COMMGMT 2500 - Organisational Behaviour

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

This course is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of the history and development of Organisational Behaviour (OB) theories and concepts. The body of knowledge focuses on how the attributes and behaviours of individuals and groups influence the culture, design, ethics, learning and structure of an organisation. The applied focus of the course is to facilitate experiential learning of contemporary approaches to conflict resolution, communication, decision making, leadership, motivation, negotiation, power and politics within a team environment.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code COMMGMT 2500
    Course Organisational Behaviour
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Assumed Knowledge One Semester of University study
    Course Description This course is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of the history and development of Organisational Behaviour
    (OB) theories and concepts. The body of knowledge focuses on how the attributes and behaviours of individuals and groups influence the culture, design, ethics, learning and structure of an organisation. The applied focus of the course is to facilitate experiential learning of contemporary approaches to conflict resolution, communication, decision making, leadership, motivation, negotiation, power and politics within a team environment.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Peter Sandiford

    Mr Ankit Agarwal

    Ms Richa Gulati



    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of organisational behaviour.

    2. Collaboratively and autonomously research, analyse and evaluate information from a wide variety of sources.

    3. Apply relevant contemporary theories, concepts and models in order to analyse organisational environments, cases and issues.

    4. Communicate their findings clearly and effectively using a variety of media.


    Students are expected to:
    ·      Prepare for all classes by completing the required reading, activities, discussion questions and written reflections as outlined in the activity schedule
    ·      Attend lectures and actively participate in tutorials
    ·     Complete all items of assessment in a timely fashion



    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1 and 2
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2 and 3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2 and 4
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    3
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    3
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    2, 3 and 4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Course text:

    Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., Edwards, M., Sandiford, P., Fitzgerald, M., & Hunt, J. (2019) Organisational Behaviour, 9th Edition, Melbourne: Pearson

    This text provides the basic framework for the lecture program and is required reading to prepare for the weekly lectures. Please note that the weekly schedule specifies one chapter (occasionally more), to serve as an introduction to the weekly topic. However, as is the case with many textbooks, there is no perfect fit with our schedule; we have only 12 weeks of classes, so some chapters may not be specified in the weekly readings. However, students are advised to familiarise themselves with all chapters from the textbook, during the semester to gain a fuller overview of the very broad subject of organisational behaviour.

    In addition, weekly readings (usually a scholarly research journal article) will be specified to enable candidates to prepare for each tutorial. It is essential that all readings and preparation exercises are completed each week. The preparatory readings for lectures and tutorials are an essential part of the learning experience – lectures will not repeat all key information from the readings and tutorials will build on – not repeat – material from your reading. All classes (tutorials and lectures) will assume that candidates are fully prepared and conversant with theories, issues and research introduced in these. If you have any uncertainty or questions about
    anything you have read please raise this in your tutorials; if you find anything unclear it is likely that other coursemates will do too, so please do not be afraid to ask questions in class.






    Recommended Resources
    There are a number of relevant sources that candidates may refer to in addition to the basic required readings. While the list below is by no means comprehensive, some OB texts are listed below:

    Bratton, J., Sawchuk, P., Forshaw, C., Callinan, & Corbett (2010), Work And Organisational Behaviour, 2nd Ed., Palgrave.

    Finemen, S. (ed) (1993), Emotion In Organisations, Sage, pp 9-35

    Fineman, S, Gabriel, Y., Sims, D. (2010), Organising and Organisations, 4th Ed., London: Sage.

    Hatch, MJ. & Cunliffe, AL. (2013), Organization Theory, 3rd Ed, Oxford Uni Press.

    Huczynski, A. & Buchanan, DA. (2013), Organisational Behaviour, 8th Ed., Pearson.

    King, D. & Lawley, S. (2013), Organizational Behaviour, Oxford Uni Press, Oxford

    Muchinsky, PM. & Culbertson, SS. (2012), Psychology Applied To Work, 11th Ed., Summerfield, NC:  Hypergraphic Press

    Mcshane, SL., Olekalns, M. &Travaglione, T. (2010), Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill,

    Robbins, SP., Judge, TA., Millett, B. & Boyle, M. (2011), Organisational Behaviour 6th Ed., Pearson.

    Sarris, A., & Kirby, N. (Eds.) (2013), Organisational Psychology, Research and Professional Practice, Prahran, Vic: Tilde Uni Press

    Watson, TJ. (2006), Organising and Managing Work, 2nd Ed., Pearson.

    Wilson, FM. (2010), Organisational Behaviour And Work, 3rd Ed, Oxford Uni Press

    Wood, J., Zeffane, R.M., Fromholtz, F., Wiesner, R. Morrison, R., Factor, A. & McKeown, T. (2016), Organisational Behaviour Core Concepts and Applications, 4th Australian Edition. Milton Qland: Wiley.


    Students are required to read beyond such textbooks to enhance their learning of organisational behaviour. Some additional specific readings will be recommended through the course (eg, tutorial preparation will normally include guided reading). Students are also encouraged to follow up lecture material through references cited in class and textbook bibliographies. Topics of particular interest can be explored further by searching the electronic and printed resources provided by the library. Some relevant academic journals are listed below. Please note, this list is by no means comprehensive and is offered as a launching point for additional readings.

    Academy of Management Journal

    Academy of Management Perspectives (formerly Academy of Management Review)

    Administrative Science Quarterly

    Human Relations

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    Journal of Organizational Behavior

    Journal of Management Inquiry

    Organization Science

    Organization Studies

    Work, Employment and Society

    Online Learning
    The course will utilise MyUni as a communications and assessment tool. Students are expected to visit and actively scan the course MyUni page regularly throughout the semester for announcements and resources that may be posted, including lecture recordings and additional material. MyUni will provide core course guidance, including tutorial activities and occasional lecture replacement activities.



  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is delivered through weekly lectures supported by weekly tutorials. Thelectures are intended as an additional and complementary source of theory, application, ideas and critique. They do not replace the need to read the required texts every week. Lecture content is based on the assumption that students are familiar with the key ideas and theories from the weekly textbook readings. The main purpose of lectures is to provide a framework for the course and these will be delivered based on the assumption that all candidates are fully prepared (ie have completed and engaged with any required readings). Wherever possible lectures seek to enrich our engagement with key topic areas, so will introduce additional theories, ideas and applications rather than repeat textbook content. On occasion (eg public holiday), the lecture may be partially or fully replaced by another activity, normally delivered/organised via myuni).

    This semester, the classes will be modified slightly to better cater to our changing needs and circumstances and take advantage of the online resources available to us now. We will utilise mini-lectures (2-3 per week) that will be prerecorded and uploaded to myuni for you to watch before the scheduled lecture time. These sessions will be loosely structured around the week’s topic, in line with the course’s approach to lectures (outlined in the previous paragraph).

    The timetabled lecture time will be used for a more interactive and focused learning experience based on the weekly topic and/or relevant organisational issues. For example, this may involve revisiting a case study from the core text or raising a topical organisational phenomena reported in the news media.

    These sessions will normally start with a Q&A session about the topic or course in general. Questions can be raised in-class or forwarded to the myuni forum in advance. After this, the lecturer will lead the rest of the class. To be effective, these sessions need to be, to some extent, collaborative. We will all see ourselves as co-learners, working together, rather than as a one-way ‘teacher knows everything’ type of interaction.

    The course learning depends on a combination of reading, lectures/replacement activity and tutorials to provide a more rounded learning experience for all. Thus, tutorials are an essential component of your learning in this course.  Students are expected to attend all tutorials regularly and to ensure that they complete the required preparation before coming to class. The communication skills developed in tutorials by regularly and actively participating in discussions are considered to be most important by the School and are highly regarded by employers and professional bodies.





    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies.  This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course (13 hours for a four-unit course) of private study outside of your regular classes. This time commitment includes reading the relevant text book chapter, preparing for tutorials, on-line activites and assessment tasks.

    Learning Activities Summary
    The outline schedule (below) is subject to change (eg if external speakers are invited to present at a lecture); students will be informed in advance of any such changes. If a lecture clashes with an external speaker event, additional material for that week’s topic will be provided on myuni.

    Membership of tutorial classes is to be finalised by the end of the second week of semester.  Students wishing to swap between tutorial classes after this time are required to present their case to the course coordinator with the understanding that such a request may not be approved.

    Tutorial activities are a central part of the group and individual assessment tasks, so you are expected to attend and participate in the tutorial programme. Full details of the preparation required for each tutorial will be provided each week in advance. This will normally include some recommended reading and specific preparation tasks; this will involve some initial thinking and reflective writing that you should bring along to each tutorial.


    Course Topic schedule


    Topic 1: Introduction to organisations and the course.


    Topic 2: Groups and teams in organisations


    Topic 3: Organising and managing work; communication and feedback
     

    Topic 4: Individual differences

     
    Topic 5: Topic: Learning in organisations
     

    Topic 6: Culture and organisation


    Topic 7: Emotions in organisations.


    Topic 8: Leadership.

     
    Topic 9: Organisational change/organising change
     

    Topic 10: Politics and conflict in organisations


    Topic 11: Motivation and orientation in organisations


    Topic 12: Course review and examination preparation


    Specific Course Requirements
    There are no additional specific course requirements
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Submission Learning Outcome
    Participation and preparation Individual 10% Ongoing All
    Group Analysis and Contract Collaborative 5% Monday, Week
    4 before 5:00pm
    2,3
    Group Presentation Collaborative 10% During tutorials, schedule TBC 1,2,3,4
    Peer Assessment Individual 5% 7 days after presentation 1,2,3,4
    Individual Analysis and reflection Individual 15% 7 days after presentation 1,2,3
    Quality of Peer Assessment Individual 5% 7 days after presentation 2,4
    Examination (open book; 'take-home') Individual 50% To be confirmed 1,2,3,4
    Total 100% 1,2,3,4

     






    Assessment Related Requirements
    To gain a pass for this course, a mark of at least 40% must be obtained in the examination as well as an aggregate total for all assessments of at least 50% overall. 

    Students not achieving the minimum exam mark will be awarded no more than 49% for the course.

    Assessment Detail
    Please Note: Additional information and guidance will be provided on myuni as appropriate



    Tutorial Preparation and Participation (weighting – 10%) ongoing

    As tutorials are an essential learning activity, students are expected to attend ALL tutorials. Participation and preparation are inter-dependent activities (it is impossible to participate adequately in any class without appropriate preparation; similarly, preparation in isolation (ie without follow-up activity, discussion, reflection, feedback etc) is an incomplete activity in itself. Thus, marks will be allocated for tutorial preparation and participation, not for attendance, although tutors will keep an attendance record. Tutorial participation takes many forms and quality is often more important than quantity – this is especially so when engaging with online classes and activities; it involves such things as raising pertinent questions, contributing answers to coursemate and tutor questions, reflecting on experience, suggesting examples of practice, explaining, critiquing and applying theories, contributing to debates, supporting (by questions and constructive feedback) coursemates' presentations etc.

    Your tutor will spot-check your preparation and any candidate not bringing their written preparation to a tutorial (whether online or face-to-face) will have marks deducted from the total possible each week (one mark or 10% for each time the preparation has not been satisfactorily completed and/or when not participating adequately). If you are unable to attend through illness, family or other valid cause please email your tutor to explain (valid reasons for absence will NOT result in a mark penalty, but only if preparation notes are provided). If you are absent, you would normally be expected to participate in the online myuni forums.


     

    Group project (weighting – 20%)

    This structure may seem unusual to you, as group work is often assessed as a single piece of work, with everyone receiving an equal and overall mark. However, groups and teams are actually a key part of this course’s syllabus, so the process is as important to us as the actual outcome of a group task, particularly, how you work together as a team made up of individuals with cultural/subcultural influences and how you plan and conduct a piece of focused cross-cultural research.

    The analysis contract and plan is about how you prepare for the task; the presentation is about what you actually found and how you communicate this; the individual element gives each member an opportunity to consider their own contribution; the peer assessment requires you to provide constructive feedback to your colleagues on their contribution.

    Your tutor will arrange groups for this assignment early in the semester.

    Please note. After the groups have been confirmed group members cannot change their groups and nor can a group exclude a group member under any circumstances, without the written agreement of the course coordinator. If any practical or personal problems interfere with your group’s performance at any time during the groupwork, you must immediately contact your tutor (do not wait until a few days before any formal deadline) and your tutor will help you deal with any such issues. If your tutor cannot solve your issue the course oordinator will be consulted.

    Purpose: the purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to explore an organizational issue from both theoretical and practical perspectives. This will also help you prepare for the examination (the tasks were all derived from past examination papers, primary and RAA) and contribute to your tutorial members’ learning.

    Task: Each group will address one of the questions that will be provided on myuni. Tutors will seek to offer choice of question wherever possible. However, as each group must answer a different question, some negotiation and random allocation may be necessary. Please note that the schedule is not negotiable as the topics are linked to the other tutorial activities and the preceding lecture, so please ensure that your group is available for the scheduleddelivery of your question/topic.

     

    Group Contract and Plan (5%)

    It is important that groups should prepare a plan for the task facing them. This process is likely to be smoother if everyone knows what they can expect of each other during the task. It is also useful when assessing how well and why the task has been achieved at the end of the exercise.

     
    It is likely that your contract/plan will include at least some of the following:

    ·  Group members’ names and contact information (compulsory element).

    ·  Ground rules for group meetings (eg frequency and duration, means of communication, record keeping, expectations of preparation etc).

    ·  The contract should focus on behaviours that are crucial to the group's effectiveness. Perhaps this is the key issue to discuss during the initial stages – how can you identify the 4 or 5 key behaviours.

    ·    Assignment of specific tasks and responsibilities and timing (sub-deadlines). These might be itemised and recorded as they are identified and completed.

    ·   Specific methods for dealing with problems within the group (eg unmet expectations or conflict between
    members).

    ·   A method for peer feedback during the project to help avoid and address problems with performance. This should be used as the third criterion for the peer assessment element of the assessment (below). In other words, your group should agree on and specify a criterion for the peer assessment of your group; please discuss this criterion carefully as you must use it to frame your peer assessment and feedback later in the cours (compulsory element).

    ·   A document that each group member should sign, indicating their agreement to the contract (compulsory element).

    It is essential to prepare an outline time plan (perhaps in gantt chart form), working back from each formal deadline.

    Before the contract/plan can be finalised and agreed it is important to analyse your group at an individual and group level. Your first formal meeting would be well spent introducing yourselves and your cultural influences (nationality, family, education, employment, aspirations, learning preferences etc). This will help you better understand any differences within your group and start to frame your group’s culture (actual and ideal). This process requires each member to think about and reflect on themselves as individuals and cultural members AND listen carefully to their group-mates.

    You must support your analysis with appropriate referencing. Any group analysis that does not include a MINIMUM OF ONE QUALITY RESEARCH REFERENCE (EG JOURNAL ARTICLES), will receive a grade of no more than 50%.


    Group analysis
    (using a model relevant to groups or teams from your reading): 500 words (approx)

    Group contract:
    250 words (max)

    Plan: 400 words (approx)

    ONE additional criterion to add to the two specified for the peer assessment exercise in the assessment brief below: 40 words (max).

     

    Group Contract and Plan Assessment Criteria:

    Application of relevant theory to your group analysis (eg can you use group/team models)

    Practicality of contract items (eg reasonable terms; realistic control mechanisms; manageable sanctions for underperformance)

    Realistic timeplan (don’t be too ambitious)



    Group Presentation (10%)

    Presentation made in tutorial time

    Your presentation must address one of the questions listed here. You will have a maximum of 30 minutes to present your answer. This will require you to explain the question (in your own words) and clarify your task for the audience. You should ensure that any theory you draw on is clearly explained and critiqued (all presentations must use and reference at least two quality research sources). This should be followed with any comparison, critical evaluation, application and/or discussion/debate, leading to a clear conclusion and recommendation(s). You should also allow a few minutes for any questions from the audience.

    You should provide some visual aids for your audience (powerpoint presentations are acceptable – if so, no more than 5 slides should be used, not including title slide and references your references).

    As in the examination, the key thing is to present a clear and convincing answer to the specific question; do not simply try to include everything that you know about the topic specified.

    You are should pay particular attention to the context of the question – some questions may require you to take on a role (eg a manager) or address your answer to a specific person (perhaps your boss). Many questions/issues may be enhanced with some specific recommendations for action (eg to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity), but do follow any instructions carefully.

    Finally, you will need to use relevant theory and/or research to support your answer. Theory is an essential part of university learning, but is also central to how we understand the world around us. In order to demonstrate your understanding of theory in this course you must apply (NOT just describe) relevant theory in answers (you can use theory to help understand a phenomenon or to help to frame, explain and justify recommendations).

    You must support your analysis with appropriate references. Any presentation that does not include a MINIMUM OF 2 QUALITY RESEARCH REFERENCES (EG JOURNAL ARTICLES), will receive a grade of no more than 50%. If you have any doubts about your sources you should check with your tutor. Please note, student textbooks, unrefereed websites, magazines or newspapers SHOULD NOT be considered quality research references. These may present interesting and relevant opinions and can be included as ADDITIONAL sources, but not as your two quality references.
     
    Presentation assessment Criteria:
    Answering the question; did you answer the question clearly? Was your argument convincing and based on sounde evidence?

    Relevant theoretical support; did you explain and apply theory appropriately?

    Clarity and timing of presentation; did your explanation, conclusion, rationale etc make sense? Was the presentation too long or short) – if your tutor needs to interrupt you to avoid excessive over-run, only the part of the presentation actually given can earn marks.

    Addressing audience questions; were your answers clear, concise and relevant? Did you demonstrate a sound knowledge of the subject beyond the basic presentation?


     

    Peer assessment of your group members (5%)

    Each member of the team should assess their teammates, confidentially, based on the following criteria (you must include a written justification of your mark; without a clear and convincing explanation of the mark, based on these criteria, your final marks are subject to moderation by your examiner). So, simply giving all your group member 100% or 0%, or any other unjustified marks, without a convincing justification, is likely to result in all marks being revisited by the examiner). Effective assessment should always try to provide constructive feedback, helping your assesse to improve future performances, so you need to also offer some advice in addition to mark justification. Please note, your own individual assessment will also be partly based on the quality of your peer assessment (5% of the total course mark).


    Peer assessment criteria:

    Application of relevant theory; do you use theory to support your analysis and conclusion (ie to understand your situation within the group and any intragroup difficulties and to guide your plan for improved future participation in groupwork); did you ‘span the silos’?

    Self-analysis at group and individual level; does your self-analysis demonstrate awareness of strengths and weaknesses (and how to best utilise them)?

    Critique of own contribution; are you honest, open and reflective about ways that you could improve your own contribution in future groupwork (ie addressing your weaknesses and maximising your strengths)?

     

    Individual analysis and reflection (15%)

    Each member of your group should submit a short self-analysis and reflection (approx. 1500 words). This should build on the initial group analysis (submitted with the first part of the assessment above). You should focus on your individual role(s) within and contribution to the group as a whole.

    You should draw on relevant organizational theory in your analysis and reflection. All individual submissions must include at least four quality research sources (see lecture one for guidance here).

    There is some flexibility to your content and approach. For example, you could focus on the cultural/subcultural differences among your group member and how you managed any differences that did or could have interfered with the smooth running of your group. Alternatively you could analyse your own leadership qualities and role(s), identifying any specific challenges you faced and overcame during the planning/operation of the group. So you need to decide which OB theories are most useful to you, personally. Do not try to include too many topics and theories here – depth of analysis is often preferable to breadth. Perhaps you could focus on a small number of experiences, problems or high-points during group work and seek to better understand them by applying relevant theories.

    You are required to engage in reflective self-analysis; in particular, how YOU contributed to this your group exercise and what YOU learnt as a result and how YOU can apply this learning to improve YOUR performance in future groupwork. This should be presented critically (ie exploring how your learning during this project could contribute to possible interactions with colleagues in future collaborations); you are likely to find learning theory and/or theories relating to teamwork particularly useful here, though you can draw from other topic areas if you prefer.

    You must support your analysis with appropriate references. Any submission that does not include a MINIMUM OF 4 QUALITY RESEARCH REFERENCES (EG JOURNAL ARTICLES), will receive a grade of no more than 50%. If you have any doubts about your sources you should check with your tutor. Please note, student textbooks, unrefereed websites, magazines or newspapers SHOULD NOT be considered quality research references. These may present interesting and relevant opinions and can be included as ADDITIONAL sources, but not as your four quality references.


    Individual analysis and reflection assessment criteria:

    Application of relevant theory; do you use theory to support your analysis and conclusion (ie to understand your situation within the group and any intragroup difficulties and to guide your plan for improved future participation in groupwork); did you ‘span the silos’?

    Self-analysis at group and individual level; does your self-analysis demonstrate awareness of strengths and weaknesses (and how to best utilise them)?

    Critique of own contribution; are you honest, open and reflective about ways that you could improve your own contribution in future groupwork (ie critically exploring your weaknesses and maximising your strengths)?




    The Quality of your peer assessment (5)%

    Approx 80 words per teammate and a percentage mark based on their performance in relationto these criteria.

    As explained above, being able to offer useful and constructive feedback on a colleague’s performance is an essential skill when collaborating in organizational settings. It is not easy to assess the quality of someone’s work fairly and objectively – especially if you know that person well, whether you like or dislike them. Neither is it easy to point out weaknesses or advise of improvements sensitively; it is actually easy to offend, upset or disincentivise someone with criticism. We will spend some tutorial time exploring this sort of feedback.

     
    Peer assessment quality assessment criteria:

    Justification of mark awarded: do you explain, based on the assessment criteria the mark? Markers will be aware of the group’s overall performance, so if everyone’s mark is much higher or lower than your other marks, this can seem inconsistent. However, a single high or low performer is probably easier to justify whatever the other group marks. Signs of improvement or individually outstanding work or disengagement can be useful when explaining differences in marks.

    Balancing positive praise with constructive criticism: do you offer useful and appropriate advice for improvement (this should be clear, specific, relevant to the criticism and realistic)




    EXAMINATION (50%)

    There will be one ‘take-home’ examination at the end of semester 2. This examination will assess all topics covered in OBII, including lectures, tutorial materials, and relevant text book chapters. The examination instructions and questions will be made available through myuni and candidates will have a set amount of time to complete these before submitting answers in the assessment folder.

    This is an individual piece of work and, as an open-book task, completely remotely (not in a formal and invigilated examination venue), it is subject to normal UoA coursework regulations (and will be submitted through turnitin software).

    More details will be discussed in the lectures and posted on MyUni in a timely fashion
     

     


    Submission
    ·        All submissions for assessment must include an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’, which is signed and dated by you (and ALL group members for group assessments) before submission. Note that Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism.

    ·        All written assessments should be submitted on myuni, in the assignments folder, as a single word document.

    ·        Only one of your group members should submit ONE copy of the written group work through the myuni link. If more than one version is submitted, only the latest version submitted BEFORE the submission deadline will be marked.

    ·        You must include a list of all your group members on any group-based assignment cover sheets.

    ·        Please retain a copy of all assignments submitted.

    ·        Assessment marks prior to the final exam will be displayed on the course website. Students are encouraged to check their marks and notify their tutor and the Course Coordinator of any discrepancies.



     

    Late Assignment Submission

    Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. You should start early on assignments so that foreseeable pressures like work or assessment for other courses does not delay you completing assignments for this course on time. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be submitted to the Course Coordinator before the due date using the correct university form. Such requests usually require supporting evidence from a social service professional (e.g. doctor, counsellor, psychologist, minister of religion) confirming the circumstances that require an extension. Each request will be assessed on its merits.

    Any written work that is submitted late, without prior arrangement, will be penalised at 5% of the potential mark for each day that it is late.  

     

    Return of Assignments

    Assignments will be marked with written feedback within two (2) weeks of the due date, whenever possible.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    Course Developments in 2020 come mostly as a response to COVID issues, although some comments about lectures are relevant here, especially as attendence is typically very low, so precording lectures gives greater control over content and timing, leaving 'lecture' time open for addressing the questions raised in lectures (a small number of comments about unresolved questions reflects a discomfort, for some students at least, with Higher Education, so this additional time gives the opportunity to support such individuals more explicitly. This pre-recording of lectures and offering more interactive learning in the normal lecture slots offers a more flexible approach to learning. Given low attendances in lectures over recent years, recording content will not affect those who choose not to attend as any interactive elements that do not 'record well' will not interfere with listenability. At the same time, those who attend
     
    Reintroducing a single core textbook also provides more structure in reading and preparation for less experienced HE students who find the second year of their studies challenging.

    The 'take-home' approach to examination addresses the current practicalities of examinations at UoA, while also being good practice in giving all students the opportunity to provide the best work possible without unneccesary stresses of impersonal and physically uncomfortable examination conditions.


  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.