Submission of assignments

Assignments should be submitted through iLearn (Turnitin).

All assignments MUST be word-processed.

Referencing

The Department of Educational Studies subscribes to the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing guidelines. You are expected to adopt this referencing approach in your assignments. Use APA for referencing. E.g. the author and year of publication are cited in the body of the text with the complete reference listed in your Reference section. Do not use footnotes for citing references. Students who are unsure of correct referencing procedures should consult the Macquarie University Library Guides.  These guides are an essential resource for learning about formatting and referencing. http://libguides.mq.edu.au/c.php?g=674302&p=4748833

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 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 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.

Academic honesty

The nature of scholarly endeavor, dependent as it is on the work of others, binds all members of the University community to abide by the principles of academic honesty. Plagiarism is a matter of particular importance. Plagiarism is defined as 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. 

The University’s Academic Honesty Policy can be found on the Policy Central website: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/index.html

Prescribed texts

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2001). Atlas of science literacy / Project 2061. Washington DC: AAAS. Available as an online reference at http://strandmaps.nsdl.org

Skamp, K. (Ed.) (2015). Teaching primary science constructively (5th ed.). Melbourne: Thomson.

Primary teacher education students may choose to purchase this text which will support their work in science and technology throughout the degree and beyond.

Sydney Morning Herald. Daily Newspaper. For regular science-based articles.

Background readings in science

Bryson, B. (2004). A short history of nearly everything. London: Black Swan.

Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Boston Mariner Books.

Darwin, C. (1859). The origin of species. London: Penguin.

Dawkins, R. (1991). The blind watchmaker. London: Penguin.

Dennett, D. (1995). Darwin’s dangerous idea: Evolution and the meanings of life. London: Penguin.

Halvorsen, R. (2007). The truth about vaccines. London: Gibson Square.

Hawking, S. (2008). A brief history of time. Chatham: Bantam Press.

Horsfall, M. (2008). Creating your eco-friendly garden. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing.

Lindenmayer, D. (2008). On borrowed time: Australia’s environmental crisis and what we must do about it. Camberwell, Victoria: CSIRO/Penguin.

Rosser, S. (2008). The A-Z of global warming. London Schmall World Publishing.

Sobel, D. (2005). The planets. London: Fourth Estate.

Trefil, J. (2008). Why science? New York: Teachers College Press.

Background readings in science for schools

Australian Academy of Science. (2005). Primary Connections: Linking science with literacy. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science. 

Many titles available from  https://primaryconnections.org.au/

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards. All NSW science syllabi and related documents are available from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/

Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (Eds.) (2007). The art of teaching primary science. Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin.

Devereux, J. (2007). Science in the primary and early years. London: Sage/Open University Press.

Gillespie, H. (2007). Science for primary school teachers. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.       

Gillespie, H. (2007). Learning and teaching with virtual learning environments. Exeter: Learning Matters.            

Harlen, W. & Aualter, A. (2004). The teaching science in primary schools. London: David Fulton.

Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2008). New learning: Elements of a science of education. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Rosebery, A.& Warren, B. (Eds.) (2008). Teaching Science to English Language Learners. Ohio: NSTA.           

Tytler, R. (2007). Re-imaging science education, Australian Education Review, Australian Council of Educational Research. Australian Education Review, 51. Melbourne: ACER. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://www.acer.edu.au/research_reports/AER.html    

Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.) (2012). The art of teaching science for middle and secondary school. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.

Ward, H., Roden, J., Hewlett, C., & Foreman, J. (2008). Teaching science in the primary classroom: A practical guide. London: Sage

Easy to understand science textbooks suitable for school students are available in the Curriculum Collection on Level 3 in the Library.