Full instructions for each assignment, including the assessment criteria can be found in the Assignment and Assessment guide attached to the ECST220 iLearn site.

EXPECTED ACADEMIC LITERACY LEVEL

As a 200-level unit, students are expected to demonstrate a functional level of academic literacy in their assignment work. The expectation levels are listed below. Student’s whose work does not meet these standards are at risk of failing the unit.

Students will receive feedback on their demonstrated level of academic literacy in assignment 1. Students who do not meet the minimum level in assignment 2 will have their work returned, unmarked. These students will have the opportunity to re-submit within a designated time frame, for a maximum grade of 50% for that assignment. Any further work that does not meet these minimum standards in any area will be awarded a maximum grade of 45%.

Note that work that breaches the Macquarie University academic honesty policy (see Academic honesty and plagiarism section below) will attract significant deductions in marks and may, in some cases, be referred to the IEC Academic honesty committee for consideration. Penalties may apply beyond those specified above.

 PRESENTATION AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

When preparing your assignments, it is essential that you note that:

• Students must retain a copy of all assignments before submission, and retain the copy until your final grade for the unit has been received;
• Assignment marks will be deducted if you submit your assignment late (refer to the ‘late assignments’ section below for more details);
• Unless there are exceptional circumstances, no assignment will be accepted after the date that the assignment has been returned to other students; 
• All failing assignments will be double marked when the failure is due to unsatisfactory content. Failures that are the result of deductions for lateness or loss of marks for referencing, presentation, or plagiarism may not be double-marked;
• Assignments will not necessarily be marked by your tutor.

Assignment presentation

All written submissions are to be legible and professionally presented. Please follow the guidelines below:

• All assignments must include the academic honesty declaration as required by all Macquarie University students.
• Assignments must represent the student’s individual work (see Academic Honesty section below).
• Please type all assignments using 12 point font and 1.5 or double-space the lines. Save your file in .doc, .docx or pdf format.
• Allow a left and right-hand margin of at least 3cm in all assignments. This allows us to attach, and you to read your feedback comments easily.
• Use APA 6^th referencing style to acknowledge your sources and support your ideas with in-text referencing (See IEC referencing guide for more information).
• Include a full reference list of all works that are cited within your assignment.

Assignment submission

Information about how to submit each piece of assessment is included with the assignment instructions. Please read these instructions carefully.

Word limit

All sections of the assignment, apart from references and appendices, are included in the word limit.  If your assignment seriously exceeds the word limit, it will be marked only to the point at which the word limit is reached. 

Work awarded fail

All assignments awarded a grade of "fail" will be checked by a second marker for accuracy, however you may not receive feedback from the second marker. Please note that, with the exception of the academic literacy provisions explained above, there are no resubmissions in this unit.

Academic honesty and plagiarism

You should be aware that there are rules governing good practice and acceptable academic procedures. One of the most important elements of good practice involves carefully acknowledging the people whose ideas we have used, borrowed or developed, precisely because all scholarly work depends in one way or another on the work of others.

Macquarie University has high standards in regards to the academic honesty of both staff and students. In particular, students are advised to ensure that the work that they submit is solely their own, and that supporting material is clearly and correctly referenced. If you take and use the work of another person without clearly stating or acknowledging your source, you are falsely claiming that material as your own work. You are then committing an act of plagiarism which is a very serious violation of academic honesty and an offence for which you will be penalised. Remember plagiarism is cheating.

The University defines plagiarism as follows:  “Using the work or ideas of another person and presenting this as your own without clear acknowledgement of the source of the work or ideas. This includes, but is not limited to, any of the following acts:

a) copying out part(s) of any document or audio-visual material or computer code or website content without indicating their origins b) using or extracting another person's concepts, experimental results, or conclusions c) summarising another person's work without correctly referencing its source d) submitting substantially the same final version of any material as another student in an assignment where there was collaborative preparatory work e) use of others (paid or otherwise) to conceive, research or write material submitted for assessment f) submitting the same or substantially the same piece of work for two different tasks (self-plagiarism).” (Definitions; www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html)

Plagiarism also includes the re-submission of work which has been assessed.  That is, you must never use assessed work from one unit in another unit, nor in the same unit if, for any reason, you are repeating the unit.

• The recommended Perrin text provides a comprehensive APA referencing guide
• The Academic Honesty Handbook is attached to your iLearn site
• The Learning Skills unit also has an iLearn site with information and practical exercises relating to academic honesty – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Plagiarism is considered a serious offence at IEC and across the University, and carries significant penalties. Students must consult the full university policy on academic honesty, which is available at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Late assignments

A deduction of 5% of the total possible mark allocated for that assignment will be made for each day or part day that assignment is late, weekends counting as two days. For example, if an assignment is worth 20 marks and you submit it 2 days late, you will have 2 marks (2 x 5% of 20 marks = 2 marks) subtracted from your awarded mark. 

Requesting an extension

In extenuating circumstances, students may apply to the unit convener for an extension to the assignment due date. Reasons must be documented through the Disruption to Study form accessible through Ask.mq.edu.au and supported (e.g., a doctor’s certificate in the case of illness).

Note that:

• Students MUST communicate with the Unit Convener prior to submitting their request through Ask.mq.edu.au. Please do this via the dialogue communication tool on the iLearn site.
• Extensions will only be granted in receipt of the completed form submitted through ask.mq.edu.au, plus documentation.
• It is essential that you plan ahead and organise your study time effectively. Poor time management is not grounds for an extension.
• In the case of computer malfunctions, a draft of your assignment may be requested. Ensure that you back up your work regularly and print out a draft regularly, so that it is available for submission on request.   
• Extensions are usually not granted on or after the due date. Should sudden illness or misadventure prevent you from submitting on the due date, please contact the unit convener immediately.
• Students cannot submit an assignment once assessed work is returned to other students.

Your final grade for ECST220

Your final grade and mark for ECST220 is determined based on your performance, as compared to the Macquarie University grade descriptors  listed here. Please note that your final mark may be scaled to reflect your overall level of performance, and therefore may not necessarily be a raw sum of the marks of your assignments. 

TUTORIAL CLASSES AND LECTURES

ECST220 is offered in external mode which involves web-based delivery and compulsory face-to-face on-campus sessions.

Lectures: Lectures have been pre-recorded to support the knowledge that is built through readings, tutorial activities and assignment preparation. You will note that they do not occur every week. It is expected that students will have listed to the required lectures before attending the related on-campus session.

On Campus sessions: There are two compulsory on-campus days . These on-campus dates are Saturday 2nd April and Saturday 21st May. It is a requirement to have listened to all lectures and completed all required readings set for the tutorial weeks prior to each on-campus day. Please note that non-attendance will lead to unit failure due to having not met unit expectations. Students who are unable to attend due to illness or other unavoidable disruption will be supported in their application to withdraw without academic penalty.  

WORK REQUIREMENTS

ECST 220 is worth three credit points and you would usually be expected to allocate about 9 hours a week in your study for a three credit point unit over 15 weeks. This workload guide gives an indication of the amount of time that would be expected for the various learning tasks for ECST 220.

Note that this is an approximation only, and some students may require to invest more time in order to successfully complete the unit. Note also, that a time allowance has been made to reflect the fact that many students will be completing ECHP222 at the same time as this unit. 

UNIT WEBSITE AND STAFF CONTACT

The website for this unit, which you can access, using your Macquarie University login details, is available via: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au. This is a password protected website open to both internal and external students and staff of ECST220. You are expected to visit this website regularly (at least weekly) as important information will be posted under “Announcements”. The “General Discussion” component is a useful way to communicate and interact with your fellow students for support. The preferred method of contacting the unit convener is via this website through the “Dialogue with teaching staff” if you have any queries relating to the unit. Your unit convener  will advise you of their individual times for consultation and availability.

REQUIRED READINGS 

Required text:

Degotardi, S., & Pearson, E (2014). The relationship worlds of infants and toddlers. Multiple perspectives from early years research and practice. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.

Recommended text

Perrin, R (2015). Pocket guide to APA style. Australia: Wadsworth Learning.

Both are available from the Co-op Bookshop

Other required readings

The unit is supported by a list of pdf readings that are located by typing ‘ECST220’ into the Multisearch function on the Library Homepage. Weekly readings, as specified in the weekly unit content section of this unit guide can then be located by author. It is expected that students will demonstrate continued engagement with these reading materials in their tutorial and assignment work.

Students will also need to download:

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia: Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia

Useful books:

The following books on infant-toddler learning and teaching can also be located via the Multisearch function:

Bergen, D. (2001). Educating and caring for very young children : the infant/toddler curriculum.  New York: Teachers College Press.

Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2003). Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood environments. Minnesota: Redleaf Press.

Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2008). Learning together with young children: A curriculum framework for reflective teachers. Minnesota: Redleaf Press.

Gandini, L., Pope, C., & Edwards. (2001). Bambini : the Italian approach to infant/toddler care . London: Teachers College Press

Gonzalez-Mena, J., & Widmeyer Eyer, D. (2007). Infants, Toddlers and Caregivers: A curriculum of respectful, responsive care and education. Boston: McGraw Hill

Goouch, K. & Powell, S. (2013). The baby room: Principles, policy and practice, Maidenhead, UK, Open University Press.

Greenman, J.T., Stonehouse, A., & Schweikert, G., (2008). Prime times: a handbook for excellence in infant and toddler programs. St. Paul, MN:  Redleaf Press,

Greenman, J. (2005). Places for childhood in the 21^st century: A conceptual framework. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web, May 2005, http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200505/

Harris, P. (2009). Language learning in the baby and toddler years. Terrigal, NSW: David Barlow Publishing

Lally, R., Mangione, P., & Greenwald, D. (2006). Concepts for care: 20 essays on infant/toddler development and learning. San Francisco, CA : WestEd

Makin, L., & Spedding, S. (2012). Learning literacies, birth to three: positive approaches for early childhood educators. Castle Hill, N.S.W. : Pademelon Press, 2012.

Page, J., Clare, A. & Nutbrown, C. (2013). Working with babies and children from birth to three, London, Sage.

Peterson, S. H. (2009). Endless opportunities for infant and toddler curriculum : a relationship-based approach. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill 

Wittmer, D.S. (2008). Focusing on peers: the importance of relationships in the early years. Washington, DC : Zero to Three

Wittmer, D.S., & Petersen, S.H. (2006). Infant and toddler development and responsive program development: A relationship-based approach. New Jersey: Pearson.

Useful journals for this unit

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC)

Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood (online www.triangle.co.uk/ciec)

Early Childhood Research and Practice (online http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/index.html)

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Early Years; International Journal of Research and Development

International Journal of Early Childhood

International Journal of Early Years Education

The First Years: New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education

Young Children

Technology requirements

You will need regular access to a computer with internet access.