading and other preparation: 42 hours

Assessments: 60 hours

Group work: 12 hours

Participation requirements

Your participation in both class and online activities will enhance your understanding of the unit content and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items. 

Required IT skills

Students are expected to have word processing and IT skills to allow them to fully engage in the unit through Canvas and to complete their assessment. This includes basic word processing skills, engagement in Canvas activities, posting messages, uploading video and audio files, uploading assignments, and using the library catalogue and library databases. Students should ensure they have access to a computer and a safe workspace to complete the online activities.

Artificial intelligence services must not to be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an artificial intelligence services may only be used if:

  • its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of a specified assessment task, and
  • it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline, and
  • its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.

In-unit costs

This unit utilises E-books and E-resources subscribed to by the UC Library. These can be accessed, at no additional cost to students, via the unit Canvas site. 

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Provision of information to the group

Notifications through the Canvas Announcements Forum or the Canvas Discussion Forums are deemed to be made to the whole class. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they check for announcements on the Unit's Canvas website (forum messages are also emailed to student email addresses only). Students should ensure they check their student email regularly. The Canvas discussion forums will be checked by staff regularly.

Use of student email account

The University Email policy states that "students wishing to contact the University via email regarding administrative or academic matters need to send the email from the University account for identity verification purposes". Therefore all unit enquiries should be emailed using a student university email account. Students should contact ServiceDesk@canberra.edu.au if they have any issues accessing their university email account.

Research led education

The unit addresses research-led education. There are active researchers teaching the unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.

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