Overview
In this unit you will explore advanced digital technologies and their application to agriculture. Agricultural technology (Agri-tech) is one of the fastest developing industries, with new innovations regularly becoming available to improve the understanding of agricultural systems and production and environmental sustainability. You will learn the basic concepts underpinning the operation of sensors, communication platforms and data management systems and will be exposed to both established and emerging technology innovations. You will use a wide range of agri-tech to collect and analyse data, and provide recommendations for application of the technology in the context of intensive and extensive plant and animal production industries. You will explore the social adoption, economic and legislative issues related to these rapidly developing technologies. As well as gaining a theoretical understanding, you will practise using a range of sensor hardware, software and analysis systems, providing you with essential skills as an agricultural professional.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must have completed a minimum of 72 credit points to enrol in this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student comments in class.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions and follow query led discussions.
Open discussions and question and answer sessions will be encouraged during each face-to-face class and in the online forums.
- Explain the basic principles and development of precision agriculture management for plant and animal production systems
- Discuss the scientific concepts underpinning sensors and radio communication platforms
- Explain how collecting, managing, analysing and visualising data can improve decision making in plant and animal production systems
- Map and assess agricultural landscapes using appropriate technologies
- Critique digital technologies and make specific recommendations for use in agricultural industries.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25% | |||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 35% | |||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 35% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom Capacity (microphone required; webcam optional)
- Microsoft Excel and Word
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
t.trotter@cqu.edu.au
t.m.williams@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 13 Jul 2026Module/Topic
Introduction and overview of ag tech
Chapter
There is no prescribed text book for this unit. Readings and additional materials will be provided each week on the Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 20 Jul 2026Module/Topic
Geolocation and identification
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 27 Jul 2026Module/Topic
Remote and proximal sensing
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 03 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Machine vision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 10 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Movement and motion sensors
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 17 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Weight and force sensors
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 1
Open: Week 6 Wednesday (19 August, 2026) 5:00 am AEST.
Close: Week 7 Friday (04 September, 2026) 5:00 pm AEST.
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 24 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 31 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Environmental monitoring
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 07 Sep 2026Module/Topic
Communication technologies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 14 Sep 2026Module/Topic
Data management and analysis for decisions
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 21 Sep 2026Module/Topic
Automation and remote management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 28 Sep 2026Module/Topic
Extension and adoption
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 05 Oct 2026Module/Topic
Overview and debunk of the ag tech industry
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 2
Open: Week 12 Wednesday (7 October, 2026) 5:00 am AEST.
Close: Week 13 Wednesday (14 October, 2026) 5:00 pm AEST.
Exam Week
Begin Date: 12 Oct 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 19 Oct 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
Online Quiz 1 (12.5%) will assess your understanding of content and readings delivered in Weeks 1 to 6. The quiz will consist of a variety of questions which might include multiple choice, matched pairs and calculations.
Online Quiz 2 (12.5%) will assess your understanding of content and readings delivered in Weeks 7 to 12. The quiz will consist of a variety of questions which might include multiple choice, matched pairs and calculations.
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
2
Other
Online Quiz 1 (12.5%) Open: Week 6 Wednesday (19 August, 2026) 5:00 am AEST. Close: Week 7 Friday (04 September, 2026) 5:00 pm AEST. | Online Quiz 2 (12.5%) Open: Week 12 Wednesday (07 October, 2026) 5:00 am AEST. Close: Week 13 Wednesday (14 October, 2026) 5:00 pm AEST.
Results returned when the quiz is closed.
The responses to these questions will be assessed according to their completeness and correctness.
- Explain the basic principles and development of precision agriculture management for plant and animal production systems
- Discuss the scientific concepts underpinning sensors and radio communication platforms
- Explain how collecting, managing, analysing and visualising data can improve decision making in plant and animal production systems
- Map and assess agricultural landscapes using appropriate technologies
- Critique digital technologies and make specific recommendations for use in agricultural industries.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
This assessment requires you to prepare a written handover document for a farm mapping and remote sensing workflow using the prescribed remote sensing and farm mapping tool.
You are responsible for maintaining a business's farm mapping and remote sensing information. You are moving into a new role and have been asked to prepare a handover document for the person taking over from you.
The handover document should help the next person understand the production system, use the prescribed farm mapping and remote sensing tool, amend maps where required, interpret remote sensing outputs, and apply the information to practical farm management decisions.
You will be introduced to the prescribed farm mapping and remote sensing technology during the Week 2 and Week 3 tutorials. During these sessions, you will begin developing your farm map, practice using the platform, and build capability in locating a property, creating or amending boundaries, viewing satellite imagery and interpreting NDVI or similar vegetation index outputs. Your final submission should build on this tutorial work and provide a practical handover document for the specific farm, production system and remote sensing application you have selected.
You will choose the crop, pasture, production system, location and remote sensing application. These must be clearly described and appropriate for the farm or production system selected.
Your handover document should include:
- Purpose of the workflow: describe the farm or production system, who will use the mapping and remote sensing information, and what decisions it supports.
- Precision agriculture principles: explain relevant principles, including spatial variability, remote sensing, vegetation indices and site-specific management.
- Platform instructions: provide clear step-by-step instructions for accessing the prescribed tool, locating the farm, creating or amending boundaries, saving or exporting maps, and viewing NDVI or similar data.
- Remote sensing application: explain the crop, pasture or production system selected, where the remote sensing data will be applied, when the data should be checked, what the data are expected to show, and how the information will inform production decisions.
- Interpretation and quality control: explain how to interpret satellite imagery or vegetation index outputs, identify areas for field checking, and avoid common errors such as incorrect boundaries, outdated imagery, cloud cover or over-interpreting remote sensing data without ground-truthing.
- Decision-making and recommendations: explain how the mapped information and remote sensing outputs could improve decision-making on the selected farm or production system.
Screenshots and visual evidence:
Your handover document must include screenshots from the prescribed remote sensing and farm mapping platform. Screenshots should be clearly labelled and referred to in the text. They should include the property location, mapped property or paddock boundaries, satellite imagery, NDVI or similar vegetation index output, the area linked to your farm-specific application, examples of tools used to draw, amend or interpret maps, and exported maps or outputs.
Word limit: 1500 to 1800 words. References, figures, screenshots, tables and captions are not included in the word count.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use. You remain responsible for the accuracy, quality and integrity of all submitted work.
Week 7 Wednesday (2 Sept 2026) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 9 Wednesday (16 Sept 2026)
The Remote Sensing and Farm Mapping Handover Document will be assessed on:
- Clarity and usefulness of the handover document for a new staff member taking over the workflow
- Clear description of the selected farm, crop, pasture, production system, location and remote sensing application
- Explanation of relevant precision agriculture principles, including spatial variability, remote sensing, vegetation indices and site-specific management
- Accurate use of the prescribed remote sensing and farm mapping tool
- Quality and accuracy of the property map, paddock boundaries and mapped outputs
- Clarity of step-by-step instructions for accessing the platform, creating or amending maps, saving or exporting maps, and viewing NDVI or similar data
- Quality and relevance of screenshots, including clear labels and appropriate reference to screenshots in the written text
- Interpretation of satellite imagery, NDVI or similar vegetation index outputs
- Relevance and practicality of the selected farm-specific remote sensing application
- Quality-control checks and awareness of common errors, including boundary errors, image date, cloud cover, seasonal effects and the need for ground-truthing
- Explanation of how mapped information and remote sensing outputs could improve decision-making in the selected production system
- Quality and practicality of recommendations for field checking, monitoring or site-specific management
- Clarity of English expression, spelling and grammar
- Appropriate use of APA referencing
- Adherence to the word limit
- Explain the basic principles and development of precision agriculture management for plant and animal production systems
- Explain how collecting, managing, analysing and visualising data can improve decision making in plant and animal production systems
- Map and assess agricultural landscapes using appropriate technologies
- Critique digital technologies and make specific recommendations for use in agricultural industries.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Portfolio
This portfolio requires you to identify and evaluate an agricultural technology that may provide value to an agricultural business. The technology may relate to livestock production, cropping, horticulture, mixed farming, agricultural landscapes, natural resource management, biosecurity, labour efficiency, productivity, sustainability, animal welfare, decision support or another relevant agricultural production system.
You are working in an agricultural business and your manager has asked you to assess whether one agricultural technology is worth investing in. Your task is to define the business, identify a specific gap in how the business currently collects information, monitors performance or makes decisions, and evaluate whether the selected technology can address that gap.
The business may be real, modified or hypothetical, but it must be described clearly enough for the teaching team to assess whether your recommendation is appropriate. For example, the business may be a corporate beef production business in Central Queensland seeking to improve forage budgeting.
Your recommendation does not need to support adoption. You may recommend that the business invest, trial, delay or reject the technology, provided your recommendation is clearly justified for the business context and gap you have identified. It is assumed that you are new to the technology when you commence your evaluation.
The portfolio consists of two parts:
Part A (10%) Written investment pack
The written investment pack must include:
- a written investment briefing note of 1000 words
- a 1-page evidence summary table
- a map, diagram or layout showing where the technology would be used in the business or production system
The briefing note should define the business, identify the business gap, explain how the technology works, describe how data are collected, managed, analysed or visualised, explain where and how the technology would be deployed, and provide a clear recommendation.
The evidence summary table should include at least five sources and identify the key claim or evidence, source type, usefulness for making an investment decision, and any limitations, uncertainty or potential bias.
Part B (25%) Oral update and questions
You will deliver an 8-minute workplace-style oral update to the teaching team via Zoom. Your update should explain the business, business gap, selected technology, evidence, deployment approach, data use, benefits, risks, limitations and final recommendation.
After the oral update, you will respond to questions from the teaching team. Questions will be based on the business context, business gap, selected technology, evidence, deployment map and recommendation presented in your written investment pack.
Oral presentations will be scheduled during Week 11 and Week 12. Bookings will open in Week 7.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use. You remain responsible for the accuracy, quality and integrity of all submitted work.
The 72-hour grace period applies to the written submission and presentation materials. The 72-hour grace period does not apply to the scheduled oral presentation.
Week 10 Wednesday (23 Sept 2026) 5:00 pm AEST
Part A written investment pack and presentation materials: Week 10 Wednesday (23 September 2026) 5:00 pm AEST. Oral updates will be scheduled during Week 11 and Week 12.
Exam Week Friday (16 Oct 2026)
The Agricultural Technology Investment Portfolio will be assessed on:
Part A (10%) Written investment pack
- Clear definition of the agricultural business, production system and business context
- Clear identification of the business gap or decision-making problem the technology may address
- Accuracy and quality of the explanation of how the selected technology works
- Explanation of how data are collected, managed, analysed or visualised
- Quality and relevance of the map, diagram or layout showing where the technology would be used in the business or production system
- Quality and relevance of the evidence summary table, including appropriate use of sources and identification of source limitations or bias
- Quality of the critique of the technology, including benefits, risks, limitations and implementation considerations
- Clarity and justification of the recommendation to invest, trial, delay or reject the technology
- Appropriate use of APA referencing
- Adherence to the word limit
Part B (25%) Oral update and questions
- Clear and professional oral update suitable for a workplace meeting
- Clear explanation of the business context, business gap, selected technology and recommendation
- Accurate explanation of how the technology works and what data it provides
- Clear explanation of where and how the technology would be deployed in the business or production system
- Clear explanation of how the data would support decision-making in the business
- Balanced discussion of benefits, risks, limitations and implementation issues
- Effective use of presentation materials, if used
- Ability to respond to questions about the business context, technology, evidence, deployment and recommendation
- Ability to justify and defend the recommendation using evidence and practical reasoning
- Adherence to the 8-minute time limit
- Explain how collecting, managing, analysing and visualising data can improve decision making in plant and animal production systems
- Map and assess agricultural landscapes using appropriate technologies
- Critique digital technologies and make specific recommendations for use in agricultural industries.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
