7545 risk crisis & communication

of 20 Australian Government Higher Education (CRICOS) Registered Provider number: #00212K

Unit Outline 2014

Faculty of Arts & Design

Risk, Crisis & Communication

7545


This Unit Outline must be read in conjunction with:

a) UC Student Guide to Policies, which sets out University-wide policies and procedures, including

information on matters such as plagiarism, grade descriptors, moderation, feedback and deferred

exams, and is available at (scroll to bottom of page)

http://www.canberra.edu.au/student-services

b) UC Guide to Student Services, and is available at (scroll to bottom of page)


c) Any additional information specified in section 6h.

1: General Information

1a Unit title: Risk, Crisis & Communication

1b Unit number: 7545

1c Teaching Period and year offered: Semester 1, 2014

1d Credit point value: 3

1e Unit level: Undergraduate Third Year level

1f Name of Unit Convener and contact details (including telephone and email)

Professor R. Warwick Blood.

Phone: 2587 (02 6201 2587) E

Email: [email protected]

Note: Warwick Blood is normally on campus only on Wednesdays and Thursdays

1g Administrative contact details

Brooke Barnes

9C 6

Phone: 2475 (01 6201 2475)

Email: [email protected]



mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


2: Academic Content

2a Unit description and learning outcomes

This unit examines contemporary theories of risk and risk communication by drawing on the seminal

ideas of Beck and Giddens. The central ideas of the risk society are examined including contributions

from sociology, cultural anthropology, psychology and contemporary communication, media and

cultural studies research.

Models of risk communication are examined including the dominant technical or scientific approach,

psychometric research on risk perceptions, and later models of reflexive practice that encompass

broader social and cultural approaches.

Case studies include risk communication practice in the environmental sciences, science and health

communication, government and international communication, and crisis communication.

Learning Outcomes:

1. A critical understanding of the central ideas in risk theory and contemporary models of risk

and crisis communication;

2. Critical awareness of issues in risk communication research;

3. An understanding of the ethical, cultural, political and social issues in the field;

4. An understanding of the link between risk communication models and professional practice.

2b Generic skills:

The unit further develops generic skills in analytical inquiry, including evaluation of published

research, communication (including oral presentation) and problem-solving. Given the nature of the

unit, a key component involves further developing the capacity to use professional knowledge and

skills ethically and responsibly for the benefit of others and the environment.

See: ‘Generic Skills and Attributes of UC Graduates of Coursework Programs’:

UC Generic Skills

2c Prerequisites and/or co-requisites

7003 Communication & Media Research or permission of Unit Convenor

3: Delivery of Unit and Timetable

3a Delivery mode:

On campus in standard semesters – one 1.5 hour lecture each week, and one 90 minute tutorial, as

shown in the schedule below.

http://www.canberra.edu.au/uclearning/learning-support/uc-graduate-attributes


3b Timetable of activities:

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Week 1: 17 – 21 February

Lecture: 19 February - Welcome to the globalized ‘risk society’

Topics: Preliminary ideas about globalization & risk

Charting epistemological, ontological & methodological perspectives.

Readings on E-Reserve:

Alaszewski, A. (2005). Risk communication: identifying the importance of social context. Health,

Risk & Society, 7(2): 101-105.

Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. London: Routledge; Chapter 2, Theorizing Risk,

Tutorials: No tutorials in Week 1

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Week 2: 24 – 28 February

Lecture: 26 February – From environmental catastrophe to terrorist threat

Topics: Our contemporary preoccupation with risk


Mythen, G. (2004). Ulrich Beck: A critical introduction to the risk society. London: Pluto Press;

Chapter 1, Mapping the risk society.

Tutorials: Orientation & tutorial format

Getting started on the Risk and News Annotated Bibliography

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Week 3: 3 – 7 March

Lecture: 5 March – Risk in the news

Topics: Library database searching

Mediated risk


Strydom, P (2002). Risk, environment and society. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press;

Chapter 1. The risk discourse: the contemporary concern with risk.

Tutorials: Beck’s risk society thesis

[See questions on Unit Moodle site at Week 3]

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Week 4: 11 - 14 March

[10 March is Canberra Day – public holiday]

Lecture: 12 March - Framing risk & social consequences

Topics: Public opinion and risk

Manufacturing news; Framing news


Entman, R. (1993). Framing: Towards clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of

Communication, 43 (4): 51-58.

Kitzinger, J. (1999). Researching risk and the media. Health, Risk & Society, 1 (1): 55-69.

Tutorials: The risk society elaborated


Forum: On Moodle at Week 4 – Risk News Annotated Bibliography Discussion

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Lecture: 19 March – Risk, news & public opinion

Topics: News and risk

Readings on E Reserve:

Bainbridge, J., & Galloway, C. (2010). Communicating catastrophe: Blame, Black Saturday and

newspaper constructions of bushfire risk. Media International Australia (137): 100-108.

Kitzinger, J. & Reilly, J. (1997). The rise and fall of risk reporting: Media coverage of human genetics

research, ‘False Memory’ syndrome, and ‘Mad Cow Disease’. European Journal of Communication

12(3): 319-350.

Tutorials: Risk and news


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Lecture: 26 March – SARF and its critique

Topics: Psychometric research tradition & approaches to risk analyses

SARF – Social Amplification of Risk Framework

Critique of psychometric approaches & SARF


Bakir, V. (2005). Greenpeace v. Shell: media exploitation and the Social Amplification of Risk

Framework (SARF). Journal of Risk Research 8 (7-8):679-691.

Murdoch, G., Petts, J. & Horlick-Jones, T. (2003). After amplification: rethinking the role of the

media in risk communication (pp. 156-178). In N. Pidgeon, R. Kasperson & P. Slovic. (eds.) The

social amplification of risk. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tutorials: Risk and news


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Week 7: 31 March – 4 April

Lecture: 2 March – Case Studies

Topics: Probability, uncertainty & expert systems

Case Studies: GM Foods; Greenpeace & Shell; BSE, ‘False Memory Syndrome’ &

human genetic research


Wynne, B. (1996). May the sheep safely graze? A reflexive view of the expert-lay knowledge divide

(pp. 44-83). In B. Lash, B. Szerzynski & B. Wynne, B. (eds.) Risk, Environment and Modernity:

Toward a new ecology. London: Sage.

Tutorials: Case Studies

[See questions of Unit Moodle site at Week 7]

Due Date: Risk News Annotated Bibliography – Upload to Moodle at Week 7 by Friday 4 April

2014 at 2000 hrs (8 pm)

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Week 8: Class Free Period: 7 – 11 April

No Lecture or Tutorials

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Week 9: 14 – 17 April

[18 April is Good Friday – public holiday]

Lecture: 16 April – Challenging Beck & Giddens

Topics: Critique of Beck & Giddens

Wynne on science, technology and expert systems

The lay perspective


Andersen, P. & Spitzberg, B. (2009). Myths and maxims of risk and crisis communication (pp. 205-

226). In R. Heath & H.D. O’Hair (eds.) Handbook of Risk and Crisis Communication. London:

Routledge.

Tutorials: On Line Activity.

No on-campus tutorials this week.


Forum: On Moodle at Week 9 – Risk News Analysis Discussion

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Week 10: 21 – 25 April

[21 April is Easter Monday & Friday 25 April is Anzac Day – pubic holidays]

Lecture: 23 April – Dialogic Risk Communication

Topics: Lay versus expert understandings of risk

Grounded, conversational models


Holland, K., Blood, R.W., Imison, M., Chapman, S. & Fogarty, A. (2012). Risk, expert uncertainty,

and Australian news media: public and private faces of expert opinion during the 2009 swine flu

pandemic. Journal of Risk Research 15(6) June: 657-671.

Holland, K., Blood, R.W., Thomas, S., Lewis, S. Komesaroff, P. & Castle, D. (2011). ‘Our girth is

plain to see’: An analysis of newspaper coverage of Australia’s Future ‘Fat Bomb’. Health, Risk &

Society 13(1): 31-46.

Tutorials: On Line Activity.

No on-campus tutorials this week.


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Week 11: 28 April – 2 May

Lecture: 30 April – Repositioning risk communication

Topics: Dominant models & alternatives


Kearnes, M., Grover-White, R., MacNaghten, P., Wilsdon, J. & Wynne, B. (2006). From Bio to Nano:

Learning Lessons from the UK Agricultural Biotechnology Controversy. Science as Culture 15 (4):

291-307.

Tutorials: Risk Communication Models

[See questions are on unit Moodle site at Week 11]

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Week 12: 5 – 9 May

Lecture: 7 May – Critiquing risk communication and practice

Topics: Policy implications of risk communication

Case Studies


Hom, A., Plaza, R. Palmén, R. (2011). The framing of risk and implications for policy and

governance: the case of EMF. Public Understanding of Science 20(3):319-333.

Boholm, Å. & Löfstedt, R. (1999). Issues of risk, trust and knowledge: The Hallandsås tunnel case.

Ambio 28 (6): 556-561.

Tutorials: Risk Communication Case Studies

[See questions on unit Moodle site at Week 12]

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Week 13: 12 – 16 May

Lecture: 14 May – Global terrorism as risk

Topics: War, terrorism and risk

Images of terrorism


Beck, U. (2001). The fight for a cosmopolitan future. News Statesman, 25 November, pp. 33-34.

Handmer, J. & James, P. (2007). Trust us and be scared: The changing nature of contemporary risk.

Global Society, 21 (1): 119-130.

Tutorials: Risk Communication Case Studies

Future Practice

[See questions on unit Moodle site at Week 13]

Due Date: Risk News Analysis – Upload to Moodle at Week 13 by Friday 16 May at 2000 hrs (8

pm) 2014

4: Unit Resources

4a Lists of required texts/readings

For Unit readings and resources in the University of Canberra Library

Link to search page for Unit Readings (print materials)

Link to search page for eReserve (electronic materials)

Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bryman was the textbook for 7003 Communication & Media Research, the pre-requisite for this unit.

It is available at the Co-Op Bookstore on campus. There are many concepts in the readings that will be

difficult to fully understand without reference to Bryman.

Readings: Readings listed in the timetable of activities above are located on e-reserve for the

unit. Access via Moodle (top of site).

The following listed texts are available in the Library. Some weekly readings listed in the schedule

above have been extracted from these texts. Additionally, there are many texts focused on risk, media

and health

Allan, S. (2002). Media, risk and science. Buckingham, UK; Open University Press.

Beck, U. (2007). World at risk. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Towards a new modernity. (trans. M. Ritter). London: Sage.

Flynn, J., Slovic, P. & Kunreuther, H. (2001). Risk, media and stigma: Understanding public

challenges to modern science and technology. London: Earthscan.

http://webpac.canberra.edu.au/screens/unitbooklist.html

https://docutek.canberra.edu.au/eres/courseindex.aspx?error=&page=search


Heath, R. & O’Hair, H.D. (eds.) (2009). Handbook of risk and crisis communication. London:

Routledge.

Krimsky, S. & Golding, D. (1992) (eds.). Social theories of risk. London: Praeger.

Mythen, G. (2004). Ulrich Beck: A critical introduction to the risk society. London: Pluto Press.

Pidgeon, N., Kasperson, R. & Slovic, P. (2003). (eds.).The social amplification of risk. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Tulloch, J. & Lupton, D. (2003). Risk and everyday life. London: Sage.

Slovic, P. (2001). (ed.). The perception of risk. London: Earthscan Publications.

Strydom, P. (2007). Risk, environment and society. Buckingham, UK: OUP.

Zinn, J. (ed.) (2008). Social theories of risk and uncertainty: An introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.

4b Materials and equipment

No other materials are required

4c Unit website

To find your unit site online, login to LearnOnline(Moodle) using your student ID.

Note that your unit site has a profiles page that displays your name and email address for the benefit of

other students. If you prefer to hide your email address, click here for instructions.

The unit has a Moodle website:

http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=10891

Assignments should be uploaded to this site at the designated week.

http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/

http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=553048



5: Assessment

5a Assessment overview

Assessment Item

Due Date Weighting

Tutorial Report & Participation Throughout semester 20%

Risk News Annotated Bibliography Upload to Moodle at

Week 7 by Friday 4

April 2014 at 2000 hrs

(8 pm)

35%

Risk News Analysis

Upload to Moodle at

Week 13 by Friday 16

May at 2000 hrs (8 pm)

2014

45%

Please note UC’s Generic Skills, which are referred to in the assessment criteria below.

UC Generic Skills

1 - Communication

2 - Analysis and Inquiry

3 - Problem Solving

4 - Working independently and with others

5 - Professionalism and Social Responsibility

5b Details of each assessment item

Please note carefully.

o All email correspondence must come from your university student email address. This is

required to protect your privacy. Emails from private addresses will be ignored.

o All assignments are to be typed, double-spaced on A4.

o Upload your written assignments to the Unit Moodle website by the due date at the

appropriate upload.

o NOTE: Please see below about submission of written assignments.

o Use a familiar and consistent style for referencing; for example, the American Psychological

Association or Harvard styles.

o Late assignments will incur a penalty of 5% for each day late.

o For late assignments please use the appropriate late upload site on the unit Moodle site.

o Please do not email late assignments to your tutor or unit convenor. They will be ignored.

http://www.canberra.edu.au/uclearning/learning-support/uc-graduate-attributes


o In cases of illness, misadventure, or extenuating circumstance, satisfactory documented

evidence will need to be provided to gain permission for the late submission of assignments.

Arrangements will then be made for submission of the assignment. The unit convenor and

your tutor may require you to provide evidence that you have been working on the

assignment. In exceptional circumstances, the unit convenor may substitute an oral

presentation in place of a missed assessment item.

o Requests for an extension to submit assessable work must be made directly to your tutor.

o For all assessable work penalties may be applied if you do not follow instructions in

submitting work.

o Your grade and mark for each assessment item, and the final unit grade and mark, will be

reported as one of High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, or Fail with an appropriate

mark.

o All assessable items are graded on the UC scale:

Less than 50% = NX Fail

50% to 64% = Pass

65% to 74% = Credit

75% to 84% = Distinction

85% or more = High Distinction

Tutorial Report & Participation – 20% of unit grade. Weekly Deadlines – see timetable of activities above.

The timetable of activities above details Readings on E-Reserve for each week.

During the semester you will be assigned a reading or readings to report on to your tutorial group, and

to then initiate discussion. This verbal report will be assessed by your tutor.

Assignment of tasks will be available on Moodle as soon as possible after the start of semester

In keeping with the unit’s teaching and learning objectives, your report should only be verbal – no

PowerPoint or similar presentations or written materials.

We will not accept written reports as a substitute for missed tutorial attendance and participation.

These submissions will be ignored.

Each week, your tutor will call on members of the tutorial group to add to the discussion based on

their examination of the weekly readings. We cannot assign marks if you do not attend the tutorial.

It is important that you have examined the readings for each week and are prepared to add to

the tutorial discussion each week based on the questions that are set for each tutorial. This

active involvement will prepare you for the two written assessment tasks – the Risk News

Annotated Bibliography, and the Risk Issue Analysis.

There is an expectation that students will attend and participate in all tutorials. This is because

participation through attendance is an important and significant component of meeting the learning

outcomes of the unit. Not only is this relevant to the gaining of knowledge and skills appropriate to

this particular unit but it also applies to your degree as a whole. From our experience, there is a

significant relationship between a student’s attendance and participation, and the quality of their

learning outcomes demonstrated by submitted assessable work.


Assessment Criteria for Tutorial Report & Participation:

This task is directly related to learning outcomes 1 and 2 (as above) for the unit and, as the tutorial

program progresses, learning outcomes 3 and 4. The assessment criteria are:

o Evidence of critical questioning and knowledge of readings;

o Ability to ask relevant questions about the underlying ontology, epistemology, theory, and the

methods used, in the work reviewed;

o Ability to critically discuss the implications of the readings for understanding for risk

communication theory and practice;

o Your ability to make arguments, and to arrive at conclusions logically in a succinct verbal

comment; and

o Growing evidence as the tutorial series progresses of your understanding of the theory in the

work you have reviewed.

This assessment complements your development of generic skills, especially analysis and inquiry,

communication, working independently and with others, and professionalism and social responsibility.

Risk News Annotated Bibliography - 35% of unit grade. Due Date: Upload to Moodle at Week 7 by Friday 4 April 2014 at 2000 hrs (8 pm)

Approximate length = 2500 words

First, you need to choose a risk issue that has been covered in the news media.

This is your choice.

Choose wisely because this assessment task forms the basis of the Risk News Analysis – the final

assessment for the unit. You do not want to start all over again toward the end of the semester!

To assist in this task, a forum is available on the unit Moodle site (at Week 4) where you can swap

ideas with colleagues in the unit, your tutor and the unit convenor.

IMPORTANT: You need to let your tutor know by the end of Week 4 your chosen risk

issue. Do this at the designated site at Week 4 on Moodle. You need only name the risk issue.

For example: smoking; or breast cancer; or earthquakes; or bush fires, etc. A

Clearly, you will need to draw upon lectures, tutorials and your own research.

For this assessment you need to search for peer-reviewed academic papers that focus on how the

news media reports and portrays your chosen risk issue. That is, what does previous research tell us

about how the risk (or aspect of the risk) is reported and portrayed by the news media in Australia

and/or internationally?

How many papers should you find?

For most risk issues, you will find a host of material and you will need to narrow the focus to, say, the

last two or three years of material. For others, you may need to broaden the scope of your search. For

example, there is not that much published on media coverage of pH1N1 - the 2009-10 global

pandemic of swine ‘flu. But there is a growing body of research literature on EIDs or Emerging

Infectious Diseases and media coverage; from Ebola, to SARS, to Avian ‘flu to swine ‘flu, all of

which may be relevant to your chosen risk issue.

Remember your focus is your defined risk issue and news media reporting and portrayal.


In any event, you should be able to find about five peer reviewed journal papers that are relevant

and timely – and answer the general question of what does previous research tells us about how your

risk issue is reported and portrayed by the news media.

And, in some cases, you may be able to identify what the research does not tell us. Looking at your

selected journal papers may also lead you (via key words or the reference list) to other relevant papers

or, importantly, to a key paper that most researchers cite.

Look ahead to the final Risk News Analysis assessment to see how you will use the brief report you

will produce for your Risk News Annotated Bibliography

What do you need to include in your Risk News Annotated Bibliographyt? Do not reference urls or websites – use proper referencing style to properly identify refereed journal papers. Do not include copies of the papers – assessors can easily find them if you have referenced them correctly. First, list the SEARCH TERMS you used. For example:

Search terms: ‘newspapers’ AND ‘risk’ AND ‘bushfires’.

Then list the Databases you searched. For example:

Databases: Communication and Media Complete, SAGE, Taylor and Francis, MEDLINE.

Finally, for each refereed journal paper you select, you need to write a succinct paragraph or two about

what the research shows.

For example:

Bainbridge, J., & Galloway, C. (2010). Communicating catastrophe: Blame, Black Saturday and

newspaper constructions of bushfire risk. Media International Australia, (137): 100-108.

A qualitative textual analysis, using critical discourse analysis, of Australian newspaper

coverage (limited to The Australian, The Age and Herald Sun) in February 2009 of the

Victorian bushfires. Focus is on how social actors, including the newspapers, actively

construct risk. Authors argue that media amplification of risk (after SARF) remains a critical

consideration for future official risk communication, ‘as does the issue of people’s ontological

security in their homes’ (p. 106). While officials need to rely upon the news media, the media

is likely to attribute blame and to amplify apocalyptic images of fires threatening

communities. Search terms for identifying newspaper items on this bushfire are listed (p. 106).

The paper does not quantitatively map the extent of the newspaper coverage.

Thus, the assignment is not lengthy – two or three lines to list your search terms and databases and five paragraphs (with correct journal references) to analyse your selected papers. This assessment is about selecting papers on media coverage of your risk issue that tell us something and can be used to complete the Risk News Analysis assessment.


Assessment Criteria for Risk News Annotated Bibliography

This task is directly related to learning outcomes 1 and 2 (see above) of the unit. The assessment

criteria are:

o Your ability to conduct a relevant research literature review of news and your defined risk

issue;

o Your ability to identify key themes, strengths and weaknesses in your literature review;

o Evidence of your ability to critically describe the research literature in terms of research

design; and

o Your ability to produce an informative annotated bibliography of selected key research on

how the news media reports and portrays your defined risk issue.


communication, working independently and with others, and professionalism and social responsibility.

Risk News Analysis – 45% of the unit grade. Due Date: Upload to Moodle at Week 13 by Friday 16 May at 2000 hrs (8 pm) 2014

About 3,500 words

The task is to analyse a defined aspect of newspaper, television or internet news coverage (or

combination of these media) of your defined risk issue.

You are free to choose that aspect of news coverage that you think best illustrates some significant

features of coverage of the risk issue.

To assist in this task, a forum is available on the unit Moodle site (at Week 9).

First, identify your risk or aspects of the risk that you are focused on in this report. It may be possible

for you to point to a couple of key technical or scientific reports that analyse this risk or aspect of the

risk.

Secondly, discuss what we know about the risk issue and how it is reported and portrayed by news

media. That is, use your annotated risk news bibliography to write a succinct précis of what selected

previous research shows about how your risk issue is treated by news.

Thirdly, identify, as succinctly as possible, the media or medium you are examining, including dates

(or date-range), and why you have chosen these sources.

Then analyse how your defined risk issue and the aspect you are focused on has been reported and

portrayed in this identified news media.

Why do you think the news has ‘played up’ (or ‘played down’ or ignored) elements of the risk

issue?

Identify what images and meanings about the issue or risk are being conveyed to news

audiences.

Relate what you have found to your previous research review (your annotated risk news

bibliography) and to the readings we have examined in class).

Finally: Briefly, what are the implications of this news coverage for future risk communication about

your risk issue?

Write the report of no more than 3500 words as a technical report for a client who knows little about

news coverage of the defined risk issue.


Some Guidance:

Clearly, you will need to draw upon lectures, tutorials and your own research.

Draw on your Risk News Annotated Bibliography because that will give the focus you need to

complete this assessment.

It is only necessary to focus on one aspect (or a few aspects) of news coverage. In the time and space

available to you it will be impossible to complete a systematic, comprehensive analysis of a defined

risk issue. Thus, quantitative content analysis is not recommended or required; you have neither the

time nor resources.

It will be easier for you if you focus on some event or specific news coverage of some aspects of the

risk issue.

For example: a court case centred on the risk or aspects of the risk; or the release of a technical or

scientific or medical report about the risk; the passage of contested legislation about the risk issue; an

investigation by a news organization into the risk, the release of medical information by government

or some other body that is disputed by various; celebrity involvement with a risk or some aspect of the

risk; the reaction of key stakeholders to new knowledge, announcement etc. about a risk or aspects of

the risk; official inquiries into disasters, crises, etc.

An example: Suppose you were interested in breast cancer risk factors. A specific event to analyse in

newspaper coverage – say, restricted to two major Melbourne’s metropolitan newspapers – would be

Kylie Minogue’s diagnosis, treatment and recovery from breast cancer. You could further limit this

analysis to a defined time period, say, two or three weeks. Or, alternatively, you could focus your

report on several television reports about this event in a defined time period.

Use can use printed text from newspaper databases (News Bank or Factiva or information available on

the internet) as the main source for this assessment. But recognize the limitations of news text

databases. It is not necessary for you to retrieve and photocopy the actual newspaper coverage. For

television, use the TV News database. This is a useful source.

Submit only your report – do not include media material but correctly reference, using an

appropriate consistent style, all media sources.

Possible Outline

o Risk issue definition, including one or two recent technical or scientific references (brief)

o Previous research on risk and news – a précis of your risk news annotated bibliography

o The news coverage selected for analysis, and justification (brief)

o Analysis of selected news coverage (the main body of your report)

o Implications for risk communication

Assessment Criteria for Risk News Analysis:

This task, building on learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 (see above), is directly related to learning

outcomes 3 and 4 of the unit. The assessment criteria are:

o Your ability to succinctly identify the risk issue (or aspects of the risk issue) with supporting

‘expert’ evidence;

o Your ability to use your research literature review of news and your defined risk issue to

identify the key issues in how the news media reports and portrays the issue;

o Your ability to identify themes, images and meanings available to news audiences in the news

coverage;


o Evidence of your ability to critically describe news reporting and portrayal of a defined risk

issue;

o Your ability to make arguments, and to arrive at conclusions logically in a readable, succinct

report; and

o Your ability to identify implications for risk communication, based on current theory and

practice that emerge from your news analyses.


problem solving, communication, working independently and with others, and professionalism and

social responsibility.

5c Submission of assessment items

All assessment items will be submitted online via the unit Moodle site. The first page of each

assessment submission should include the following information:

Student Name:

Student ID:

Assessment Name:

Use only an MS-Word file

Use file name: Last Name_First Name. doc (or docx). For example: Blood_Warwick.docx

In uploading your assignment to the appropriate Moodle site, you are certifying that:

o the attached assignment is your own work and no part of this work has been written for you

by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorized by the unit

convenor;

o material drawn from other sources has been fully acknowledged as to author/creator, source

and other bibliographic details according to this unit’s requirements for referencing; and

o no part of this work has been submitted for assessment in any other unit in this or another

Faculty except where authorized by the unit convenor.

5d Special assessment requirements

N/A

5e Supplementary assessment

Refer to the UC Supplementary Assessment Policy

5f 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. Please see UC's Academic Integrity

Policy.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, it is expected that all students will complete

the LearnOnline Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study.

The module is automatically available as a listed site when students log into LearnOnline.

https://guard.canberra.edu.au/policy/policy.php?pol_id=2901




5g Use of text-matching software

The University of Canberra has available, through LearnOnline (Moodle), text-matching

software that helps students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understandings of

academic integrity. Known as URKUND, the software matches submitted text in student

assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals,

and previously submitted student texts. Click here for further information on the URKUND

text-matching software.




6: Student Responsibility

6a Workload

The amount of time you will need to spend on study in this unit will depend on a number of

factors including your prior knowledge, learning skill level and learning style. Nevertheless, in

planning your time commitments you should note that for a 3cp unit the total notional

workload over the semester or term is assumed to be 150 hours. These hours include time

spent in classes. The total workload for units of different credit point value should vary

proportionally. For example, for a 6cp unit the total notional workload over a semester or term

is assumed to be 300 hours.

6b Accessibility unit

Students who need assistance in undertaking the unit because of disability or other

circumstances should inform their Unit Convener or UC AccessAbility as soon as possible so

the necessary arrangements can be made.

6c Participation requirements

There is an expectation that students will attend and participate in all structured time – that is,

lectures and tutorials. This is because participation through attendance is an important and

significant component of meeting the learning outcomes of the unit. Not only is this relevant

to the gaining of knowledge and skills appropriate to this particular unit but it also applies to

your degree as a whole.

From our experience, there is a significant relationship between a student’s attendance and

participation, and the quality of their learning outcomes demonstrated by submitted assessable

work.

6d Withdrawal

If you are planning to withdraw please discuss with your unit convener. Please see Withdrawal

of Units for further information on deadlines.

6e Required IT skills

Email; email an attachment; use of Moodle; word processing; library database searching. Use

of reference tools such as EndNote or RefWorks is encouraged.

6f In-Unit Costs

(Note: To calculate your unit fees see: How do I calculate my fees?.

The online UC Co-op Textbook Search is available for purchasing text books.)

6g Work placements, internships or practicums

N/A

6h Additional information

N/A

http://www.canberra.edu.au/accessability

http://www.canberra.edu.au/student-services/re-enrolment/determine_your_study_program_and_register_on_osis/withdrawal_of_units

http://www.canberra.edu.au/student-services/re-enrolment/determine_your_study_program_and_register_on_osis/withdrawal_of_units

http://www.canberra.edu.au/student-services/fees/calculate

http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/bookshop/action/InstTextSelect?inst_name=university-canberra


7: Student Feedback

All students enrolled in this unit will have an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on

the unit at the end of the Semester via the Unit Satisfaction Survey (USS) which you can

access by logging into MyUC via the UC homepage: http://www.canberra.edu.au/home/. Your

lecturer or tutor may also invite you to provide more detailed feedback on their teaching

through an anonymous questionnaire.

8: Authority of this Unit Outline

Any change to the information contained in Section 2 (Academic content), and Section 5

(Assessment) of this document, will only be made by the Unit Convener if the written

agreement of Head of Discipline and a majority of students has been obtained; and if written

advice of the change is then provided on the unit site in the learning management system. If

this is not possible, written advice of the change must be then forwarded to each student

enrolled in the unit at their registered term address. Any individual student who believes

him/herself to be disadvantaged by a change is encouraged to discuss the matter with the Unit

Convener.

http://www.canberra.edu.au/home/

7545 risk crisis & communication

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