Minutes
College Education Committee
Meeting No:
1/2023
Date/Time:
22 February 2023, 2pm
Location:
Building 7, Law School, Room 7.3.9, Boardroom
Attended
Wayne Morgan
Associate Dean (Education)
James Stellios
Head of School
Ntina Tzouvala
Director, PG Programs
Nicole King
Manager, Student and Education Support
Sharon Elliott
Education Development
William Carey
ANUSA Student Representative
Suzie (Wangshu) Ma ANUSA Student Representative
Alex Bako
LSS Student Representative
Neha Kalele
LSS Student Representative
Russell Atkinson
Secretariat
Observers
Jennifer Estellore
Education Development
Tristan Yip
PARSA Representative
Apologies
Benjamin Kooyman
Learning Adviser, ANU Academic Skills (Observer)
Anne Macduff
Director, Teaching & Learning
Ron Levy
Director, LLB(Hons) and JD Programs
Eweha Jeong
PARSA Representative
Leonard Ho
PARSA Representative
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Part 1 Procedural Items & Chair’s Report
1.
Apologies & Announcements
1.1 Apologies
• Benjamin Kooyman
Learning Adviser, ANU Academic Skills (Observer)
• Anne Macduff
Director, Teaching & Learning
• Ron Levy
Director, LLB(Hons) and JD Programs
1.2
Announcements
Welcome to the student representatives for 2023.
ANU Postgraduate & Research Students Association (PARSA)
• Ellie (Eweha) Jeong
• Leonard Ho
• Tristan Yip, President of PARSA will remain an observer for 2023
ANU Student Association (ANUSA)
• William Carey
• Suzie Ma
Law Student Society (LSS)
• Alex Bako
• Neha Kalele
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3.
Report from the Chair
Welcome to Country
The 2023 Welcome to Country event was held earlier today. This year, the event was
expanded to include all law students. An impressive number of students attended.
Ngambri-Ngunnawal elder Paul House delivered the welcome to country in both English
and the language of his ancestors, the traditional custodians of the land on which
Parliament House and Canberra have been built. It is important to continue to
acknowledge and appreciate the traditional custodians of the land and their culture.
It is encouraging to be reminded of the college's commitment to law reform in
indigenous rights and legal matters. Such efforts are crucial in promoting greater equity
and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The college notes that this will be an annual event going forward, providing an
opportunity to continue raising awareness and promoting greater understanding of
indigenous cultures and issues among law students and the broader community.
Graduate Attributes
On 29 November 2022, Academic Board approved the DVC(A)’s proposal for the
curriculum reform project. For this college, this concerns graduate attributes that apply
to the LLB program only.
Two of the three attributes are already written into the LLB (Hons) Program Learning
Outcomes, so we have a head start.
The third attribute, Transdisciplinary Problem Solving, and some of the work in mapping
the first two, Critical Thinking and Indigenous Perspectives, will require increased work
for the college in 2023. The mapping will show what we currently do, and how we will
meet the graduate attributes in the future.
At Academic Board, several of the Associate Deans (Education) and others expressed
concerns about timelines for completion by the end of 2023. As we only have one
undergraduate program, it will be more than likely that we will need to meet this
deadline, even if other colleges are provided more leeway.
These will not affect any current LLB (Hons)students, only those commencing from
2025 onwards.
TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) University Re-
registration
In late 2022 the university submitted its re-registration to TEQSA.
TEQSA is the regulatory body with which all tertiary institutions must be accredited.
We do not know how long it will take to receive the outcome of that re-registration
process; however, we expect at least six months.
The ANU does not anticipate that there will be any issues with reaccreditation; however,
we note, quite appropriately, that TEQSA did raise questions with the university about
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our sexual assault and sexual harassment policies. This is an area where student
feedback is always welcome.
University Working Groups
We are anticipating that several working groups will be implemented under the
university Teaching and Learning Strategy, which the ANU promulgated last year.
One of the first strategies that will require a working group is assessment. We will likely
be giving the opportunity to have a law member of staff on that working group and the
student associations usually also have representatives.
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Part 2 Programs and Courses Accreditation
4.
Program and Courses Accreditation for endorsement
4.1
Course Amendments
LAWS8422 Intellectual Property
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
LAWS6700 Juris Doctor Capstone Project
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
LAWS4212 Conflict of Laws
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
LAWS8144 Conflict of Laws
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
LAWS2202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law
The committee has approved minor updates to the indicative assessment.
The committee has re-accredited this course for five years under the 2022
course review cycle.
LAWS6202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law
The committee has approved minor updates to the indicative assessment.
The committee has re-accredited this course for five years under the 2022
course review cycle.
LAWS4274 Climate Law
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
The committee has re-accredited this course for five years under the 2022
course review cycle.
LAWS8474 Climate Law
The committee has approved amendments to the course overview, learning
outcomes and other minor updates.
The committee has re-accredited this course for five years under the 2022
course review cycle.
LAWS4251 AI and the Law
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6. ChatGPT - CLT (Centre for Learning and Teaching) Paper
The emergence of ChatGPT, a form of generative artificial intelligence (AI), has sparked a
whirlwind of discussion in the media about the ethics and implications of the use of this
tool in higher education. ChatGPT is the most sophisticated natural language AI chatbot
to date, growing to reach 1 million registered users in just 5 days of launch. ChatGPT can
create original text based on a prompt and joins a growing array of emerging generative
AI technologies that use algorithms to create novel content in a wide range of media
formats including code, music, and images.
This document aims to present an overview of the salient points on ChatGPT as they
relate to learning and teaching at The Australian National University (ANU) and provides
information on how the ANU is working towards a position on the use of AI tools such as
ChatGPT. This is a first step and will be followed by more detailed advice on policy and
practices. It summarises the potential negative impacts that generative AI tools may
have on assessment and academic integrity, as well as the opportunities for
incorporating such tools to support learning.
The University has committed to updating the relevant policies and procedures and in the
interim, the LLB/JD Director and AD(E) have updated our website information to provide
some guidance to law students and are providing advice to academic staff as needed.
The committee noted this information and agreed to monitor going forward.
Communication to students from the college will emulate the following.
• Most importantly: Uncited use of source material, whether human or machine
generated, is plagiarism and will be treated as serious misconduct. Like contract
cheating sites and other forms of fraudulent authorship, using AI-based tools to
generate university work is a direct violation of the Student Code of Conduct
and the university’s Academic Integrity Policy. Any examples of this which are
found should be handled under the existing academic integrity process.
• Even when a student cites the use of AI, if there is evidence that this forms the
majority, or all of an assessment response, absent evidence of independently
themselves meeting the criteria as outlined in the relevant rubric, then the
student cannot be said to have met the assessment task or the learning
outcomes of the course. Citation therefore is not in itself enough. It is still
beholden on the student to demonstrate skills themselves, independently of the
AI or any other support they have had. An essay that was derived from ChatGPT
and dutifully referenced as being so, would still therefore be a fail as it cannot
be said to be the student’s own work.
• Independent research and critical thinking are the key skills we seek to develop
in our students. AI products should be subjected, just as other sources should be,
to the critical thinking skills of the student and not used as a substitute for
those skills. Because the critical skills of students are central, AI cannot be a
substitute for reading, attending, discussing and reflecting.
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• AI is a resource that can be used to help understanding, organising, and
collating content, but you need skills to use AI in responsible ways. The
expertise you learn in courses about the subject and how to approach material
should be applied, actively and consistently, to using AI products. Subject the
products of AI to critical analysis, and do not simply assume they are correct,
accurate, or even automatically helpful.
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Part 4 Reports
6.
Reports and Issues raised by Student Representatives
6.1
The committee received reports from Student Representatives
Law Students’ Society (LSS)
The LSS are focussing their attention on the education portfolio and are investigating a
resource that will assist students to replace the old Exams Database. This resource will
not provide examinations, nor provide answers, but will assist students with information
on common issues within a course, analogies, and common mistakes.
In the past, there has been some discussion with academic staff. The LSS will discuss
this further with the LLB/JD Director to get this back on track.
The LSS has been in discussions with PARSA and the college on being involved in the
class representative training that will be held on 16 March 2023. This is an ANU College
of Law training session and representation from all three student groups is anticipated.
ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA)
ANUSA is planning to strengthen engagement for students through the class
representative process. With the new college process in place, ANUSA and the college
are working with students within compulsory courses.
The targeted focus for student engagement will be upskilling, giving students access to
surveys, past SELT surveys, and how to assess and provide valuable feedback to their
classmates.
ANUSA will be expanding communication channels to more media including messaging
apps and other means not currently used by the university. ANUSA would also like to
look more into feedback mechanisms, unpacking SELT reviews etc.
ANUSA is supportive of the college's stance on recordings; one of the primary student
concerns was that as the college moved back to in person classes, recordings would
start to disappear.
ANUSA would like to see more digital textbooks made available through the library.
Larger compulsory courses require more than two copies. If that is not possible, at least
make the first couple of chapters available as delays are being experienced due to a
delay in hard copy text deliveries. ANUSA will contact library staff directly to discuss
this further.
The Chair noted that digital textbooks are incredibly expensive so this may be cost
prohibitive.
Postgraduate and Research Students’ Association (PARSA)
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The class representative training will be conducted on 16 March with an invitation for
the LLB/JD director to speak on behalf of the AD(E). Invitations have been sent out to the
postgraduate mailing list.
7.
Reports from College Directors and Heads of School
7.1
The Committee received a report from College Directors and Head of School
Head of School
Discussions around 2024 course offerings have been conducted. Focus has been to try
to have a good range of electives that take into account prior enrolment numbers, staff
availability and specialisations.
Director, LLB(Hons) and JD Programs
No Report.
Director – PG Programs
An update on teaching modes was provided. In the past, master’s courses were taught
over a one-week intensive period on campus. During the pandemic, many different
online models emerged. Post pandemic, a survey of the preferred mode of delivery was
sent to students. The overwhelming response was to implement a six to nine week
online teaching model, with the final assessment due date set at four weeks after the
class end date.
Synchronous teaching was also the preference in the survey; however, the university will
need to develop and provide increased dual delivery teaching spaces to accommodate
in-person and online synchronous teaching.
We have also started to record class retention, recording the number of students who
start a course vs. completing the course. This allows the college to track retention and
make amendments to courses as required when low retention is evidenced.
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