Skip to main content
Unit outline_

WILD4003: Taronga Conservation Project: Applied Biology

Semester 1, 2022 [Supervision] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

With human population expansion and urbanisation leading to deforestation and overexploitation of resources, the natural landscape continues to change. Australia is a continent of extremes, from long-term drought and unprecedented bushfires to storms and floods. How does wildlife on the Australian continent cope with these devastating extremes? Across Australia, individuals and organisations work hard to conserve species and remediate habitats. Now has never been a more important time to be studying wildlife conservation. Taronga advanced coursework projects serve as a capstone experience for students in the Taronga Wildlife Conservation Stream. These projects are the culmination of four years of theoretical and practical learnings. Students in this unit will focus on the scientific approach to wildlife conservation management in real-life settings. You will gain skills in writing grant applications and the permits needed to investigate species and habitats. You will work in groups, together with academic advisors from Taronga Zoo and the University, to select, research and design a research question based on a relevant contemporary wildlife conservation issue. You will draw on your understandings throughout the degree to propose wildlife conservation solutions in the contemporary 21st century, communicating your strategy and findings through written, multi-media and oral presentation assessments. In this unit you will build your personal Wildlife Conservation Portfolio. This portfolio provides documented evidence of your skills in wildlife conservation, illustrating highly desirable competencies to show potential employers. By the end of this unit students will understand the evidence-based decision making that helps support and inform wildlife conservation management.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points 12
Prerequisites
? 
144 credit points of units including WILD3001
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Catherine Grueber, catherine.grueber@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Project proposal
Project proposal
10% Week 03
Due date: 11 Mar 2022 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment group assignment Grant application
Grant application
15% Week 05
Due date: 24 Mar 2022 at 23:59
1500-2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO2
Assignment Permit or license application
Permit or license application
15% Week 08
Due date: 14 Apr 2022 at 23:59
1500-2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Reflection on project
Reflection on project
10% Week 11
Due date: 13 May 2022 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO5 LO6
Assignment group assignment Final report
Final report
35% Week 13
Due date: 27 May 2022 at 23:59
5000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Presentation group assignment Oral Presentation
Oral project presentation
15% Week 13
Due date: 26 May 2022 at 15:00
10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO5 LO6
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Project Management Plan / Proposal: prepare a detailed proposal and design a project that you could conduct throughout the semester. The proposal will then form the basis of discussions with your project group.
  • Grant application: expand on the design of your group project by developing a hypothetical grant application, following typical grant application guidelines (using the template you will be provided).
  • Permit / licence: consider the animal ethics implications of your hypothetical “expanded” project (based on the grant application assessment), by providing written responses to a typical animal ethics questionnaire (using the template you will be provided).
  • Reflective assessment: reflect upon and critically evaluate the project you have undertaken during the semester, and the research processes you have used.
  • Presentation: present the research project conducted during the semester to your peers and lecturers, articulating the rationale, methods, findings and interpretation of your work.
  • Final report: prepare a full written report of the research project conducted during the semester, in the format of a scientific paper and targeted toward an “informed, non-specialist” audience.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.

Distinction

75 - 84

At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.

Credit

65 - 74

At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.

Pass

50 - 64

At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Written assignments submitted late without permission (see Special Considerations: http://sydney.edu.au/students/special-consideration-and-arrangements.html) will incur a late penalty equal to 5% of the maximum awardable mark per day. These deductions will continue for 10 calendar days or until a solution for the assignment is released or marked assignments are returned to other students. At that point the mark awarded will be zero. For example, on an assignment given a mark of 70/100, the penalty would be 5 marks if submitted up to 24 hours late, resulting in a final mark of 65/100. If the assignment is submitted 6 days late, the penalty would be 30 marks and the final mark would be 40/100. If the assignment is more than 10 days late, the final mark will be zero.

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 07 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 09 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Project work Project (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6

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 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

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. Work collaboratively to find solutions to wildlife conservation challenges​.
  • LO2. Source and critically evaluate research and evidence from diverse range of sources and identify knowledge gaps in wildlife conservation challenges​.
  • LO3. Develop research questions within the applied experimental contexts of wildlife conservation and wildlife management​.
  • LO4. Apply wildlife conservation principles to propose wildlife conservation solutions​.
  • LO5. Communicate in written and oral methods to target audiences​.
  • LO6. Critically reflect on your approach, contributions and influence to solving problems in a group environment​

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.

We have updated the assessment structure in response to student feedback, notably changing the final project presentation to a group assignment.

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.