Unit Introduction and Assessment Guide for the Online Dating Safety Capstone

Concept and Purpose of the Capstone Unit

A capstone unit is defined as a final-year module in a tertiary degree that serves a specific integrative function. It is designed to allow students to combine and apply all the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their entire course of study. Rather than introducing entirely isolated new concepts, it acts as a culminating experience where students demonstrate their learning mastery. These units commonly feature practical projects, research initiatives, or detailed case studies. They are frequently utilized in professional disciplines such as criminology, law, business, and various social sciences to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world application.

Unit Focus: Online Dating Safety and Criminal Justice

This specific unit focuses on the online dating industry, a topic that offers significant room for specialized expertise. By the end of the twelve-week teaching period, students are expected to possess an expert-level understanding of the industry's operations, focusing heavily on the existing legislation or the notable absence thereof. Each week of the unit addresses a different issue surrounding online dating safety through the lens of criminal justice. This includes investigating perspectives from the legal and public sectors and identifying the dangers associated with online dating platforms.

Collaborative Practice and Teamwork Requirements

Collaboration is a central pillar of this unit, mirroring the professional environment of criminal justice. In the workplace, professionals such as barristers, lawyers, and project managers work in teams alongside clients and various stakeholders. Consequently, the capstone unit requires students to build and actively demonstrate collaborative skills through team-based assignments. The student cohort for this session is small, consisting of $14$ students, who will be organized into three teams of approximately four to five members. This small group size is intended to foster a whole-team atmosphere where students can network and learn from one another.

Students are encouraged to use the dedicated team discussion boards within Canvas for all project-related communications. This is crucial for assessment purposes, as the instructor, George, will evaluate individual contributions to the team. Unlike standard group assignments, students within the same team may receive different marks based on their demonstrated engagement and teamwork. If a team chooses to use external communication platforms such as WhatsApp or Messenger, they must be prepared to provide copies of all communications if issues arise regarding student contributions. A team contract must be completed, saved, and emailed to the instructors once groups are formed.

Unit Structure and Project Cycles

The unit is structured differently than previous modules to maximize the time available for the final team project. The semester is divided into two primary cycles of project development. Cycle $1$ begins in Week $2$ and concludes at the end of Week $6$. This cycle is dedicated to team formation and foundational research. In Week $2$, students must pitch themselves as teammates on the discussion board, detailing their study habits and availability. Teams should be finalized by the end of Week $3$. If a student is not in a team by Sunday, July $26$, they will be manually assigned to one on Monday, July $27$.

Cycle $2$ encompasses Weeks $7$ through $10$. During this period, teams focus intensely on developing their research report and their creative element. Week $11$ is reserved for the final preparation of the projects before the Online Industry Showcase occurs in Week $12$. Additionally, students are encouraged to use the active buttons at the end of Module $1.7$ to make weekly notes on their learning. These notes serve as a foundation for the final reflective essay due during the exam period.

Assessment 1: The Conversation Article

The first assignment requires students to write an article in the style of The Conversation, an online publication known for blending academic rigor with journalistic flair. While the publication features experts and is considered a scholarly source, it is not strictly peer-reviewed. The assignment asks students to make a compelling argument either for or against the regulation of the online dating industry. Students must take a definitive stance; a general descriptive article about online dating is insufficient. The title of the article should clearly reflect the author's position.

The article must be approximately $1,000$ words in length and include interactive elements such as embedded links and images. No formal reference list is required at the end; instead, students must embed at least five academic sources (journals, books, or grey literature) directly into the text as clickable links. Grey literature may include government reports, policy papers, theses, or non-government organization (NGO) reports. While images can be sourced from Creative Commons or Unsplash, the content must remain scholarly. Students are encouraged to use the Adobe Suite or Canva to format their articles to match the specific masthead and layout of The Conversation.

Assessment 2: Team Research Project and Creative Element

Assessment $2$ is the primary task of the unit and is split into two distinct parts: a written research report and a creative element. The written report is $6,000$ words long, a reduction from the previous requirement of $10,000$ words. This word count is shared among the team members, equating to roughly $1,500$ words per person in a four-member group. The report must be submitted via Turnitin by $11:59$ PM on Sunday, September $27$, at the end of Week $11$.

The creative element is a non-traditional presentation of the research findings, which will be hosted on a Miro board. Past examples of creative elements include infographics, posters, interactive surveys, short videos, and podcasts where team members interview one another. This element is part of the Online Industry Showcase, which goes live at $9:00$ AM on the Monday of Week $12$. Because this is a live event involving industry experts, such as lawyers and barristers, no extensions are possible for either the report or the creative element. Even if a team member becomes ill, the team is responsible for meeting the deadline.

Assessment 3: Reflective Essay

The final assignment is an $800$-word reflective essay due on Friday, October $8$. This essay requires students to reflect on their experiences throughout the unit, specifically focusing on the process of collaborating on the research report and the creative element. This task allows students to analyze their journey and the skills they have developed during the capstone experience.

Unit Technology and Digital Tools

Students will utilize several digital platforms to facilitate their work. Miro is the primary visual workspace, acting as a virtual whiteboard for both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. It supports sticky notes, embedded media, and comments. Students can register for Miro using their Swinburne email address. For the creation of the interactive article and creative elements, students have free access to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and Canva through the university. Additionally, the unit features an AI-driven assignment feedback tool located in the Canvas menu. Unlike generative AI, this tool provides immediate feedback on drafts to help students refine their writing before submission. It is recommended to use this tool sparingly, perhaps two or three times per assignment, to avoid a "hamster wheel" of constant feedback.

Academic Integrity and Generative AI Policies

The unit maintains a very strict policy regarding generative AI such as ChatGPT. Students are prohibited from using these tools to generate assignment content. The instructor warns that AI often "hallucinates" facts or produces gibberish, such as the garbled text seen in AI-generated images. In past sessions, teams have faced academic integrity investigations due to the use of fake references or AI-generated text by a single member. Such investigations are traumatic for the entire team, often lead to punishments for the offender, and inevitably delay graduation for all members involved because the process can take a month or longer to resolve.

Extension Processes and Deadlines

There has been a change to the extension policy: a standard $48$-hour extension is now an automatic $72$-hour extension. These must be applied for through the extension tool on the assignment instructions page in Canvas. Students should not email instructors directly for extensions, as manual changes can interfere with the SpeedGrader software and result in late penalties being applied automatically. Extensions exceeding $72$ hours require official documentation, such as medical certificates for the student or a dependent, or letters from employers regarding changed work circumstances. Extensions are only available for Assessment $1$ and Assessment $3$; no extensions are granted for Assessment $2$ under any circumstances.

Questions and Discussion

Interactions with Nat and Nelly: The instructor acknowledged the early contributions of students Nat and Nelly to the Week $1$ Miro board. Other students expressed concern about meeting the high standards of these early posts. The instructor clarified that students do not need to be incredibly creative in the first week and can start simply by using a yellow post-it note to say hello.

Clarification on the Creative Element Scope: During the discussion, it was clarified that students are not required to create a different design for every single week of the unit. The creative element is a specific part of Assessment $2$ that is developed during the project cycles. Students are encouraged to have fun with the creative aspect and use it as an opportunity to learn new professional skills such as podcasting or digital design.

Discussion on Networking: The instructor noted that the Industry Showcase is a professional networking opportunity. Industry experts provide feedback on the Miro boards, and students should maintain a professional standard, as potential future employers may attend the showcase.