Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convener
Carol Newall
Contact via Dialogue on iLearn
Tutor
Emma Sutherland
|
---|---|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
ECHX602 or ECEX602
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is designed to extend students' knowledge of child development with a particular emphasis on approaches to understanding and measuring child development, considerations for quality in childcare, and evaluation of children's environments. Recent research studies of child development, especially in relation to prior-to-school settings, will be used as a major resource for examining contemporary theory and research in child development. Students will analyse research to develop their skills in using evidence-based approaches in teaching, to inform policy, and evaluate programs within prior-to-school settings.
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
|
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Department Assessment Presentation & Submission Guidelines
Quiz Assessments
Online quizzes are an individual assessment task and MUST BE COMPLETED by each student individually. Similarities in responses between students will be checked and investigated for possible collusion. Please see the Academic Honesty Handbook for more information.
Please follow these guidelines when you submit each written assignment:
Draft Submissions & Turnitin Originality Reports
When preparing your assignments, it is essential that:
Final Submissions
Grading
Assignment extensions and late penalties
Applications for extensions must be made via AskMQ at https://ask.mq.edu.au as a "Disruption to Studies" request before the submission date. Students who experience a disruption to their studies through ill-health or misadventure are able to apply for this request. Extensions can only be granted by the Unit Convenor (and in some cases by Faculty Student Services) provided it is aligned with the Disruption to Studies Policy. This will ensure consistency in the consideration of such requests is maintained.
In general, there should be no need for extensions except through illness or misadventure that would be categorised as unavoidable disruption according to the University definition of same, and currently available at:
http://students.mq.edu.au/student_admin/exams/disruption_to_studies/
Late submissions without extension will receive a penalty of 5% reduction of the total possible mark for each day late (including weekends and public holidays). You are reminded that submitting even just 1 day late could be the difference between passing and failing a unit. Late penalties are applied by unit convenors or their delegates after tasks are assessed. No assessable work will be accepted after the return/release of marked work on the same topic. If a student is still permitted to submit on the basis of unavoidable disruption, an alternative topic may be set.
Students should keep an electronic file of all assessments. Claims regarding "lost" assessments cannot be made if the file cannot be produced. It is also advisable to keep an electronic file of all drafts and the final submission on a USB untouched/unopened after submission. This can be used to demonstrate easily that the assessment has not been amended after the submission date.
It is important to note:
Academic Honesty Guidelines:
All assignments should cite and provide full bibliographical details of all material that you have used to inform or support your ideas. At the Department of Educational Studies, students are required to use the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing procedures. Full details about how to cite and reference correctly can be found in Perrin (2015) and in the Academic Honesty Handbook.
The following guide can be purchased from the Co-op Bookshop. This is a required text: *
Perrin, R. (2015). Pocket guide to APA style (5th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Eligibility for a Passing Grade in the Unit
In order to receive a passing grade in this unit, you must meet the following criteria:
assessment.
Note: If you miss one piece of work, you will fail the unit. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to make contact with the unit coordinator to determine whether it is possible to complete the unit in 2017.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Topic quiz | 20% | No | 25/08/2017 |
Information for parents | 30% | No | 15/09/2017 |
Child development research | 50% | No | 27/10/2017 |
Due: 25/08/2017
Weighting: 20%
Short answer and multiple choice questions on content from lectures and readings for topics 1 - 4.
NOTE: Online quizzes are an individual assessment task and MUST BE COMPLETED by each student individually.
Due: 15/09/2017
Weighting: 30%
Information resource for parents on selected child development topic
Due: 27/10/2017
Weighting: 50%
Critical review 5 research articles
Teaching and Learning Strategy
This unit has been developed to provide a combination of direct experience, experience in communication of child development issues and concepts, and knowledge of current research in child development. Key content is delivered via online lectures and weekly readings. Internal students will explore issues related to each topic during weekly seminars. Information, tasks and discussion questions associated with these seminars will be made available to external students via iLearn each week. External students will have the opportunity to discuss topics further at the two voluntary on campus sessions.
Lectures and Required Readings
Building a Community of Learners through Social Media
Online interaction is an essential part of the unit and is integral to both the learning environment and assessment process. The aim is to create a community of learners by creating a learning environment that takes advantage of and encourages distributed expertise within the environment. Within this learning community, members each have expertise in different areas and each member is responsible for sharing their expertise with others and for seeking out others whose expertise can further their own understanding and knowledge.
As part of this process, students are encouraged to use/create their own Twitter account. If you do not already have a Twitter account you will need to create one.
This unit is focused on building your research skills and social media has an important role to play in providing a community within which you can test out your understanding of the literature. Social media can assist you to explore what other academics and professionals think about the ideas and concepts that you formulate as a result of your academic research.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.
You need to show that the circumstances:
If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:
Outcome
Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.
You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.
If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.
If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.
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_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Communication with staff
Types of Questions
I enjoy teaching and I love watching my students learn. Some questions that we love to see in our Dialogue boxes:
Example questions we will NOT ANSWER
Rule of thumb: If it can be found in the Unit Guide or on the Unit's iLearn site, these questions will be ignored. It's not because we are trying to be mean or nasty. There are two major benefits when we ignore these questions:
Preferred Contact
All staff will only communicate via Dialogue on iLearn. We will not respond to emails. It allows us to control our communication so that our email inbox is not flooded with teaching questions from students, but also helps us organise our communication (e.g., many of us teach on more than one unit). To show that you have read your unit guides, please send me a photo of Steve Urkel from the 90s sitcom Family Matters. This may put you on my list of favourite students who have read their unit guides thoroughly to the end.