Presentation

Students who choose to submit a 80% research essay must complete one of the options below:

Option 1 - In-Class Presentation (20%): The class presentation component will consist of a 20 minute class presentation based on a case. Presentations will occur during class at the time allocated to the case in the reading guide.

OR

Option 2 - Uploaded Presentation (video to be uploaded on Canvas) (20%): Students may opt to record an MP4 presentation and load it onto Canvas instead of presenting in class (but not in addition to).

Presentations should address the following: the facts of the case/policy background, the legal issue or issues, the ethical principles, the reasoning employed by the judges/tribunal members in reaching their decision, the decision; and some commentary about the broader implications of the decision (including whether the case was, in your view, correctly decided and what happened afterwards). Candidates will need to argue for or against a particular interpretation (of the facts or the law) to support their tentative conclusions. Presenters can choose how they wish to present the case but most students use Powerpoint or presi style presentations or handouts. 

You should consult the Reading Guide to select your case (the cases are listed underneath the topic) for the presentation exercise, and you can also view the list of cases (along with the sign-up sheet) on Canvas. You will need to reserve your choice of case and of presentation type (ie in-class or recorded) via the separate sign-up sheet.  

This assessment is optional and you can choose not to do a presentation and focus 100% on the research paper.

Instructions on how to record your presentation (should you choose to do so)

1. Students must record their presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint provides us with the ability to record audio as if you were going through the slides in class. Students can get access and download Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint) for free here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/student-it/apps.html

Please note that you may need to update your version of PowerPoint to the one the University is using for this to work.

2. Create your slides for the case presentations dealing with the issues outlined above. Once you have finalised your slides you can then record audio under the Slide Show tab: “Record Slide Show”. What’s good about this is you can record per slide, and so edit parts of the presentation if there’s a slide you don’t like or want to change.

3. Once you’ve saved your .ppt with audio, you’ll need to convert it to a video file.  In PowerPoint you can convert your .ppt to video by selecting the File tab, and then selecting “Export”. Then click on “Create a Video”. To get a manageably sized file, you’ll want to select “Standard (480p)”

Below the video settings, you'll see another that should be pre-set to “Use Recorded Timings and Narrations”. Keep that selected so that you preserve your audio with the slides. Then just click “Create Video”. It will take a little while to finish exporting (You’ll see a bar down the bottom of the screen showing its progress), but once it’s done you’ll have a video file ready to be uploaded to Canvas.

4. We will create a place on Canvas for you to upload your presentation. Cameron will then make them available to the rest of the class. Please submit it through Canvas but if you are having difficulties please email the video to Cameron at cameron.stewart@sydney.edu.au .

The last day for uploading the presentation is at 11:59pm on 9 October 2023 (Sydney, Australia time).

AND/OR

Research Essay (80% or 100%): The research paper must be submitted to Canvas by 11.59pm Sunday, 5 November 2023 (Sydney, Australia time).  The paper will comprise 80% (for those who undertake either the  class presentation or recorded presentation) or 100% of the available marks for the unit and should not exceed 7000 words (including references).

Students may choose to do a paper on one of the following topics:

1. How should the National Law govern sexual relationships between health practitioners and their patients/clients?

OR

2. Should NSW adopt an opt-out policy for posthumous organ donation?

OR

3. How should the concept of the "public interest" be used to govern complaints about practitioner behaviour in the National Law?

Alternatively, the topic of the research paper may be a topic regarding health law policy of your choosing. Please discuss your choice of topic with Cameron before close of business on 15 October 2023. No qualitative or quantitative research will be approved so please stick to documentary research that does not require ethics approval. 

The assignment should be referenced using the footnotes in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation Style. 

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will include all footnotes and any bibliography (if required). 

Use of editors or proof-readers: The use of assistance in preparing and editing assessment tasks in this unit of study is strictly prohibited. Assistance includes human and automated writing tools (not including spell checking). The use of Studiosity does not breach this rule but must be acknowledged.

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirement to pass a unit of study

A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.