Presentation of Written Reports

You are required to research, prepare and write the case study reports at the standard expected at 300 level. Since most of what you learn is tested in written form, it is essential that you learn to write effectively. Organisation is the key to achieving this, and the following steps should assist you.

* All text-based assessments are to be submitted electronically (via Turnitin) 

Preparation

1. Determine what is required in the case study report. Make sure you understand each word used to ensure that you are writing to the topic set, not to one of your own invention.
2. Read the relevant unit material and generate a list of key words, which will help you locate other references in the Library. Do this early. Remember that reference books may be hard to find if you leave your library research too late.
3. When taking notes from a reference always note the bibliographical information and Call Number. If you write down a quotation, take a note of the page it was on. There is nothing more frustrating than having to look back through a book for one sentence.

The Outline

1. Introduction. Define terms and outline your approach to the topic.
2. Discussion. This section is for explanation and discussion of the topic. It may help to write down a list of major points that will become your paragraphs, so that you can arrange your notes under each point.
3. Conclusion. This is not a reiteration of the discussion, but a summary statement that rounds off the report.

The Drafts (at least one — more probably two or three)

1. Keep referring back to the question — have you strayed from the topic?
2. Single sentences or paragraphs should not express too many ideas. A logical development of your theme should be the aim throughout the essay.
3. In your initial draft, do not worry too much about the word limit. It is a simple matter to cut extraneous or repetitive material in subsequent rewrites — in fact this should be your aim.
4. Support your statements with facts and references.
5. References: quotations should be used only if the point being made is vital to your argument and if you could not express it better yourself.

The Final Product

1. If possible, allow a few days between writing your final draft and the finished report, to allow you to critically read and edit it. There is a danger that if it is too fresh in your mind, you will read what you think is there, rather than what you have actually written. Read your final draft through several times — once for fluency and clarity of ideas, once for punctuation and once for spelling. For clarification of problems, refer to an authority such as the Australian Government Publishing Service Style Manual.
2. Type your assignment for submission, and then check it again. Is there a title, your name on each page, page numbers, etc.?
3. Submit your case study report on or before the due date to us by the beginning of the lecture in the week nominated.

Formatting

1. All typed text submitted for case studies is to be 12 point font at 1.5 line spacing. Margins should be approximately 2cm. Place your name and student number in the header and number each page.
2. Page limits should be strictly adhered to.
3. In all that you hand in, marks will be given for “communication”; that is how effectively you communicate your ideas. This will include how well your text/maps/profiles/sketches convey your concepts, and how well written your report is (including correct use of English and of referencing procedures).

* Students must keep a copy of their reports.

The Dangers of Plagiarism and how to avoid it

The integrity of learning and scholarship depends on a code of conduct governing good practice and acceptable academic behaviour. One of the most important elements of good practice involves acknowledging carefully the people whose ideas we have used, borrowed, or developed. All students and scholars are bound by these rules because all scholarly work depends in one way or another on the work of others.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong in using the work of others as a basis for your own work, nor is it evidence of inadequacy on your part, provided you do not attempt to pass off someone else's work as your own.

To maintain good academic practice, so that you may be given credit for your own efforts, and so that your own contribution can be properly appreciated and evaluated, you should acknowledge your sources and you should ALWAYS:

1. State clearly in the appropriate form where you found the material on which you have based your work.
2. Acknowledge the people whose concepts, experiments, or results you have extracted, developed, or summarised, even if you put these ideas into your own words.
3. Avoid excessive copying of passages by another author, even where the source is acknowledged. Find another form of words to show that you have thought about the material and understood it, but remember to state clearly where you found the ideas.

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 and committing an act of PLAGIARISM. This is a very serious violation of good practice and an offence for which you will be penalised.

YOU WILL BE GUILTY OF PLAGIARISM if you do any of the following in an assignment, or in any piece of work which is to be assessed, without clearly acknowledging your source(s) for each quotation or piece of borrowed material:

Copy out part(s) of any document or audio-visual material, including computer-based material.

1. Use or extract someone else's concepts or experimental results or conclusions, even if you put them in your own words.
2. Copy out or take ideas from the work of another student, even if you put the borrowed material in your own words.

Submit substantially the same final version of any material as a fellow student. On occasions, you may be encouraged to prepare your work with someone else, but the final form of the

Desired Standards

Extensions

Extensions for reports and workshop submissions will be given only for illness or misadventure, which must be supported by documentation and a written request. This request should also indicate the extension period required.

Tasks 10% or less - No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.

Tasks above 10% - No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 5% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 10% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

Feedback

Feedback on assessment tasks is given in this unit in the following ways:

1) Our primary mode of assessment feedback: the assessment marker will present overall feedback to the class, at either a lecture or in a tutorial, on what aspects of the assignment were done best and where improvement is needed in general.

2) Scoring full marks for a given component indicates that you did exceptionally well. Alternatively, scoring poorly in a component strongly suggests it required further work.

3) Students are strongly encouraged to seek further feedback (at the time it is given or by making an appointment with the assessment marker) if they are unsure of any aspect of the feedback or if they want further feedback.

4) In the instance of scoring very poorly overall, you will be provided with written feedback on the assignment indicating where you could improve.

This unit concentrates on 3 major geologic time periods that will be explored throughout the unit. These are:

• Australia’s earliest geologic history
• The Palaeo- and Neo Proterozoic
• Current day Australia, including seismic activity

You will also learn about the main concepts of U-Pb geochronology and explore appropriate computer tools to solve problems related to geochronology.

We will have a visitor lecturer Dr. Dick Glen, a former Principal Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of NSW, who will be also leading a weekend field trip to Goulburn area (Lachlan Orogen field trip)

Contacts and Communication

Convenor:  Dr. Elena Belousova

Elena.belousova@mq.edu.au                     02 9850 6126  Office: 224 in E7A/12 Wally's Walk 

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), Macquarie University.

EPS Admin (if Elena Belousova is not available): E7A/12 Wally's Walk, Level 2, Office 222 or 207 phone 02 9850 8426 or 02 9850 8373

Other staff teaching on unit and guest lecturers:

Dr Bruce Schaefer                           EPS, E5B 204

bruce.schaefer@mq.edu.au               Ph: 9859 8368   

A/Prof Tracy Rushmer                    Faculty of Science and Engineering

tracy.rushmer@mq.edu.au                 Ph: 9859 8366 

Prof Simon Turner                          EPS, E5B 215

simon.turner@mq.edu.au                Ph: 9859 8363  

Dr Richard Flood                            EPS     

richard.flood@mq.edu.au

Prof Ron Vernon                              EPS

ronald.vernon@mq.edu.au

Dr Dick Glen (visiting lecturer)

geology.rg@gmail.com                      Mobile: 04128 16437

A/Prof Yingjie Yang                           EPS

yingjie.yang@mq.edu.au                    Ph: 9859 8414 

If sending email, please include GEOS272 in the subject line.

We will communicate to you mainly through your student email account/iLearn at Macquarie University. Please make sure you check this email at least weekly.

Late Enrolments

If you enrol late in the unit, you will have already missed one or more lectures. It is your responsibility to catch up. Also, you will still be expected to submit all assignments within the remaining time.

Lectures, availability of lecture material and attendance requirements

It is the policy in this unit to encourage students to attend one lecture and one practical per week, and make their own notes from the lectures. It is expected that many of the lectures will be interactive, with questions and answers throughout. Lectures will be recorded using Echo 360, and files of the lecture graphics will also be made available through iLearn. These will be particularly useful for revision purposes. Note that all quizzes will be given during practicals or lectures, so do not miss them! (External students will have online access to their quizzes)

Hours

This is a 3 credit point unit. It is anticipated that you will spend >9 hours per week involved with the unit, including the 4-hour class contact time per week. It is particularly important that you spend plenty of time preparing the three major assignments: Research Topic, Narrabeen Field Report and Video Presentation.

Set Textbook and Background Reading

• Text Book by Robert Henderson and David Johnson "The Geology of Australia", 3rd Edition, ISBN: 978-1-107-43241-3 OR alternatively Text Book by David Johnson, James Cook University, “The Geology of Australia”, 2nd Edition, 2009, ISBN: 9780521767415
• Background notes from Prof. Geoff Clarke, University of Sydney (will be available on iLearn)
• You will need access to iLearn for quizzes and unit resources: Unit Guide, lectures and practicals.
• You will use computers in some practicals
• You will need to be able to access books and journal papers in the library
• You will be exposed to a variety of materials and concepts in the practicals 

GEOS 272 - The Geology of Australia: Global Perspectives

LECTURE AND PRACTICAL SCHEDULE:

Semester 2.  Lecture: Tuesday 12-1pm E8A 188;

Practicals: Tuesday 2-5 pm E5A 210 or Friday 11am-2pm W5C 311

IMPORTANT DATES:

5 Quizzes will be given during the class (10%)

End of Week 5  - Research Topic Paper (15%)

End of Week 7 - Narrabeen Field Report (15%)

End of Week 8 - Video Presentation (10%)

End of Week 10 - Lachlan Field Trip Report (10%)

Final exam (date to be determined) (40%)

What has changed?

• Narrabeen Field Trip was moved to weekend 
• Lectures and practicals have been slightly re-ordered