School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Investigative Journalism
  • Unit Code

    BDJ3150
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Steinar ELLINGSEN

Description

The digital age has brought with it a wave of fake news and disinformation that professional journalism needs to address. This unit develops students’ proficiency in grounding multiplatform journalistic practice in credible evidence. It develops verification and fact finding skills and explores theoretical explanations of how and why disinformation spreads online. The unit investigates an array of initiatives currently tackling the problem and fosters critical appraisal skills, encouraging students to challenge assumptions and avoid bias. The abundance of data now available online also requires journalism to have some data sourcing and handling skills that this unit will introduce.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Communicate understanding of transparency and publicly accessible data.
  2. Evaluate and produce a piece of investigative journalism that complies with legal and professional standards.
  3. Engage in sourcing and fact checking of various media consistent with industry standards.
  4. Examine and explain disinformation and how and why it spreads.
  5. Source, process and present newsworthy data.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to the range of data made available by Australian governments and companies.
  2. Skill development in how to access and use data and other credible material in the production of news content.
  3. Skill development in editing, involving data handling, fact checking and verification.
  4. Development of advanced online search skills.
  5. Development of digital presentation skills, focussed on readability and credibility.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit will be delivered using a learner-centered approach. Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts that are relevant in understanding the principles and practices of journalism and broadcast. They involve a blend of experiences including lectures, interactive presentations, videos and small group discussions. Tutorials provide students with the opportunity to further discuss and apply the concepts covered in lectures and readings. Activities focus on small group work, designed to develop communication skills, critical thinking and teamwork. Assessment methods for on-campus study provide students with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their achievement of the unit learning outcomes.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseData gathering exercises 20%
AssignmentProduction of news content60%
EssayWritten or digital essay20%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

BDJ3150|2|1

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Investigative Journalism
  • Unit Code

    BDJ3150
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Steinar ELLINGSEN

Description

The digital age has brought with it a wave of fake news and disinformation that professional journalism needs to address. This unit develops students’ proficiency in grounding multiplatform journalistic practice in credible evidence. It develops verification and fact finding skills and explores theoretical explanations of how and why disinformation spreads online. The unit investigates an array of initiatives currently tackling the problem and fosters critical appraisal skills, encouraging students to challenge assumptions and avoid bias. The abundance of data now available online also requires journalism to have some data sourcing and handling skills that this unit will introduce.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Communicate understanding of transparency and publicly accessible data.
  2. Evaluate and produce a piece of investigative journalism that complies with legal and professional standards.
  3. Engage in sourcing and fact checking of various media consistent with industry standards.
  4. Examine and explain disinformation and how and why it spreads.
  5. Source, process and present newsworthy data.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to the range of data made available by Australian governments and companies.
  2. Skill development in how to access and use data and other credible material in the production of news content.
  3. Skill development in editing, involving data handling, fact checking and verification.
  4. Development of advanced online search skills.
  5. Development of digital presentation skills, focussed on readability and credibility.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit will be delivered using a learner-centered approach. Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts that are relevant in understanding the principles and practices of journalism and broadcast. They involve a blend of experiences including lectures, interactive presentations, videos and small group discussions. Tutorials provide students with the opportunity to further discuss and apply the concepts covered in lectures and readings. Activities focus on small group work, designed to develop communication skills, critical thinking and teamwork. Assessment methods for on-campus study provide students with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their achievement of the unit learning outcomes.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseData gathering exercises 20%
AssignmentProduction of news content60%
EssayWritten or digital essay20%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

BDJ3150|2|2