Students

FPEN022 – Advanced Academic Communication 1B

2014 – MQC3 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer in Charge
Navitas English
navitas.english@mqc.edu.au
City Campus, Level 4
Contact Lecturer
Credit points Credit points
1
Prerequisites Prerequisites
FPEN021
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The ability to retrieve, interpret and summarise academic journal articles, produce annotated bibliographies and literature reviews and identify areas for potential research are central to academia. In this unit, students will develop an understanding of the processes involved in carrying out and reporting on research. After initial familiarisation with the purpose and layout of academic journal articles, students will be guided through the production of a comprehensive literature review on selected topic. Once the literature review is complete, students will be asked to identify gaps in research in the selected field and submit a research proposal containing a research question and hypothesis. Through this research process, the unit will also familiarise students with research language Macquarie University’s library databases and engage their analytical and critical skills.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

General Assessment Information

Missed Assessments

The only exception to not sitting an in-class test or examination at the designated time or handing in an assessment on the due date is because of a serious or unavoidable disruption.

Students who miss a formal assessment held in class or a final examination due to a serious and unavoidable disruption which commenced after the start of the study period must lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption in order to apply for Special Consideration. The notification must be supported by appropriate evidence.

In submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work. The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a Disruption to Studies Notification is not negotiable. Further, in submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is agreeing to make themselves available so that they can complete any extra work as required.

Students will be advised of the outcome of their Disruption to Studies Application via ask.mq.edu.au.

Please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy for further details.

Extensions & Late Submissions

To apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment item, students must submit a notification of Disruptions to Studies via ask.mq.edu.au.

Grounds for extensions are usually serious illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances and must be substantiated with relevant evidence (e.g. professional authority form).

Late submissions without an approved extension will be penalised at a rate of 10% per day (weekend inclusive). This applies to assessments completed outside of class such as essays and assignments.

Final Examinations and Final Assessment Tasks

Final exams and final assessments typically take place in Week 13 and the first 3 days of week 14. Please note that you must pass the final exam or final assessment task in order to pass this unit.You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the Final Examination Timetable. Please note that no special consideration will be given to students who have booked flights out of the country prior to the conclusion of the examination period.

The Final Examination Timetable will be available in provisional form on the MQC Student Portal Noticeboard at https://student.mqc.edu.au/NoticeBoard.htm in approximately week 10 of this Session.  You will have 1 week to give feedback to the Student Administration Manager should you have concerns or note any clashes in your final exam timetable. From week 12, you will also be able to view your personal final exam timetable via the MQC Student Portal.

The examination timetable is produced to provide the maximum number of students with the least number of consecutive examinations. It is not uncommon for students of Macquarie University at both the City and North Ryde Campuses to be required to sit two consecutive examinations.  A maximum of three consecutive exams is also permitted (for example, two on one day, and one the following morning). However, no student is required to sit four consecutive exams and if any student discovers their examination timetable contains four consecutive exams, they should immediately contact the Student Administration Manager to have an exam rescheduled.

Prior to the examination period, you should ensure that you are familiar with the Examination Rules. You can find these under Exam Information on the MQC Student Portal Noticeboard. A breach in any of these rules will lead to disciplinary action being undertaken.

Students who miss a final exam or final assessment will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task and cannot pass the unit, except for cases where a Disruption to Studies Notification is lodged and a Special Consideration is awarded. Please note that in submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work. The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a Disruption to Studies Notification is not negotiable.

Supplementary Examinations

Supplementary final examinations are held during the scheduled Supplementary Final exam Period in the lead up to the subsequent teaching period.

Please note that results for supplementary exams may not be available until the conclusion of Week 2 of the subsequent teaching session and until supplementary results are released, continuing students may be prevented from enrolling in certain units in the subsequent teaching session.

Students in their final semester of study who undertake supplementary final exams should note that Formal Completion of the Foundation Program will not be possible until supplementary results are released and this may impact on their ability to enrol subsequent programs of study on time.

 Retention of Originals

It is the responsibility of the student to retain a copy of any work submitted and produce another copy of all work submitted if requested.  Copies should be retained until after the release of final results each Session.

In the event that a student is asked to produce another copy of work submitted and is unable to do so, they may be awarded zero (0) for that particular assessment task.

The University also reserves the right to request and retain the originals of any documentation/ evidence submitted to support notifications of disruptions to studies. Requests for original documentation will be sent to the applicant’s University email address within six (6) months of notification by the student. Students must retain all original documentation for the duration of this six (6) month period and must supply original documents to the University within ten (10) working days of such a request being made.

Turnitin

Students may be requested to submit assessments via Turnitin and in such instances any hard copies submitted without a Turnitin Report will not be marked.

Step by step guidance for Turnitin submissions can be found here. Should you experience any difficulties with Turnitin submission, please see a Lab Demonstrator in Lab 311 at MQC.

If you experience difficulties submitting through Turnitin on the due date, you must email your work in electronic format to your lecturer using the email address provided in the unit guide. Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day.

Grading & Requirements to pass

This unit will use the following grading system:

  • HD - High Distinction (85-100)
  • D – Distinction (75-84)
  • CR – Credit (65-74)
  • P – Pass (50-64)
  • F – Fail (0-49)

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Grading Policy which is available here.

To pass this unit, you must attempt all assessable components of the unit, pass the final assessment (Literature review & research proposal) and attain an overall mark of at least 50%. Failure to do so will result in an F (fail) grade being recorded.

Provision of Feedback

Marks awarded for assessment items will also be available on the MQC Student Portal within fourteen (14) days of the due date. Typically you will also be able to collect your submitted assignments in this same timeframe.

If you wish to receive further feedback from your instructor, you should contact them directly using the contact details provided in this guide.

Students may seek general feedback about their performance in a unit up to 6 months following results release.

Contacting Staff and Getting Help

Foundation students may approach teaching staff for one-on-one help in one of three ways:

  • During Consultation sessions. For details about consultation sessions and Consultation times, please refer to timetabled provided on the Macquarie City Campus Portal Noticeboard.
  • Using the "Questions for your instructor" dialogue provided in Week 0 of the respective unit in iLearn.
  • Using the instructor’s email address provided in the Unit Guide of the respective unit.

For all university related correspondence, students are required to use their official MQ student email account which may be accessed via the Macquarie University Student Portal. Inquiries from personal email accounts will not be replied to.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Informal Research Report Task 20% Week 5
Journal Article Summary 20% Week 7
Annotated bibliography 30% Week 9
Lit review & research proposal 30% Week 13

Informal Research Report Task

Due: Week 5
Weighting: 20%

Students will be asked to examine informal research reports and identify and analyse the aim, hypothesis, methodology, findings and highlight any gap in given research. A hard copy of this assessment must be submitted in the template provided by the lecturer.  Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day.

This assessment must also be submitted through Turnitin in iLearn. Step by step guidance for Turnitin submissions will be provided in class, instructions have been provided on iLearn and can also be found here: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm#how. Should you experience any difficulties with Turnitin submission, please see a Lab Demonstrator in Lab 311 at MQC. Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research

Journal Article Summary

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%

Students will be asked to summarise and critically analyse a journal article to demonstrate their understanding of the key elements of the research in question and features of the genre. Students will need to write approximately 2 A4 pages.

This assessment must be submitted to Turnitin as well as a hard copy to the lecturer.  Late submission will be penalised at 10% per day.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Annotated bibliography

Due: Week 9
Weighting: 30%

After initial familiarisation with the key features of literature reviews, students will be given a topic and required to compose annotated bibliography, based on current academic research on the selected topic. 

The annotated bibliography will provide a summarised review of 5 academic journal articles stating how each article relates to the given topic.  At least 3 journal articles must be obtained from the MQ library journal database, and up to 2 appropriate informal reports may be used.

Based on the annotated bibliography, students will also need and determine a gap in the research and a useful research question for further study. (The annotated bibliography and gap analyses will be used to create an integrated literature review and a research proposal for future research in assessment 4 - see below). 

This assessment should be approximately 3-4 A4 pages in length. This assessment must be submitted through Turnitin in iLearn and a hard copy handed to the lecturer. Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Lit review & research proposal

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%

This will be an Integrated literature review and research proposal. Following the literature review and gap summary produced in the previous assessment, students will integrate the information and use the gap analysis to produce the final literature review and research proposal including an appropriate methodology and hypothesis for their topic. These elements should sit within the overall goals of the research question developed in the previous assessment. Please note that you must pass the literature review & research proposal order to pass this unit.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Delivery and Resources

Classes  

Weekly contact will consist of a 2 hour workshop.

Timetables for lectures and tutorials as well as consultation sessions can be found on the Noticeboard on the MQC Student portal at:  https://student.mqc.edu.au/NoticeBoard.htm

If any scheduled class falls on a public holiday a make-up lesson may be scheduled, usually on a Saturday. Scheduled make-up days are noted in the Teaching Schedule of the Unit Guide and attendance is compulsory. Where appropriate the instructor may require students to complete alternative activities on-line rather than attending a make-up lesson.

Learning and Teaching Activities

This unit will be taught as a workshop and will therefore require students to participate actively in all class activities. Students will be required to work independently as well as in small groups and engage in class discussions. A significant amount of class time may be dedicated to research and it is expected that students use this time constructively.

iLearn will also be used to post lecture and tutorial materials and also communicate with students so it is expected that students will check this resource on a regular basis.

iLearn

iLearn is Macquarie's online learning management systems. The following unit specific information will be available on the website:

  • Announcements
  • Staff contact details
  • Lecture notes and recordings
  • Learning and teaching activities and resources
  • Assessment information
  • Tutorial questions and solutions
  • Assessment submission tools such as Turnitin
  • Other relevant material

Please note that you must enrol in a unit via eStudent in gain access to the unit in iLearn.

You are required to regularly check the website and use it as an information and resource centre to assist with your learning.

Ensure that when you have finished using the website, you log out. Failure to do so could allow unauthorised access to your account.

Please contact the IT helpdesk (Ph. 02 9850 4357) or lodge a ticket using OneHelp if you need assistance accessing iLearn.

Required and Recommended Texts and Materials

Prescribed textbook(s):

Students will be provided with a reader or materials in class as required.

Recommended textbook(s):

  • McCarthy, M. & O’Dell, F., Academic Vocabulary In Use, Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN-13: 9780521689397
  • O’Shima, A. & Hogue, A., Writing Academic English, 4e, Pearson, 2006, ISBN 978-0131523593

Students can view a full list of textbooks for all units on the Macquarie City Campus Student Portal Noticeboard at https://student.mqc.edu.au/NoticeBoard.htm.

Technology Used and Required

  • MS Word (provided in all MQC computer laboratories)
  • Access to the internet to conduct research (provided in all MQC computer laboratories)

Useful websites: 

iLearn will be utilised to put up lecture slides and additional resources, so students should login to http://ilearn.mq.edu.au on a regular basis.

Unit Schedule

Week

Beginning:

Topic

Readings

Week 1

Mon 20 October

Diagnostic test

Critical Thinking: Introduction

 

Oshima & Hogue, Chapter 10&11

Week 2

Mon 27 October

Academic research principles

Research genre introduction

Informal research introduction

Course Notes

Week 3

Mon 3 November

Informal research continued

Optional:  Analysing sources

McCarthy, Unit 45

Week 4

Mon 10 November

Review research report features

Introduction to informal research report task

McCarthy,

Units 10&11

Week 5

Mon 17 November

Assessment 1: Informal research report task due (must be submitted through Turnitin)

Introduction to journal articles

McCarthy,

Units 12&14

Week 6

Mon 24 November

Summarising journal articles

Progress Counselling Sessions – all students

McCarthy, Unit 2

Week 7

Mon 1 December

Assessment 2:  Journal article summary due (must be submitted through Turnitin)

Introduction to annotated bibliography

 

Week 8

Mon 8 December

Annotated bibliography preparation and conferencing

Progress Counselling Sessions – all students

 

McCarthy, Unit 31

Week 9

Mon 15 December

Academic literature review introduction

Assessment 3: Annotated bibliography due (must be submitted through Turnitin)

McCarthy, Unit 33

Week 10

Mon 22 December

Research Proposal introduction

Literature Review outline and feedback

McCarthy, Unit 40

Week 11

Mon 5 January

Literature Review and Research Proposal preparation and conferencing

McCarthy, Unit 40

Week 12

Mon 12 January

Final conferencing

Completion of LEU surveys in class

McCarthy, Unit 49

Week 13

Mon 19 January

Assessment 4: Integrated literature review and research proposal due (must be submitted through Turnitin). Please note that you must pass the literature review & research proposal order to pass this unit.

Course Notes

 

Other Important Dates 

Public holidays & make-up days

New Year’s Day Make-up: Saturday 20 December

(Please note that online lessons may be organised in lieu of make-up day). 

Session Break

Thursday 25 December 2014 – Thursday 1 January 2015 inclusive

Exam Period:

Monday 19 January 2015 – Wednesday 28 January 2015 (Sat & Sun excluded)

Please note all final exams will be held in the City Campus.

Results Release:

Session 3 2014 results are scheduled to be released to students via e-Student and MQC Student Portal on Friday 13 February 2015

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Academic Honesty

The nature of scholarly endeavour, dependent as it is on the work of others, binds all members of the University community to abide by the principles of academic honesty. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • all academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim
  • all academic collaborations are acknowledged
  • academic work is not falsified in any way
  • when the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

Further information on the academic honesty and schedule of penalties that will apply to breaches please consult the  Academic Honesty Policy.

If you are unsure about how to incorporate scholarly sources into your own work, please speak to your Instructor or the Student Services team well in advance of your assessment. You may also enrol in StudyWise or visit the University's Library Webpage for more resources.

Final Examination Script Viewings and Grade Appeals

If, at the conclusion of the unit, you have performed below expectations, and are considering lodging an appeal of grade and/or viewing your final exam script please refer to http://www.city.mq.edu.au/new_and_current_students/appeals/ for information about associated cut off dates.

Please note that any requests to view exam papers must be booked in immediately following results release.

Before submitting a Grade Appeal, please ensure that you read the Grade Appeal Policy and noted valid grounds for appeals.

Attendance

Please refer to the Attendance Policy for Foundation Students.

A minimum level of 80% attendance is compulsory for all classes, including consultation sessions and any make-up classes scheduled on weekends. Attendance will be recorded in every lesson and note made of any lateness or period of absence from class.

Where a student is present for only for a minor portion of a lesson (for example arrives late, leaves early, leaves the class frequently or for lengthy periods, engages in inappropriate or unrelated activities or does not participate actively in the majority of the lesson) the instructor reserves the right to mark a student absent for that particular lesson and make note of such incidents.

Students should note that absenteeism (including partial absenteeism) not only has a negative impact on not only their overall attendance record and their academic progress, but could also have ramifications for their visas or eligibility for social benefits where relevant.

In cases of unavoidable non-attendance due to illness or circumstances beyond control, students are advised to lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au even if they have not missed a formal assessment task so that appropriate records of the reasons for unavoidable attendance can be made on their record.

Course Progression

Macquarie City Campus monitors Foundation students' course progress. Please refer to the Course Progress Policy.

To maintain satisfactory program performance students are required to pass 50% or more of their enrolled units in each session.

Students who fail to make satisfactory course progress will be classified as "at risk" students and may have conditions placed upon their enrolment.

International students must comply with the Course Progress policy in order to meet the conditions of their visa.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Support at Macquarie City Campus

Macquarie City Campus students who require assistance or support are encouraged to contact Student Services (studentadvisor@city.mq.edu.au) or make an appointment to see a student advisor at Reception on Level 2.

Macquarie University Campus Wellbeing services are also available at the City Campus. If you would like to make an appointment, please email info@city.mq.edu.au or visit their website at: http://www.campuslife.mq.edu.au/campuswellbeing.

Academic Support at Macquarie City Campus

Macquarie city campus provides free tutoring / support classes to its student. Support is available for Accounting, numeracy and essay and report writing, research presentation and referencing skills.

Students who are experiencing difficulties in these areas are advised to attend these classes on a drop-in basis. So that the tutor can assist best, students must bring the work (e.g. assignment draft, essay draft, homework problem) with which that they are having difficulties.

For further information about tutoring services, please refer to the City Campus Portal Noticeboard  under Timetables, Tutor Availability.

If you require additional support with university skills, you may also consider enrolling in UNIWISE. UNIWISE is an iLearn resource which provides:

  • Online learning resources and academic skills workshops
  • What is expected of you as a student at Macquarie University
  • Personal assistance with your learning & study related questions
  • Key strategies and tips that you can use to achieve successful learning both in and out of the classroom
  • The definitions and examples of the types of assignments you will encounter in your units

Additional study spaces are also available on Level 1.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

IT Help at Macquarie City Campus

A lab demonstrator is situated in Lab 311 and can help you with any usage of university systems or resetting your password.

You may also refer to the Online Systems Password Document which has been made available on the City Campus Student Portal Noticeboard.

Whilst utilising the City Campus IT facilities, students are expected to act responsibly. The following regulations apply to the use of computing facilities and online services:

  • Accessing inappropriate web sites or downloading inappropriate material is not permitted.
  • Material that is not related to coursework for approved unit is deemed inappropriate.
  • Downloading copyright material without permission from the copyright owner is illegal, and strictly prohibited. Students detected undertaking such activities will face disciplinary action, which may result in criminal proceedings.

Non-compliance with these conditions may result in disciplinary action without further notice.

Equipment available for loan

Students may borrow headphones for use in the Macquarie City Campus computer labs (210, 307, 311, 608) or a video recorder.

Please ask at Level 2 Reception for details. You will be required to provide your MQC Student ID card which  will be held as a deposit while using the equipment.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different stages and key features of a research report or academic journal article including methodologies
  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Retrieve, select, evaluate & review information as relevant to an area of research
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify gaps in research and write a research proposal
  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.

Assessment tasks

  • Informal Research Report Task
  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collate, summarise and paraphrase research from a variety of sources in order to produce a comprehensive literature review.
  • Reference information following academic conventions

Assessment tasks

  • Journal Article Summary
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Lit review & research proposal

Progression into Undergraduate studies

Completing the Foundation Program

When you successfully complete your Macquarie Foundation Program to the required level, you can articulate into a bachelor's degree at Macquarie University, either the North Ryde campus or the City Campus. Students who successfully complete the Macquarie University Foundation Program but are not eligible for direct admission into an undergraduate degree can still apply to study an SIBT diploma either at Macquarie University or city campus.

How is entry into Macquarie Undergraduate degrees assessed?

In the Macquarie Foundation Program,  students' performance is measured against the MQA (Macquarie University Average).  This MQA score is used to determine whether a student is eligible for entry into their chosen bachelor degree at Macquarie University. The MQA is calculated as the average of each student's performance in their level 2 elective units only.

For further information about the MQA and progression into your Undergraduate degree, please see the Entry pathways to Macquarie University webpage.

Exiting Foundation Student Information Session

An information session will be held in Week 10 for students in their final session of the Foundation Program. You will receive an invitation to attend this session in Week 9 of your final semester, via your student email.  At the session you will be provided with information on how to apply for your preferred degree and will be given an opportunity to ask questions, so it is strongly recommended that you attend the Information Session for Finishing Foundation Students.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
28/10/2014 To pass this unit, you must attempt all assessable components of the unit, pass the final assessment (Literature review & research proposal) and attain an overall mark of at least 50%. Failure to do so will result in an F (fail) grade being recorded.