Requirements to Pass 

In order to pass this unit a student must: 

• Pass the final examination or final assessment task
• Achieve a Standard Numerical Grade (SNG) of 50 or more in the unit
• Attend at least 80% of scheduled classes

For further details about grading, please refer to the Grading Policy. 

Submission of Assessment Tasks 

Assessments must be submitted following instructions provided. Assessment tasks which have not been submitted as required will not be marked. They will be considered a non-submission and zero marks will be awarded.

Turnitin

Turnitin compares electronically submitted papers to a database of academic publications, internet sources and other papers that have been submitted into the system to identify matching text. It then produces an Originality Report which identifies text taken from other sources,and generates a similarity percentage to judge whether plagiarism has occurred (see Academic Honesty section below). 

Multiple submissions may be possible via Turnitin prior to the due date of an assessment and originality reports may be made available to students. In such cases they should be used to check work for plagiarism prior to a final submission.  

Where there is a requirement for assessment tasks to be submitted through Turnitin,it is the student's responsibility to ensure that work is submitted correctly prior to the due date. Hard copies will not be accepted unless indicated otherwise by a teaching staff member. Records in Turnitin will be taken as records of submission. For assistance submitting through Turnitin, you may approach your teacher, lodge a OneHelp Ticket, refer to the IT help page or seek assistance from Student Connect. 

Students should note that for a first time submission the Originality Report will be available immediately post submission but for any subsequent submissions it may take 24 hours or longer for the report to be generated. This may be after the due date so students should plan their submission carefully. 

Missed Assessments

The University recognises that students may experience unexpected events and circumstances that adversely affect their academic performance in assessment activities, for example illness. In order to support students who have experienced a serious and unavoidable disruption, the University will provide affected students with an additional opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes of a unit. An additional opportunity provided under such circumstances is referred to as special consideration. 

The Disruption to Studies Policy applies only to serious and unavoidable disruptions that arise after a study period has commenced. Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support may be sought through Campus Wellbeing and Support Services.

Serious and Unavoidable Disruption The University classifies a disruption as serious and unavoidable if it:

• could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student; and
• was beyond the student's control; and
• caused substantial disruption to the student’s capacity for effective study and/or completion of required work; and
• occurred during an event critical study period and was at least three (3) consecutive days duration, and / or
• prevented completion of a final examination.

To be eligible for Special Consideration, a student must notify the University of a serious and unavoidable disruption within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption (Disruption to Studies notification).   All Disruption to Studies notifications are to be made online via the University’s Ask MQ system. A Disruption to Studies notification must be supported by documentary 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 assessible work as a result of a disruption to studies notification is not negotiable and in submitting a disruption to studies notification, a student is agreeing to make themselves available to complete any extra work as required.

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 Disruptions to Studies notification via ask.mq.edu.au.

Late submissions without an approved extension are possible but will be penalised at 20% per day up to 4 days (weekend inclusive). If a student submits an assessment task 5 or more days after the due date without grounds for special consideration (See Disruptions to Studies Policy) a record or submission will be made but the student will receive zero marks for the assessment task. 

Final Examinations and Final Assessment Tasks

Final exams and final assessments will typically take place in Week 6 or Monday of Week 7. All students enrolled in a teaching session are expected to ensure they are available up until and including Monday of Week 7 to undertake examinations. Passing the final exam or final assessment task is a requirement to pass a unit. 

Details of teaching session dates can be found on the Important Dates calendar. Due dated for assessments will be available in the unit guide and final examination timetables will be released to students prior to Week 5. 

Planning for an exam is very important. All students should be familiar with the Exam Rules. In addition, students should refer to the below links for other important examination related information. 

• Talk to your lecturer
• Revision tips
• What to bring with you
• What not to bring with you
• Where to get help
• Tips for Success

It is not uncommon for students to have two examinations in one day.

Conduct During Assessments and Examinations 

Students must adhere to the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy at all times. 

Students will be provided with instructions relating to conduct during in-class assessment tasks. For all examinations, students will be required to:

• provide photographic proof of identity for the duration of the examination. This must be visible at all times during the examination. 
• leave mobile phones, electronic devices, bags, computers, notes, books and similar items outside a final examination venue or in a designated space
• ensure any water brought into the examination room is in a clear and unmarked bottle
• obey all instructions provided by an Examination Supervisor
• refrain from communicating in any way with another student once they have entered the examination venue.

Students are NOT permitted:

• into an examination venue once one hour from the time of commencement (excluding any reading time) has elapsed
• to leave an examination venue before one hour from the time of commencement (excluding any reading time) has elapsed
• to be readmitted to an examination venue unless they were under approved supervision during the full period of their absence
• to obtain or attempt to obtain assistance in undertaking or completing the examination script
• to receive or attempt to receive assistance in undertaking or completing the examination script.

Students should also ensure they follow all requirements of the Final Examination Policy.

Supplementary Examinations

Supplementary final examinations are held during the scheduled Supplementary Final exam Period. This may fall in Week 7 or within the first week of the subsequent teaching term. Results for supplementary exams may not be available for up to two weeks following the supplementary examination. Students in their final term of study who undertake supplementary final exams should note that formal completion of their Diploma Program will not be possible until supplementary results are released and this may impact on their ability to enrol in 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 the end of the grade appeal period each term.

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 may request and retain the originals of any documentation or evidence submitted to support notifications of disruptions to studies. Requests for original documentation will be sent to the applicant’s student 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.

Contacting Teaching Staff and Obtaining Help and Feedback

Students may contact teaching staff at any time during the term by using the contact details provided in this guide.

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

Students may seek additional feedback at any time during the term and general feedback about their performance in a unit up to 6 months following results release.It is the student's responsibility to approach teaching staff if they feel they required additional feedback. 

DELIVERY & RESOURCES

Scheduled Class Time & Timetables

We will have 2 x 3 Hour classes every week throughout the term (36 Hours for the Term).  Classes will present the students a combination of activities. Students are expected to attend every class. ​ Students should expect to spend approximately 12 hours each week outside of class time reading and preparing for assignments and classes.You should read the required readings for each week before the class. 

Students will be able to enrol in their classes and view their personal timetable via eStudent and may also view general timetable information via Macquarie University's Timetable page. Please note that you must attend classes which you have be enrolled in and we are unable to assist with changes of class time. 

If any scheduled class falls on a public holiday a make-up lesson may be scheduled. Where appropriate, the instructor may instead organise an online make-up lesson which would require students to access online learning materials and/or complete activities outside of class rather than attending a make-up lesson. Scheduled make-up days will be announced in class and attendance will be taken taken for both for face to face and online make-up lessons.

Attendance Requirements - All students

All students are required to attend at least 80% of scheduled class time to pass this unit.  

Attendance will be monitored in each lesson & students will be able to see their attendance records for a unit via iLearn.  

Where a student is present for a part 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 teacher reserves the right to mark a student absent for that part of the lesson.

Because of the intensive nature of this program, students should be aware that their attendance in this unit may fall below 80% relatively quickly. 

In cases of unavoidable non-attendance due to illness or circumstances beyond control, students should lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au within 5 working days and supply relevant supporting documentation, even if they have not missed a formal assessment task. This will ensure that that appropriate records of unavoidable absences can be made. 

For further information on attendance, please refer to the Attendance and Study Load Policy. 

iLearn

iLearn is Macquarie's online learning management system and a principal resource which will be used throughout the term. Students should access iLearn at least 3 times per week as it will contain important information including: 

• Announcements - Teaching staff will communicate to the class using iLearn announcements. 
• A link to the unit guide for the unit and staff contact details
• Lecture notes and recordings where available
• Learning and teaching activities and resources
• Assessment information
• Tutorial questions and solutions
• Assessment submission tools such as Turnitin
• Other relevant material

For any technical or support issues using iLearn, please contact the IT helpdesk (Ph. 02 9850 4357) or lodge a ticket using OneHelp. 

Required Text:

The links to WMEC105 readings will be available online on iLearn.

Recommended Text:

Meikle, Graham & Young, Sherman (2012) Media Convergence: Networked Digital Media in Everyday Life, Palgrave is recommended and available in the Coop Bookshop.

Technology Used and Required

WMEC105 uses iLearn and it is expected that students will regularly check iLearn for details about classes, assessments and further readings.

Assignment submission

Written assignments will be submitted to Turnitin via the links on the WMEC105 iLearn website. Please make sure your full name, student number and teachers name appears on the first page of your document. 

What you can expect in WMEC105

Our strategy in WMEC105 is to get you to deepen and broaden your interest in media studies by exposing you to some critical theoretical frameworks that will help you understand the contemporary media landscape. 

A lot of nonsense is written and talked around the media, and media studies can help you analyse the assumptions people (scholars and civilians) make when they pronounce on the media.  You will have an opportunity to critically interrogate those assumptions, compare different perspectives on related issues, and test the evidence that is offered to support some of the big statements people make about ‘the media’ and especially ‘new media’.  In short we’ll expect you to come out at the end of the unit able to be critical of others’ (and your own) preconceptions about new media. 

We will ask a lot of you in this unit – you won’t be able to slowly fall asleep in classes and then feedback hastily memorised material in a final exam.  To pass the unit you will need to consistently attend and participate in classes, read every week, and start working towards your major essay right at the beginning of the term.  While there are a lot of assessments in the unit, most of them build on each other, so the work you put in to prepare for a response in Week 3 will be valuable in the essay you submit in Week 5.  However, you will need to be organised.  We will remind you of upcoming deadlines, but you also need to keep close track of them yourself.

You’ll also need to talk to your fellow students, right from the beginning – we think you learn as much from each other as from listening to your teachers.  Group work, classes and also the iLearn site give you an opportunity to discuss administrative and intellectual issues with your peers.

Even though some of the ideas, readings and tasks we’ll ask you to engage with are really challenging, we will give you lots of help and support in building towards (and then planning beyond) your major essay.  You will have opportunities to get feedback on your plans, and to get extra marks for a thoughtful reflection, even on a major essay that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped.