Assessment Presentation & Submission Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when you submit each assignment:

• Allow a left and right-hand margin of at least 2cm in all assignments.
• Please type all assignments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing.
• All assessments must be submitted through Turnitin in .doc or .pdf format
• It is the onus of the student to ensure that all assessments are successfully submitted through Turnitin.
• Faculty assignment cover sheets are NOT required.

Draft Submissions & Turnitin Originality Reports

• Students may use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit.
• Students are strongly encouraged to upload a draft copy of each assessment to Turnitin at least one week prior to the due date to obtain an Originality Report.
• The Originality Report provides students with a similarity index that may indicate if plagiarism has occurred. Students will be able to make amendments to their drafts prior to their final submission on the due date.
• Generally, one Originality Report is generated every 24 hours up to the due date.

Please note:

• Students should regularly save a copy of all assignments before submission,
• Unless there are exceptional circumstances, no assessment will be accepted after the date that the assessment has been returned to other students.
• Students are responsible for checking that their submission has been successful and has been submitted by the due date and time.

Assignment extensions and late penalties

Applications for extensions must be made via AskMQ at https://ask.mq.edu.au as a Special Consideration 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 Special Considerations policy and are submitted via https://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, see:  https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

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.

Requesting a remark of an assignment

If you have evidence that your task has been incorrectly assessed against the grade descriptors you can request a re-mark.  To request a re-mark you need to contact  the unit convenor within 7 days of the date of return of the assignment and provide a detailed assessment of your script against the task criteria. Evidence from your assignment must be provided to support your judgements.

Note: Failed assessments can not be re-submitted as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process.

Please note: The outcome of a re-mark may be a higher/lower or unchanged grade. Grades are standards referenced and effort is NOT a criterion.  

University policy on grading

Criteria for awarding grades for assessment tasks

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading Policy. The following descriptive criteria are included for your information.

Note: If you fail a unit with a professional experience component the fail grade will be on your transcript irrespective of the timing of when the placement takes place.

Criteria for awarding grades in the unit

Students will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment-in-effect-from-session-2-2016

The following generic grade descriptors provide university-wide standards for awarding final grades.

Units with Submissions of Family & Children’s Records

Family and Children’s Records at Department of Educational Studies 

Some assessment tasks require students to submit records about families and about children and their learning. It is expected that the records submitted are original, authentic, adheres to ethical practices and is the work of the student. Issues with the authenticity of such records will be investigated for possible forgery. Please note that submitted records can only be used once for assessment purposes.

Confidentiality

Students must respect the need for sensitivity and confidentially and ensure that privacy obligations are met. There should be nothing in assessment submissions that identifies a centre or school. Use only the first name for children, families and staff. Do not record details that enable identification of the site, and of the adults or children.

Required Textbooks

These texts can be purchased from the Co-op Bookshop on campus or http://www.coop.com.au

* Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S. & Farmer, S. (2018). Programming and planning in early childhood settings. (6^th ed.).Victoria: Thomson

Crowther, I. (2016). Creating effective learning environments (4th ed.). Ontario: Nelson Education.

* Note this text is required in ECHP122 and  ECHP222. 

Department of Educational Studies Relevant Documents

The information in this Unit Guide must be read in conjunction with the information on  iLearn:

Electronic Communication

During semester time, staff may contact students using the following ways:

• Dialogue function on iLearn
• Official MQ Student Email Address
• It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a regular weekly basis.

Department Procedures

Attendance for undergraduate units

All tutorials begin in Week 1 of Session.

• Activities completed during weekly tutorials (internal) or on campus days (external) are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit [and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements]. Attendance at all tutorials or on campus days is expected and the roll will be taken 
• Students are required to contribute to all online and tutorials tasks
• Students are required to attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. Any changes to tutorial enrolments must be completed officially through e-student. Please do not contact the unit convenor requesting a change
• Students are expected to read weekly readings before completing tasks and attending tutorials
• Students are expected to listen/attend weekly lectures before completing tasks and attending tutorials
• All assessment tasks must be submitted

• Note: It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assignments.  If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to make contact with the unit convenor.

​Professional Experience Unit Placement Expectations 

• Students are required to complete 10 days of Professional Experience at an early childhood centre for children aged birth-5
• To be eligible to commence the block placement component of this unit, students
  • Must have submitted all written assessment tasks and/or associated unit component requirements prior to the commencement of the block
  • Must meet the attendance and participation requirements for the unit
  • A Working with Children Check or State/ Territory equivalent
• A Working with Children Check or State/Territory equivalent is required by the end of Week 3 to be eligible for a placement. Students may need to withdraw from this unit if this has not been obtained in time.
• Students who are completing a unit offered by another department are expected to inform and negotiate with that unit convener about their professional experience block dates and to discuss how that unit's requirements can be met. For some situations, it may mean that you are enrolled externally for that unit so that your attendance for tutorials for that unit is not impacted.
• Feedback from Tertiary Supervisors and/or Supervising Teachers is of a general nature. It is incumbent on the student to check the requirements of assessments against the marking criteria and unit outcomes prior to submission.
• Students may not be able to commence their placement until all alleged academic honesty breaches have been investigated and concluded.
• In order to meet the Professional Experience placement expectations of this unit, students must:
• attain a ‘Satisfactory’ grade for their Professional Experience Practical Work in their Evaluation Report, AND
• attain a ‘Satisfactory’ grade for their Professional Experience Folder in their Evaluation Report

Withdrawing from this Unit

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice by writing to https://ask.mq.edu.au before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following semesters and may impact on your progression through the degree.

This unit is the first core practicum unit in the B.Ed (Early Childhood Education). If you are not intending to complete this degree, it is strongly advise that you contact the unit coordinator to determine whether this unit is appropriate for your study plan.

This unit has ECH113: Play and Inquiry in Early Childhood, as a pre-requisite. It is therefore assumed that students will incorporate their understanding of the nature, and developmental significance of play and other significant early childhood experiences into both theoretical and practical aspects of this unit.