Law, Innovation and Technologies (11271.1)

Please note these are the 2025 details for this unit
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Law, Innovation and Technologies
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online real-time
On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra Law School Level 3 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
Band 5 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit examines how law engages with and shapes disruptive technologies. It does so by examining regulation, law reform, and practical implications of technological innovation both in theory, and through application to case studies. Case studies will be drawn from fields including biotechnologies, information, and communication technologies. Students will gain an understanding of the relationship between technology and society, and the role of law as a mediator for change. The unit provides students with unique exposure to cross-disciplinarity between sciences and law. Students will identify, analyse, and articulate relevant issues and legal responses.

This unit may be co-taught with a PG version of the unit.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Apply and analyse legal processes to understand law reform and regulation in the context of technology and society;
2. Create and evaluate arguments demonstrating the operation of existing legal frameworks, and arguing for reform using effective communication skills; and
3. Evaluate and contextualise the impact of technologies on society and law's role in moderating or mediating technological disruption.


Graduate attributes

1. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
3. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
3. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
1. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are professional - communicate effectively
2. 黑料吃瓜网 graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries


Prerequisites

Students must have passed 36 credit points.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

11471 Law, Innovation and Technologies PG

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2025 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Online real-time Dr Alison McLennan
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Alison McLennan
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

There are no mandatory readings (ie no set textbook or week-by-week 'required reading').

There is a reccommended text - Smith, Marcus and Gregor Urbas, Technology Law: Australian and International Perspectives (Cambridge University Press, 2021). This is available electronically via the 黑料吃瓜网 Library. It can also be purchased from the publisher in hard copy or as an e-book. It does not cover all topics covered in the unit, but provides helpful discussion of many relevant legal issues.

Further readings and material will be provided via the unit Canvas site or pointed to in the lectures and tutorials. Students are encouraged to read widely and autonomously.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at 黑料吃瓜网. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

黑料吃瓜网 students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

黑料吃瓜网 uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

You are expected to:

  • Manage your academic progress and work to achieve the unit learning outcomes.

  • Be familiar with information relevant to your units and course including the Unit Outline, Canvas site and assignment instructions.

  • Participate actively and positively in the teaching-learning process and comply with the requirements of your course.

  • Treat all University staff and fellow students with respect and courtesy.

Please see the Student Charter for more information. 

Participation requirements

Lectures will be pre-recorded and made available online.

Attendance in tutorials (either online or face-to-face) is strongly recommended but not mandatory.

Required IT skills

This unit's online tutorials will  involve online meetings in real time using the Virtual Room in your 黑料吃瓜网Learn teaching site. The Virtual Room allows you to communicate in real time with your lecturer and other students. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, go to the Virtual Room in your 黑料吃瓜网Learn site and 'Join Course Room'. This will trigger a tutorial to help familiarise you with the functionality of the virtual room.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Detailed Instructions regarding the assessment items will be provided on the unit Canvas site.

Next step

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