Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Sheryn Lee
Mariam Farida
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is a graduate seminar that provides training for student proficiency in critical thinking and research design. The course content utilises inter-disciplinary approaches and methods for the social sciences. Students will practice advanced reading and writing skills, examine the logic of inquiry, investigate methodologies and theoretical approaches, and evaluate diverse sources. Students will then progress to applying their advanced research skills through critical thinking and problem-solving. They will examine what are concepts and measures, how to understand causation and correlation, as well as use and apply qualitative, quantitative and multi-methods research. Students will be assessed based on their application of skills to practice, both in formulating research design and presenting their research for broader consumption.
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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:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Engagement | 20% | No | Ongoing |
Homework Tasks | 40% | Yes | Ongoing |
3-min Challenge | 20% | No | Week 8 |
Research Design | 20% | No | Week 13 |
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%
Ongoing assessment.
For internal students, attendance and engagement in a two-hour seminar each week (11/13 sessions) is expected.
For external and OUA students, the participation in a minimum of 11/13 online "Key Question" forums is required (approx. 250 words). Students must address all the questions within the word limit, no references are required. Students must also complete the online activity in the weekly "Activities" forum (approx. 250 words).
Engagement involves reflective thinking on the focus questions, demonstrating critical thinking and understanding of the required readings, demonstrated ability to address the focus questions with regards to all unit materials (readings, and pre-recorded lectures and seminars), and demonstrated ability to complete skill-based activities.
Online engagement in both content- and skill-based activities must be completed by the end of the week (for example, if the week begins on Monday 26 February, the week ends on the following Sunday 4 March). Participation will not be counted beyond the allocated timeframe. If you are unable to participate during a set time, and do not wish this to affect your engagement grade, such requests must be put through “Special Consideration.”
Please refer to the marking rubric.
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 40%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
Ongoing assessment. Hurdle assessment.
The weekly homework tasks must be completed by each weekly session (word counts are stated in the respective weeks). Students will also be asked to re-articulate what they learnt from the previous week and how this relates to their homework during the seminar to scaffold knowledge from week to week.
Homework tasks will be explained during the 5-7pm class (external students can live-stream the seminar, and guidance will be made available on iLearn) and must be submitted into Turnitin by the following Sunday, 5pm. These will then be printed off to be discussed on the following Monday class.
Please refer to the marking rubric.
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 20%
Due Week 8, Friday 4 May, 5pm.
A critical skill required of all graduates is the demonstrated ability to present one’s own research. Students are therefore required to present their research design in 3 minutes in a unique and individual manner that conveys the argument and significance of their research to a non-specialist audience. Students are to record their presentations through the Echo ALP, and post it to the public presentations page via Padlet, by Friday 4 May 2018, 5pm.
Students will also be assessed on their presentation style. Students are asked to use a single static Powerpoint slide to be submitted to the convenors via Turnitin by Friday 4 May 2018, 5pm. The slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration, and no animations, no electronic media, no audio and no props are permitted. We will only watch and mark the first three minutes.
Guidelines: https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/resources/competition-rules
Please refer to marking rubric.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%
Research design (20%)
Due Week 13, Friday 8 June, 5pm. 2000-word research design. In consultation with the convenors, students are required to demonstrate and articulate:
Guide: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchdesigns
Please refer to marking rubric.
UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS
REQUIRED READINGS
TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED
SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS
LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS
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 seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS
REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER
STAFF AVAILABILITY
Week |
Topic |
Homework |
Skill/LAB |
1 |
Introduction: Critical thought, research design research ethics |
What is a research question you would like to answer? Why? |
Introducing software |
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Critical Thought |
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2 |
Inductive vs deductive 1: When to choose qualitative or quantitative |
Inferences |
NVIVO 1 |
3 |
Inductive vs deductive 2: Laws, theories and hypotheses |
NVIVO Project memo (goals and assumptions) |
NVIVO 2 |
4 |
Inductive vs deductive 3: Concepts, measures and indicators |
NVIVO Analytical and procedural memo |
NVIVO 3 |
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Research Design |
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5 |
Ethnography and observation approaches (Julian Droogan and Lise Waldek) |
Mini-observation |
NVIVO 4 |
6 |
Case study approaches **Easter Monday** no in-class seminar, but pre-recorded lectures. |
NVIVO Node memo Students must participate in the dedicated forum on iLearn and complete the weekly homework. |
NVIVO 5
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7 |
Historical approaches (Brian Cuddy) |
NVIVO Literature review |
NVIVO6 |
8 |
Evaluating qualitative and quantitative sources 1 |
SPSS Data entry |
SPSS 1 |
9 |
Evaluating qualitative and quantitative sources 2 |
SPSS Frequencies |
SPSS 2 |
10 |
Evaluating qualitative and quantitative sources 3 |
SPSS Correlations
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SPSS 3 |
11 |
Research design 1 |
SPSS Analytical and procedural memo |
SPSS 4 |
12 |
Research design 2 |
SPSS Regression |
SPSS 5 |
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Skill to Practice |
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13 |
Research design 3 |
NVIVO and SPSS software memo |
SPSS 6 |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/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:
A core objective of this unit is to equip students with basic skills in NVIVO and SPSS in order to further graduate employability skills. Therefore, all students will be required to download NVIVO and SPSS through MQ iLab, available here: https://wiki.mq.edu.au/display/iLab/About. Please do so before the start of session in order to best utilise our seminar times.
Seminar structure:
All required readings will be available via the Library’s Leganto platform. Students are expected to have completed all the required readings before attending seminars.
The required textbook available at the Co-op Bookshop:
Gary D. Bouma and Susan Carland, The Research Process (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 6th edition. [Please note that this textbook will be useful throughout your studies!!]
What is expected of students to learn and progress throughout the course:
Date | Description |
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13/02/2018 | Changes made to Unit Schedule, Assessment wording and Unit Resources |
31/01/2018 | Change to Unit Schedule and Assessments |