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Unit outline_

CLAW6888: Regulation of Fintech and Digital Information

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Fintech is an essential component of the modern business world, particularly in relation to lowering costs, increasing efficiency and for promoting financial inclusion. Through this unit students are equipped with an understanding of innovation in the financial system, and how these developments interact with current laws and regulations in the global markets. This unit provides students with insights into a wide range of topics, including smart contracts, crypto-assets and virtual currencies, mobile payments, crowd funding and property law. It also introduces students to existing regulations for digital information. This includes a range of topics such as privacy laws, artificial intelligence and big data.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Accounting
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

This unit is designed for students with no knowledge of fintech or digital information. However, it is expected that students are familiar with many of the companies and fintech technologies that will be discussed

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Sarah Guo, qian.guo@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Sarah Guo, qian.guo@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Clement Peng, clement.peng@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
Final exam
Hypothetical problem(s) and multiple choice questions
30% Formal exam period 1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Small continuous assessment Online Quizes
Students answer quiz questions which comprise MCQs and short questions.
10% Multiple weeks 4 quizzes with 20 questions per quiz
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment group assignment Research question
Students will choose one of five pre-selected research questions.
40% Week 10
Due date: 09 Oct 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 23 Oct 2023
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Presentation group assignment Group Presentation
Students critique news article relating to Fintech and Data Information.
20% Weekly 5 minutes with 1 PP per student
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

The Final Exam will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their critical analysis skills through short hypothetical problem(s) based on materials of select weeks, and test students’ knowledge of the entire course through multiple choice questions. The exam will be supervised and tested individually. It will be an open book exam with students permitted to consult the source book, power points, weekly problem questions and answers, and any other material. The final exam duration is 90 minutes plus 10 minutes reading time. 

The Assignment is a research exercise where students will choose 1 of 4-6 pre-selected topics covering subject matter areas presenting current challenges in Regulation of Fintech and Digital Information. In answering the research question students will be required to use at least three reliable academic sources, including a compulsory text which will be supplied. The maximum number of words will be 3,000 words which will not include references or the bibliography.

The Group Presentation will be done weekly during the tutorial and will consist of a presentation on a news topic or press release which is current, that is less than 3 months old. Each student will be expected to speak for up to 5 minutes and produce their own power point as part of the group presentation.

The Online Quizzes will test the knowledge of individual students of the topics that they have recently studied. This will enhance their understanding of the topics on a continuous basis.

More detailed information on each of the three assessment items, including instructions and general marking criteria, will be published on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to FinTech Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 02 Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) & Blockchain Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 03 Payments: Crypto-Currencies, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) and Remittances (part one) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 04 Payments: Crypto-Currencies, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) and Remittances (part two) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 05 Raising Capital: Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) and Crowdfunding Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 06 Financial Crime: Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 07 Big Data and its Regulation Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 08 Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and AI Governance (part one) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 09 Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and AI Governance (part two) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 10 Cloud Computing and Location of Customer Data Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 11 Software and Liabilities Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 12 Regulatory Sandbox, Innovation Hub and RegTech Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 13 Revision Seminar (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

Students are expected to attend and participate in the tutorial sessions.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The prescribed weekly reading list will be provided on the Canvas site.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Evaluate areas of legal and regulatory uncertainty with respect to fintech companies and digital information by analysing laws, regulations and case studies.
  • LO2. Apply the legal and regulatory tools and case studies learned to solve issues in fintech and digital information
  • LO3. Evaluate how different jurisdictions are regulating fintech and digital information in the global market by taking a comparative approach of laws and regulations

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The course assessment has changed to reflect that the course will be face-to-face classes in the second semester.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.