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Overview

Course Prescription

Addressing complex issues requires knowledge experts to engage with a variety of people. Solutions will be gained from collaborations that co-produce knowledge in transdisciplinary partnerships that lead to new ways of thinking. This course explores meaningful ways to engage with communities, and reassesses current ways of knowing and doing.

Course Overview

This course is about how we engage in partnerships and use knowledge to address complex challenges. Today’s increasing mistrust in experts, coming at the very moment expertise across all disciplines is most needed, is a dual challenge that requires a new understanding of science’s foundations, its social role, and changes to how this role is enacted. Solutions will be gained from collaborations that co-produce knowledge in transdisciplinary partnerships that lead to new ways of thinking. This course explores and unpacks assumptions about how science is done, how it is communicated, and how we might achieve more meaningful ways to engage with society to pose questions, reinterpret, and reassesses our current ways of knowing and doing.

Key Topics

Why Engage?Approaches to engagement
The Engaged scientist: Trust, responsibility and impact The Engaged Citizen: Complex issues demanding evidence-based multi-sectoral actionEngagement in contested spaces ENGAGEMENT and PowerUnderstanding community contexts (SELF DIRECTED FIELD EXPERIENCE)Schools as a setting for engagement.Building and sustaining community partnershipsPublic Dialogue and Engagement
Science and Governance
Being a reflective / reflexive practitionerLived Experience vs Evidence Based Research

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 34 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorial;  6 hours fieldtrip; 40 hours of reading and thinking about the content during the entire semester and 30 hours of work on assignments during the entire semester.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete and receive credit for components of the course.  

The  learning simulation activity (a group game) requires attendance for 3 of 4 lectures / tutorial days to gain full marks (10%) - however students can still gain some marks for lower levels of engagement (but not full marks) if they only attend some of the sessions.  

The mock stakeholder meeting (final week) requires attendance for one 90min session outside course time (in week 12) to gain participation marks, however students will still be eligible for preparatory work marks if they cannot attend.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions and tutorials.

The Exam is an inperson on-campus online (inspera) exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

All required learning resources are made available through canvas and the course talis reading list. You are however expected to independently access quality library sources for your assignments.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Special Requirements

Students will undertake a self-directed 'field experience' to explore a 'community'.  The experience can be staggered at different times to suit the student or can be undertaken on one specific day (likely during the mid semester break).  The experience enables the student to explore and record a community of the student's choosing.  The experience will be complemented with further investigation of the community through media / literature / council material etc.   The student will present their community investigation through a creative output of their choosing (video, photo essay, recorded talk, dance, art  etc).
Mock scenario: Two lecture weeks are dedicated to undertaking an interactive mock scenario in lecture time. This involves groupwork and so students are required to attend lectures in these weeks (dates notified in the first lecture) as engagement marks are attached to this activity.  No alternative activities are provided.  The entire activity (engagement and groupwork)  is worth 10% of your final mark.
Tutorial Engagement: As this is an engagement course, attendance at tutorials is required and attendance roles are kept.  Tutorial teamwork contributes to individual engagement marks. No alternative options are provided for these marks.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type1234567

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

100% of students agreed or strongly agreed that  SCIGEN 301/301G is an effective course in the 2018 and 2019 SET evaluations.  The course was not offered in 2023.
This is not a course that students should consider if they want to study remotely. We recognise some negative student feedback around their need to attend tutorials and the mock scenario weeks, but as this course seeks to critically explore engagement, there is a critical need to engage in person.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.