Faculty of Science
Course Outline Template
Information for staff
The Faculty of Science EdSquad, in conjunction with the Science Learning and Teaching
Interest Group and the Undergraduate Education Committee, prepared a course outline
template to be used for all courses offered in the Faculty of Science. This template
contains all the requirements of the UNSW Course Outline Template as well as some
information considered to be important for Science students. It continues to undergo
development; this 2013 version of the template supersedes all previous editions.
While compliance with the provision of an outline for every course appears to have been
met, the need remains to ensure the quality of those outlines, in particular the alignment
between course aims, learning outcomes (in particular graduate capabilities) and
assessment. Comprehensive course outlines are also useful in current and future projects
covering assessment and curriculum mapping.
Course outlines and the information identified in this template should be distributed to all
students enrolled in any postgraduate and undergraduate course at UNSW and a
completed version of the course outline for any course should be lodged such that it is
accessible by your Head of School (such as on a School web site).
Note that the text appearing in red is where you make changes and, in places, offers
advice for completing certain sections. Please change the text to black in your final
version. Also, keep in mind that the information presented in a course outline is for the
student. Some links are provided for your support in producing the outline and you have
the option to remove those links.
For further assistance or for suggestions on improvement of this template, please contact:
edsquad@unsw.edu.au.
Reviewed by Julian Cox, A/Dean (Education), Feb 2013
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
SCHOOL
COURSE CODE
COURSE NAME
SESSION, YEAR
Table of Contents
Information for staff ..................................................................................................................... 1
1. Information about the Course ..................................................................................................... 2
2. Staff Involved in the Course ....................................................................................................... 2
3. Course Details ............................................................................................................................ 3
4. Rationale and Strategies Underpinning the Course ................................................................... 4
5. Course Schedule ....................................................................................................................... 5
6. Assessment Tasks and Feedback ............................................................................................. 6
7. Additional Resources and Support ............................................................................................. 8
8. Required Equipment, Training and Enabling Skills .................................................................... 8
9. Course Evaluation and Development ......................................................................................... 9
10. Administration Matters ............................................................................................................ 11
10. UNSW Academic Honesty and Plagiarism ............................................................................ 12
1
Faculty of Science - Course Outline
1. Information about the Course
NB: Some of this information is available on the UNSW Handbook1
Year of Delivery
Course Code
Course Name
Academic Unit
Level of Course
Units of Credit
Session(s) Offered
Assumed Knowledge,
Prerequisites or Corequisites
Hours per Week
Number of Weeks
(e.g., 2013)
(e.g., SCIF1234)
(e.g., Introduction to Science 2)
(e.g., School)
(e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd UG, Hons or PG; core or elective)
(e.g., 6UOC)
(e.g., S1 or S2)
(Any assumed knowledge e.g., SCIXXX1)
(e.g. 3 HPW – list contact hours)
(e.g. 12 weeks)
Commencement Date
Summary of Course Structure (for details see 'Course Schedule')
Component
e.g. Lectures
Lecture 1
Lecture 2
Laboratory
Lab – Option 1
Lab – Option 2
Tutorials
Online
Other activities, e.g., field trips
TOTAL
Special Details
HPW
Time
Day
Location
2
10 – 11 am
2 - 3 pm
Wed
Thurs
CLB 1
Mathews Z
3-5 pm
9-11 am
Wed
Thurs
Heffron 215
Heffron 215
2

Indicate if disabled access is an issue

Indicate any further details for other activities

Indicate if there is parallel teaching involved in this course and relevant
arrangements for different students
2. Staff Involved in the Course
Staff
Course Convenor
Role
Name
Contact Details
Consultation Times
Additional Teaching Staff
Lecturers &
Facilitators
Dr J. Bloggs
e.g.
j.bloggs@unsw.edu.au;
suggest email as a
minimum, but also
consider contact
through BB9 or other
LMS and phone
number
Try to make some time
available, face-to-face and/or
on-line
Tutors &
Demonstrators
Technical &
Laboratory Staff
Other Support
Staff
1
UNSW Online Handbook: http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au
2
3. Course Details
Course Description2
(Handbook Entry)
Description of the course from UNSW Handbook. You might link off to the Handbook entry while also
providing something more descriptive or process-oriented here. Of course, that may overlap with the next
section.
Course Aims3
State the overall intention of the course. Guidance can be found in the current course outline.
Student Learning
Outcomes4
What are the expected student learning outcomes?
List what knowledge and abilities are developed and assessed.
Articulation of learning outcomes are typically prefaced with statements such as: ‘By the end of this course,
you will be able to…’
Graduate Attributes Developed in this Course5
Science Graduate
Attributes5 (maybe replaced
or augmented by UNSW,
School or professional
attributes)
Select the level of
FOCUS
Activities / Assessment
0 = NO FOCUS
1 = MINIMAL
2 = MINOR
3 = MAJOR
Research, inquiry and
analytical thinking
abilities
Capability and motivation
for intellectual
development
Ethical, social and
professional
understanding
Communication
Teamwork, collaborative
and management skills
Information literacy
2
UNSW Handbook: http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au
Learning and Teaching Unit: Course Outlines
4
Learning and Teaching Unit: Learning Outcomes
5
Contextualised Science Graduate Attributes: http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/our-faculty/science-graduate-attributes
3
3
Major Topics
(Syllabus Outline)
List of the major topics covered in this course.
Relationship to Other
Courses within the
Program
How the course relates to other course offerings and program(s).
4. Rationale and Strategies Underpinning the Course
Teaching Strategies
A brief statement on HOW the activities, e.g., lectures, labs, etc, used in the course support the student
learning outcomes.
Rationale for learning and
teaching in this course6,7
Why do you teach this way?
A brief statement of the learning and teaching rationale underpinning the course, drawing on the UNSW
Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching at UNSW where appropriate.7
How you conceptualise student learning and teaching and how this informs the way you teach; the activities
you design for students and the assessment tasks.
6
Reflecting on your teaching
http://teaching.unsw.edu.au/guidelines
7
4
5. Course Schedule
Some of this information is available on the Online Handbook8 and the UNSW Timetable9.
Week
Lectures (day),
Topics & Lecturers
Tutorials (day),
Topics & Lecturers
Practical (day),
Topics & Lecturers
Other
Assignment and Submission
dates (see also 'Assessment
Tasks & Feedback')
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6 *
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
*NB: As stated in the UNSW Assessment Policy: ‘one or more tasks should be set, submitted, marked and returned to students by the mid-point of a course, or no later than the
end of Week 6 of a 12-week session'
8
9
UNSW Virtual Handbook: http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au
UNSW Timetable: http://www.timetable.unsw.edu.au/
5
6. Assessment Tasks and Feedback10
Task
Knowledge & abilities
assessed
Ensures that this aligns with the
learning outcomes.
Assessment Criteria
% of
total
mark
Date of
Release
Submission
Feedback
WHO
WHEN
i.e., Who will
provide
feedback?
i.e., When
feedback will
be given?
HOW
e.g.,
verbal,
peer,
marks
* Insert rows as needed (DELETE from final version)
6
100
12
Approaches to assessment: http://teaching.unsw.edu.au/assessment
UNSW OHS Home page
7
7. Additional Resources and Support [ensure copyright compliance is met]
Text Books
including title, publisher, edition, year of publication, availability– bookshop, UNSW library, Open
Reserve, chapters via learning management systems or web sites
Course Manual
Will a course manual be made available to the students in print and/or online, for example, via a
learning management system
Required Readings
including availability – bookshop, UNSW library, Open Reserve, for example, via a learning
management system
Additional Readings
including availability – bookshop, UNSW library, Open Reserve, for example, via a learning
management system
Recommended Internet
Sites
These may be made available in hard or soft copy, through handouts or, for example, via a learning
management system
Societies
This would include both professional and student societies
Computer Laboratories or
Study Spaces
Include details of any physical resources which are available to the student.
8. Required Equipment, Training and Enabling Skills
Equipment Required
e.g., personal protection equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses, lab coat
Enabling Skills Training
Required to Complete this
Course
e.g., ELISE, LILT, BIOS, OHS,
8
9. Course Evaluation and Development
Student feedback is gathered periodically by various means. Such feedback is considered carefully with a view to acting on it
constructively wherever possible. This course outline conveys how feedback has helped to shape and develop this course.
Mechanisms of
Review
Major Course
Review
Last Review
Date
Comments or Changes Resulting from Reviews
List any changes which have occurred as a result of previous evaluations. e.g., How have the
students scored in their assignments during the course?
Including any changes which have occurred as a result of the change from 14 weeks to 12
weeks per session
CATEI11
Other
e.g. student, industry focus groups
You could also include quotes about the course from students and or industry which may assist
students in their course selection.
9
211
13
14
CATEI process: http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/our-faculty/course-and-teaching-evaluation-and-improvement-catei
UNSW Assessment Policy
Student Complaint Procedure
10
10. Administration Matters
Information about each of the following matters is best presented in a generic School handout or webpage.
Reference should be made in every course handout to where the information can be found, and the importance of
being familiar with the information.
Expectations of Students
Assignment Submissions
Occupational Health and
Safety12
Link to school policy including attendance at lectures and tutorials/laboratory classes/seminars;
and computer use, such as, the use of email and online discussion forums. Generally the
attendance requirement is 80% however this may differ between Schools.
Procedures for submission of assignments, a link to the School’s Assignment Cover Sheet and
link to the School’s policy concerning late submission. Add Link to the School URL.
Information on relevant Occupational Health and Safety policies and expectations both at UNSW
and if there are any school specific requirements.
Including advice concerning illness or misadventure
Assessment Procedures
UNSW Assessment
Policy13
Equity and Diversity
Those students who have a disability that requires some adjustment in their teaching
or learning environment are encouraged to discuss their study needs with the course
Convenor prior to, or at the commencement of, their course, or with the Equity Officer
(Disability)
in
the
Equity
and
Diversity
Unit
(9385
4734
or
http://www.studentequity.unsw.edu.au/ ).
Issues to be discussed may include access to materials, signers or note-takers, the
provision of services and additional exam and assessment arrangements. Early
notification is essential to enable any necessary adjustments to be made. Information
on designing courses and course outlines that take into account the needs of students with
disabilities can be found at:
http://teaching.unsw.edu.au/accessibility-tips
Student Complaint
Procedure14
School Contact
Faculty Contact
University Contact
Fill in the details of the School’s
Grievance/Complaint Officer.
A/Prof Julian Cox
Associate Dean (Education)
julian.cox@unsw.edu.au
Tel: 9385 8574
or
Dr Gavin Edwards
Associate Dean
(Undergraduate Programs)
g.edwards@unsw.edu.au
Tel: 9385 8063
Student Conduct and Appeals
Officer (SCAO) within the
Office of the Pro-ViceChancellor (Students) and
Registrar.
Telephone 02 9385 8515,
email
studentcomplaints@unsw.edu.
au
University Counselling and
Psychological Services12
Tel: 9385 5418
15
University Counselling and Psychological Services
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11. UNSW Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
The following information should appear in all course outlines or be available on the web in unaltered form. It is
recommended, however, that additional discipline-specific advice and/or material be added to assist students
wherever possible.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own.
*Examples include:
 direct duplication of the thoughts or work of another, including by copying material, ideas or concepts from a book,
article, report or other written document (whether published or unpublished), composition, artwork, design, drawing,
circuitry, computer program or software, web site, Internet, other electronic resource, or another person’s assignment
without appropriate acknowledgement;
 paraphrasing another person’s work with very minor changes keeping the meaning, form and/or progression of ideas of
the original;
 piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole;
 presenting an assessment item as independent work when it has been produced in whole or part in collusion with other
people, for example, another student or a tutor; and
 claiming credit for a proportion a work contributed to a group assessment item that is greater than that actually
contributed.†
For the purposes of this policy, submitting an assessment item that has already been submitted for academic credit
elsewhere may be considered plagiarism.
Knowingly permitting your work to be copied by another student may also be considered to be plagiarism.
Note that an assessment item produced in oral, not written, form, or involving live presentation, may similarly contain
plagiarised material.
The inclusion of the thoughts or work of another with attribution appropriate to the academic discipline does not amount to
plagiarism.
The Learning Centre website is main repository for resources for staff and students on plagiarism and academic honesty.
These resources can be located via:
www.lc.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
The Learning Centre also provides substantial educational written materials, workshops, and tutorials to aid students, for
example, in:
 correct referencing practices;
 paraphrasing, summarising, essay writing, and time management;
 appropriate use of, and attribution for, a range of materials including text, images, formulae and concepts.
Individual assistance is available on request from The Learning Centre.
Students are also reminded that careful time management is an important part of study and one of the identified causes of
plagiarism is poor time management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting, and the proper referencing
of sources in preparing all assessment items.
* Based on that proposed to the University of Newcastle by the St James Ethics Centre. Used with kind permission from the University of
Newcastle
† Adapted with kind permission from the University of Melbourne
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