Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Sarah Carlon
Contact via Dialogue
X5A 108
By appointment
Mark Carter
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to GradCertLearnDiffSuppTeach or GradDipSpecEd or MSpecEd
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
SPED821
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is designed to provide students with the information and skills necessary to guide their instruction of students in the areas of reading and spelling. It focuses on current research-based theoretical, conceptual and pedagogical components of reading and spelling.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Problem Solving Exercises- are designed to assess understanding, problem solving and application of concepts, principles and strategies covered in the unit. The Problem Solving Exercises may address skills such as assessment, writing objectives, and selecting, applying and justifying intervention and assessment strategies.
Assignments- are designed to enable you to reflect more deeply on a particular problem or scenario and to write a considered response
Component Reading Skills Test- this is a text-based assessment of competency in phonological awareness and phonics. This is to ensure that all students have the necessary skills to work with individuals with reading difficulties.
There are several components of the assessment in this unit. All components must be completed. If you fail to complete all assessment components, a passing grade will not be awarded and students will receive an maximum numerical grade of 40.
You are also required to pass the Component Reading Skills Test in order to pass the unit.
In general, markers will be looking for the following qualities in your responses to the questions and scenarios in problem solving exercises and assignments:
You are encouraged to evaluate your work against these criteria.
Performance Descriptors
High Distinction
There is pervasive address of critical points in all responses and a demonstration of deep understanding of all key principles. There are appropriate and concise justifications, descriptions or analyses integrating relevant information. There is no evidence of consequential gaps in understanding of basic principles and a clear ability to generalise concepts and principles to the most difficult examples.
Distinction
There is extensive address of the critical points in all responses and a demonstration of deep understanding of all key principles. There are appropriate and concise justifications or analyses integrating relevant information. There is no evidence of consequential gaps in understanding of basic principles although students may have difficulty in applying some concepts and principles to the most difficult examples.
Credit
There is strong address of the critical points in the vast majority of responses and a deep understanding of the majority of key principles. There are appropriate and concise justifications, descriptions or analyses integrating relevant information. There may be a small number of consequential gaps in understanding of basic principles. Students may have difficulty in applying some concepts and principles to a limited number of examples.
Pass
There is solid address of the critical points in the majority of responses and a demonstration of deep understanding of most key principles. There are appropriate and concise justifications, descriptions and analysis integrating relevant information. Students may have difficulty in applying some concepts and principles to some examples.
Fail
There is poor address of the critical points in the majority of responses. There is little evidence of deep understanding of principles. Justifications, descriptions and analyses would often be incomplete and/ or unclear. Students demonstrate a poor understanding of the majority of concepts and principles and are only able to apply these to a minority of examples.
Resubmission
Resubmission of assessments and assignments is not permitted.
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 if they meet the Disruption to Studies policy and are submitted via ask.mq.edu.au. 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.
Appeals against grades for individual assessment components
If any student has concern about the marking of an assessment, they must:
The unit convenor will review the marking and may, at their discretion, ask for a re-marking by a second marker. If re-marking by a second marker is judged appropriate, the final mark will normally be the average of the two marks awarded for the assessment task. Students should note that the revised mark for the task may be higher, the same, or lower than the original mark.
Please note that all failing assessments are double marked. The decision of the unit convenor is final.
Appeals against final unit grades
See the Policies and Procedures section of this guide for details on appeals against unit grades.
With the exception of participation, results for other assessments will be reported as either grades (i.e., HD, D, Cr, P, F) or moderated scores. Raw scores for all assessments will be moderated according to the University guidelines so that work judged to be of a given standard is awarded a moderated score within the following distribution: High Distinction 85-100; Distinction 75-84, Credit 65-74; Pass 50-64; Fail 0-49.
For example, if it is judged that the HD standard for a particular assessment is met by work scoring 90-100, raw scores will be adjusted so that students received moderated scores between 85 and 100. Similarly, if it is judged that the Pass standard is met by work scoring 63 -70, raw scores will be adjusted so that students received moderated scores between 50 and 64. This moderation takes into account both the stated performance standards for the assessment component and the degree of difficulty of the specific task
The following generic grade descriptors provide university-wide standards for awarding final grades.
High Distinction: Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline.
Distinction: Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
Credit: Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
Pass: Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
Fail: Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.
Entry into units in the postgraduate coursework program requires a clear pass (i.e., a final unit grade of at least “C” or “P”) in all previously completed SPED units. If you fail more than 51% of your units in a semester, you will be subject to review.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Problem Solving Exercise 1 | 40% | No | 12th April 2017 |
Problem Solving Exercise 2 | 40% | No | 14th June 2017 |
Assignment | 20% | No | 12th May 2017 |
Component Skills Reading Test | 0% | Yes | 28th May 2017 |
Due: 12th April 2017
Weighting: 40%
Problem Solving Exercises consist of a series of practical problems. The problems presented are typically scenario-based and require the practical application of principles and knowledge addressed in the unit. The assessment may involve the presentation of video and/or text-based scenarios.
Many questions will be similar in format to the problem solving activities presented during topic seminars, on the discussion forum and during problem solving review seminars for the unit and these will provide excellent preparation for Problem Solving Exercises. For example, students may be required analyse the results of a reading assessment or make recommendations as to the type or content of instruction required in a particular scenario. The first Problem Solving Exercise will cover the first four topics and the second will cover the entire unit, but will have a focus on the last six topics.
A Problem Solving Exercise is an open book assessment of three hours duration. The Problem Solving Exercises will be completed in class (or with a supervisor for distance students). They may use both video segments and text-based scenarios or questions. You may bring any paper-based materials to the assessment including textbooks and your own notes. PLEASE NOTE THAT SHARING OF MATERIALS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN PROBLEM SOLVING EXERCISES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. You may not use electronic devices such as computers, iPads or other tablets, or phones. In some cases, a calculator may be allowed, but this must be a stand alone calculator, and not part of a phone or other electronic device.
Problem Solving Exercises are designed to assess your competency with the material covered in the unit and, consequently, a high pass mark is typically set.
The specific instructions for each Problem Solving Exercise will be on the first page of the question paper. You may only write on the question paper provided. Any breaches of the instructions (for example, using your own paper to make notes about questions, taking any notes out of the room where the Problem Solving is held) may result in zero marks being awarded for that exercise, or zero marks being awarded for some questions.
Information about Campus Cards is at
For students completing the exercises on-campus, Problem Solving Exercises are held:
There will be two sessions each day, one at 10 am and one at 5.30 pm. Students are required to indicate which session they will attend via the choice activity on the iLearn site. The choice activity will be open for 48 hours following a notice in the general discussion. Students must respond in this timeframe or they will be allocated to a session.
Problem Solving Exercises need to be completed by distance students with a supervisor as follows:
Problem Solving Exercise 1 should be completed between Monday 10th April and Sunday 16th April 2017.
Problem Solving Exercise 2 should be completed between Monday 12th June and Sunday 18th June 2017.
If a Problem Solving Exercise is completed outside these dates without a serious reason and without the approval of your unit convenor and Dr Toni Hopper, you may be awarded an F grade.
Compulsory Problem Solving Exercises will be held at Building X5A to supervise internal students and external students who live in the Sydney metropolitan area. The Sydney metropolitan area is considered to be the area bounded by Engadine in the south, Campbelltown in the southwest, Penrith in the west, North Richmond in the northwest and Brooklyn in the North. Final decisions about boundaries are at the discretion of the External Student Supervision Coordinator (Dr Toni Hopper). Under all but exceptional circumstances (e.g., documented medical problems) it is expected that students residing in the Sydney metropolitan area will attend the on-campus assessment session.
Distance students living outside the Sydney metropolitan area will need to make arrangements for an appropriate, approved supervisor before the end of the second week of the semester.
Off-campus completion of Problem Solving Exercises is also available as an additional support to students who enrol in external mode and reside outside the Sydney metropolitan area. The Sydney metropolitan area is considered to be the area bounded by Engadine in the south, Campbelltown in the southwest, Penrith in the west, North Richmond in the northwest and Brooklyn in the North. Final decisions about boundaries are at the discretion of the External Student Supervision Coordinator (Dr Toni Hopper).
You need to nominate a supervisor to receive the materials and supervise Problem Solving Exercises and feedback sessions. You must also complete a Statutory Declaration stating that you will not have any unsupervised access to Problem Solving exercises and feedback materials. Under normal circumstances, supervisors would have a working relationship with you but must not be personally related to you or in a subordinate role. Appropriate supervisors could include a head/executive teacher, school principal or school counsellor. Friends or acquaintances will not be accepted as supervisors. It is your responsibility to locate an appropriate supervisor who is acceptable to the External Student Supervision Coordinator (Dr Toni Hopper). The acceptance of nominated supervisors is entirely at the discretion of the External Student Supervision Coordinator. Under normal circumstances, materials will only be sent to the supervisor at a work postal address. If you wish to discuss the suitability of a potential supervisor, please contact Dr Hopper by phone on (02) 9850 9698 or email (toni.hopper@mq.edu.au).
You must also complete a Statutory Declaration stating that you will not have any unsupervised access to the Problem Solving exercises or feedback materials.
A SUPERVISOR NOMINATION FORM IS PROVIDED FOR DOWNLOAD IN THE ILEARN SITE FOR EACH UNIT.
A STATUTORY DECLARATION FORM IS PROVIDED FOR DOWNLOAD IN THE ILEARN SITE FOR EACH UNIT
Completing the Statutory Declaration
You must complete ONE Statutory Declaration to cover all units you are attempting each semester. It is your responsibility to ensure that you read and understand the requirements of the Statutory Declaration, and that you supply all required information. Your Statutory Declaration must be witnessed and signed by a suitable person (see the list on the form). For most students, the preferred witness would be your school principal. The form must be returned with your supervisor nomination form(s) to Dr Toni Hopper.
If there is a violation of the Statutory Declaration you must contact Dr Toni Hopper and the unit convenor as a matter of urgency.
The supervisor nomination form and Statutory Declaration must be returned to Dr Toni Hopper by the Friday of the second week of semester. Nomination forms will not be accepted after this date and you will have to complete Problem Solving Exercises on-campus or withdraw from the unit. This deadline is ABSOLUTELY NOT negotiable. That is, if you fail to submit a Supervisor Nomination Form by the deadline, you MUST attend the specified on-campus session or withdraw from the unit. You will receive an emailed acknowledgement of your supervisor nomination. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, your nomination has not been received and you must contact the External Student Supervision Coordinator urgently.
***Please note that you need to provide a separate supervisor nomination form for EACH unit you are enrolled in. You should receive an acknowledgement for EACH unit you are enrolled in. You need only return one Statutory Declaration, but indicate which units you are completing.
Supervisors should be aware that they would be required to supervise you for two Problem Solving Exercises of 3 hours each. They will also need to supervise you for two feedback sessions lasting up to 1 hour each.
Further, they will be required to certify that appropriate conditions have been in place. Supervisors may do other work while you are completing the assessment/feedback sessions but they must remain with you. Note that if there is any unanticipated variation to supervision arrangements, for example, a fire drill or if the supervisor is called away urgently, the student and/or supervisor should notify the External Student Supervision Coordinator (Dr Toni Hopper) as soon as possible after the Problem Solving Exercise has been completed. Acting as a supervisor is voluntary but supervisors do receive a formal letter of appreciation.
Problem Solving Exercises will be posted to your supervisor approximately one week before the due date and you will have a one-week window in which they must be completed and returned.
Please note that you will need access to a computer or DVD player in order to complete the Problem Solving Exercises and/or feedback sessions.
Before EACH Problem Solving Exercise and EACH Feedback Session you will be sent, through Dialogue on the iLearn website, a copy of the letter, instructions and certification form to be sent to your supervisor. You must respond to this message WITHIN 48 HOURS to indicate that you have read and understood the conditions of the Problem Solving Exercise or Feedback Session and to confirm that the supervisor’s name and mailing address are correct. Problem Solving and Feedback packages will not be mailed out until this confirmation is received.
If you provide a late response, and your assessment package is sent out late, NO ADDITIONAL TIME WILL BE ALLOWED FOR COMPLETION. You must still complete the Problem Solving Exercise before the 16th April (first Problem Solving exercise) or 18th June (second Problem Solving Exercise).
We recommend that you check with your supervisor before the day you plan to complete the Problem Solving Exercise that he/she has received the package from the University. If your supervisor has not received the package, we recommend double-checking the internal mail handling within your school or organisation before contacting X5A Reception. If the materials cannot be found after a search, contact X5A Reception (phone (02) 9850 8708 or email musec.reception@mq.edu.au).
If your circumstances change and you no longer need to complete a Problem Solving Exercise externally, or if you are able to travel to the University for a feedback session or if there are any other changes to your supervision arrangements, you must notify the convenors of each unit you are completing AND the External Student Supervisor Co-ordinator.
Two feedback sessions are held after Problem Solving Exercises. Students who attend campus to complete the Problem Solving Exercises are normally expected to attend one of these sessions for feedback. The answers to Problem Solving Exercises will be presented. Lecturers will overview the general principles, marking key, sample answers and discuss common problems or misconceptions. Students will be able to view their marked Problem Solving Exercises during the feedback sessions. Problem Solving Exercises will be returned for this session but they may not be retained. You will be provided with an individual feedback summary sheet.
If you have concerns about Problem Solving Exercises, please make an individual appointment after the feedback session. Individual appointments will not be made to give individual feedback unless students have attended a scheduled session or can provide evidence of unavoidable disruption to study, such as a Professional Authority Form.
Feedback seminars will be audio or video-recorded and sent to external students on DVD, along with the marked Problem Solving Exercise and an individual feedback summary sheet. Materials for the feedback session will be posted to your supervisor approximately 2 weeks after receipt of the exercise. Please note that your final results will not be released until all feedback materials have been returned to the University. Please note if you plan to attend a feedback session at Macquarie University you should inform the unit convenor that you do not require the feedback materials.
It is critical for students and supervisors to understand that students may only have access to materials in the presence of their supervisor. This means that the supervisor must post these items back addressed to your unit convenor, Building X5A at Macquarie University. You may, however, keep your individual feedback sheet. If a student has any unsupervised access to either the Problem Solving Exercises or feedback materials (including posting them to your unit convenor), they will automatically be failed on the Problem Solving Exercise, resulting in a failure on the unit. If a student decides to withdraw from the unit, materials must still be returned directly to your convenor.
If you are a distance student, and choose to travel to the University for the Problem Solving Exercises, but do not want to travel to the feedback seminars, you will need to have a supervisor for the feedback sessions. This should be arranged by the end of the second week of semester. If there are any changes to this arrangement, you should notify your unit convenor.
Students sometimes think that they do not need to be thoroughly familiar with the material in the unit as the exercises are open book. This is most definitely not the case. You need to be sufficiently familiar with the material to know where to look for material that will enable you to solve a given problem. Also, while you will have time in the Problem Solving Exercises to check a detail or look at an example, you will NOT have time to read chapters or review topics that have not been adequately covered in the first instance.
If you are unable to attend a Problem Solving Exercise, you should submit a disruption to studies form through ask@mq.edu.au. It is advisable to contact your unit convenor prior to submitting the request.
Reasons for the extension need to be documented through the disruption to study process accessible through ask@mq.edu.au and supported with documentation (eg. a Professional Authority Form).
Extension will only be granted in receipt of the completed form submitted through askMQ, plus documentation. You must read the further information about disruption to study in the General Assessment information.
You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.
Marked Problem Solving Exercises will be available for reviewing at the following Feedback Seminars.
Grades for the Problem Solving Exercises will be posted on the unit website, in GRADES under the TOOLS tab.
Please note that it is Centre policy that results will not be given over the phone or by email.
Please visit the unit website for information.
Due: 14th June 2017
Weighting: 40%
Due: 12th May 2017
Weighting: 20%
The assignment will be on effective program design in reading. The assignment will be available on the unit iLearn site from Thursday 5th April 2017. Look in the 'Assessment' section of the website for further information.
In general good presentation, correct grammar, spelling and appropriate word choice will be expected. Express your ideas concisely and clearly, and observe any stated word limits. Please use single spacing.
You must complete the cover sheet provided for each assignment.
You will submit your assignment through the iLearn website. Detailed instructions will be provided on the website.
You should follow the detailed instructions carefully. Marks (up to 5% of the total mark) may be deducted, for example, for failing to name submitted files correctly or for failing to write your name on the assignment.
What if I Accidentally Submit a Blank Assignment, the Wrong Document, etc?
We can only mark what you submit. Make sure you re-download your assignment from the location that it was submitted and verify the correct document has been submitted. No consideration will be offered if you submit the incorrect document. You may submit your assignment as many times as you wish before the due date and only the last submitted version will be marked.
How do I Know My Assignment Submission was Successful?
Staff will NOT respond to requests to confirm that assignments have been correctly submitted. You will receive an emailed receipt on successful submission of your assignment in your student email account. Make sure that this has been received and retain this receipt. No claims will be considered regarding missing assignments without this receipt. You can also re-download your assignment to double-check it was submitted (see above). Always keep a copy of your assignment.
The cover sheet will be attached to the assignment (available on the iLearn website). Note that the checklist on the assignment must be completed or your assignment will not be accepted. You will be notified through Dialogue that your assignment was not acceptable and you will need to submit the assignment again with a completed cover sheet. Note that typing your student number on the coversheet is considered equivalent to providing a signature.
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 if they meet the Disruption to Studies policy and are submitted via ask.mq.edu.au. 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.
Components of answers beyond the stated word limit will not be marked. That is, answers will only be marked up to the stated word limit.
Individual feedback will provided electronically. Assignment marks will be available in GRADES.
Resubmission of unsatisfactory assignments is not permitted.
Due: 28th May 2017
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
A text-based assessment of competency in phonological awareness and phonics. This is assessed on a pass/fail basis. Students may attempt this assessment multiple times but they must pass this test in order to pass the unit. Please see the 'Assessment' section of the iLearn site for more details. The assessment will be available on 15th March.
The unit is offered in external mode only, and is organised in a flexible delivery format. A combination of readings, study guides, and Internet delivery is employed. In addition, support is available via telephone, Skype, the unit web site (including discussion forums and Dialogue for private communication) and on-site consultation. There are some compulsory and optional on campus sessions for students living in the Sydney metropolitan area. Please see 'Unit Schedule' for further details.
This unit will be run in external mode only this semester. All material will be available online and the only attendance will be for problem solving exercises and feedback.
Delivery is designed such that students may seek as much or as little assistance as required in completing the unit. In flexible delivery units, it is critical that students are organised and disciplined. It is suggested that you allocate a total of 8-12 hours per week to study for this unit. If you get significantly behind in your topic coverage, it may be impossible to catch up. Please start your study as soon as possible.
Readings are designed to prepare students for the online seminars as well as broaden their understanding of topics.
All seminars (apart from feedback seminars) are audio and/or videorecorded and made available on ECHO. Students who attend on campus should be aware that they may be recorded during the seminar.
Students may participate in Discussion Forums on the iLearn site, complete the Review Quizzes for each topic, complete the assigned readings and activities in the Study Guides and seminars, and complete any additional exercises for each topic.
Student feedback to our units is generally very positive, and we retain practices that students appreciate. We regularly make changes to units as a result of feedback. This year, more practice/review questions have been included.
Assessment quizzes have been removed.
At these seminars students may view their marked Problem Solving Exercises and the lecturer will discuss each question and respond to questions. Student who attend these sessions may make an appointment for further individual feedback if they wish. Feedback seminars will be offered more than once for each Problem Solving Exercise. Students should be aware that if they choose not to attend these seminars, individual appointments will not be made unless there is a serious reason for non- attendance (such as a documented illness). The seminars will be recorded for distance students outside the Sydney area who have an approved supervisor (see ASSESSMENT) to view under supervision.
External students living in the Sydney metropolitan area and all internal students must attend in-class assessment seminars. There is no compulsory on campus attendance for students completing the unit externally outside the Sydney metropolitan area. The Sydney metropolitan area is normally considered to be the area bounded by Engadine in the south, Campbelltown in the southwest, Penrith in the west, North Richmond in the northwest and Brooklyn in the north. Final decisions about boundaries are at the discretion of the External Student Supervision Coordinator (Dr Toni Hopper).
One-hour drop-in sessions may be offered during the semester. These sessions provide students with additional opportunities to ask questions or discuss issues of concern. Please note, these sessions will ONLY function to address student questions - there is no point attending unless you have a question to ask or issues to discuss. If there are no students attending in the first 15 minutes of a drop-in session, it will be cancelled.
Generally, there will be a Review Quiz for topics in the unit, available on the unit website. These quizzes enable you to monitor your own learning. The review quizzes will remain open throughout the semester.
Review quizzes are online assessments in multiple-choice format. There is one quiz for each topic in the unit. We strongly suggest you complete the Review Quiz for each topic as a means of monitoring your own learning.
The quizzes may be taken by logging into iLearn and scrolling down to the link to the quiz within each topic section.
A "dummy quiz" has been set up to give you some practice and allow you to get used to the quiz module. you may attempt the dummy quiz as many times as you like. It is strongly recommended that every student attempt the dummy quiz each semester. The dummy quiz is in the first section of the website under the heading "THINGS YOU SHOULD DO" and "Attempt the Dummy Quiz". Click on the link to open the quiz.
You will receive confirmation that your quiz has been submitted. Your mark will be available in "GRADES" under the TOOLS tab on the left hand side of the webpage. Once you have completed a quiz, you should be able to view your answers and the feedback. If you are concerned about your mark, contact the unit convenor to discuss your results.
You may attempt review quizzes as often as you like. Review quizzes are not part of the assessment, they allow you to monitor and review your own learning.
Such problems are ALMOST ALWAYS RELATED TO USING AN INCORRECT BROWSER. Firefox is the recommended browser for iLearn. Contact IT help if you have problems.
ALL study guides and resource materials must be downloaded from iLearn. Readings must be downloaded from the Multisearch website in the library, or from other sites as indicated in the study guides.
Topics in this unit will involve a seminar recording via ECHO360 and will be accessed through links on the relevant topic pages. These presentations will typically consist of video or audio. They are accessed from the unit website. The presentation may include elucidation of the readings, additional information and practical exercises. Seminars should be viewed after you have completed the relevant reading for the topic.
Information about using ECHO360 is available at http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/lecture_recordings.htm and
http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/podcasts.htm
In order to use ECHO360 you will need QuickTime or other video player software (iTunes, VLC or Windows Media Player) and Flash for streaming playback or for downloading. You can download QuickTime through the iLearn site and you will be prompted to install Flash when you first access ECHO360, if it is not already installed on your computer.
Don't panic. Contact the Student IT Helpdesk
Phone: (02) 9850 HELP (4357) (Option 1) or freecall 1800 67 4357 Email: help@mq.edu.au
Face to face: Building C5C Room 244, Macquarie University Website: http://www.mq.edu.au/onehelp/
IT Onehelp ticket lodgement: https://help.mq.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/OneHelp.woa
There will also be a Discussion Forum for each topic where students can optionally post questions or comments and discuss the issues raised during the unit.
Although unit convenors typically check the Discussion Forums daily (on weekdays), they will not respond to all posts, as discussion between students may be more appropriate.
Preferably, unit related messages should be directed to unit staff using Dialogue on the website. Questions that you have that are relevant to others in the unit should be posted in Discussion Forums. If you send such questions using Dialogue, they may be posted anonymously and answered in Discussions.
Feedback on Problem Solving Exercises for students outside the Sydney area and for international students will be presented on DVD. You should check that you have access to a suitable DVD player or computer.
Enquiries regarding all dispatch and student postgraduate materials should be directed to: musec.reception@mq.edu.au
All seminars are in Room 130 at Building X5A. There are two compulsory assessment seminars that MUST be attended by internal students and external students living in the Sydney metropolitan area. All remaining seminars are optional.
These dates are the WEDNESDAY of each semester week. All sessions for SPED824 are held on Wednesday.
DATE |
TIME |
SEMINAR FORMAT |
12/4/17 |
10am-1pm or 5.30pm-8.30pm |
COMPULSORY SEMINAR: PROBLEM SOLVING EXERCISE 1 (TOPICS 1-4) |
3/5/17 |
5.30pm-6.30pm |
Optional on-campus seminar: Feedback on Problem Solving Exercise 1 |
10/5/17 |
10am-11am |
Optional on-campus seminar: Feedback on Problem Solving Exercise 1 (repeat) |
14/6/17 |
10am-1pm or 5.30pm-8.30pm |
COMPULSORY SEMINAR: PROBLEM SOLVING EXERCISE 2 (TOPICS 1-10) |
21/6/17 |
5.30pm-6.30pm |
Optional on-campus seminar: Feedback on Problem Solving Exercise 2 |
28/6/17 |
10am-11am |
Optional on-campus seminar: Feedback on Problem Solving Exercise 2 (repeat) |
The following table gives an overview of topics covered in the unit and the suggested completion date.
Topic |
Recommended Completion Date |
Content |
Format |
1. Approaches to Reading Instruction |
12/3/17 |
- Approaches to Reading Instruction - Components of literacy and reading - Simple View of Reading |
ECHO360 |
2. Emergent Literacy and Phonological Awareness |
19/3/17 |
- Emergent Literacy - Concepts of Print - Phonological Awareness – Assessment and Instruction |
ECHO360 |
3. Word Reading 1 |
26/3/17 |
- Phonics - Reading regular words - Assessment of Word Reading - Sight words |
ECHO360 |
4. Word Reading 2 |
2/4/17 |
- Reading more complex words |
ECHO360 |
5. Reading Connected Text |
9/4/17 |
- Choosing the right books - Book Levelling - PPP/Reinforced Reading |
ECHO360 |
6. Reading Fluency |
7/5/17 |
- Reading Fluency: Assessment and Instruction - CBM |
ECHO360 |
7. Putting it all together |
14/5/17 |
- Reading Assessment - RTI - The organisation of Reading Programs - Using commercial programs |
ECHO360 |
8. Approaches to Spelling Instruction |
21/5/17 |
- Approaches to Spelling Instruction |
ECHO360 |
9. Spelling Assessment |
28/5/17 |
- Spelling Assessment |
ECHO360 |
10. Spelling Instruction |
4/6/17 |
- Spelling Instruction - Using commercial programs |
ECHO360 |
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The required texts for this unit are:
Carnine, D. W., Silbert, J., Kame'enui, E. J., Tarver, S. G., & Jungjohann, K. (2006). Teaching struggling and at-risk readers: A direct instruction approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Dow, R.S., & Baer, G.T. (2013). Self-paced phonics: A text for educators (5th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
The textbooks may be obtained from the Co-Op Bookshop.
Students are advised not to buy electronic texts as these may not be used in open-book assessment tasks.
Other Required Reading
Required readings for each topic are listed in the Study Guides for each topic, available from the iLearn site.
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Access
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To get you started in this unit, tick off each action as you complete it.
ACTION |
COMPLETED |
Carefully read this unit guide |
|
Carefully read this unit guide a second time |
|
Organise purchase of the textbooks. |
|
Go to the unit website (from the Friday before semester starts) and check Dialogue and Discussion Forums for messages. |
|
If you have problems accessing the site contact IT Help urgently. |
|
Go to the START HERE section of the website, read and follow the instructions. |
|
Go to the Topic 1 section of the website and follow the instructions. |
|
Date | Description |
---|---|
29/01/2017 | Second academic contact listed. |