Assessment Presentation and Submission Guidelines 

Written assignments should be prepared using appropriate word processing software. Assignments should not be handwritten. 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 responsibility of the student to ensure that all assessments are successfully submitted through Turnitin. 

Draft Submissions & Turnitin Originality Reports 

• Students may use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing. 

• 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.

• 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

• In general, there should be no need for extensions except through illness or misadventure that would be categorised as serious and unavoidable disruption according to the University definition of same, see:  https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

• Applications for extensions must be made via AskMQ according to the Special Consideration policy. 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.

• 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, unopened after submission. This can be used to demonstrate easily that the assessment has not been amended after the submission date. 

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: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment-in-effect-from-session-2-2016. The following descriptive criteria are included for your information. 

Descriptive criteria for awarding grades in the unit 

In order to meet the unit outcomes and successfully pass this unit, students must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks. Where any submitted assessment task is considered to be unsatisfactory in this regard, the highest possible final grade that can be awarded for the unit will be 45. 

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

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

Withdrawing from this UG Unit

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

Results

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. 

Requesting a re-assessment 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.  

Please note:

• Failed assessments cannot be re-marked as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process. 
• The outcome of a re-mark may be a higher/lower or unchanged grade. Grades are standards referenced and effort is NOT a criterion.

Student workload

Before commencing EDUC262, please read this outline very carefully and ensure that you can meet all requirements, including unit requirements, attendance requirements, and assessment requirements (please see below, "unit requirements").  We are sympathetic that students often have significant domestic and work-related responsibilities. To be fair to our staff and to other students, however, these cannot be used to justify incomplete work or extension requests. 

Please ensure that you have sufficient time to dedicate to your studies before attempting this unit.

Credit points indicate the approximate hours per week that a student is expected to spend studying in order to pass a unit. One credit point equals 3 hours; thus, students are expected to spend approximately 9 hours per week studying EDUC262. Study includes attending or listening to lectures, attending tutorials, completing recommended readings, completing assignments, and using the unit’s iLearn site. Independent study is strongly encouraged in EDUC262.

Textbook and readings

Optional textbook

There are no prescribed textbooks for this unit. If you would like an additional resource to guide your study, please consider using the following textbook:

• Duchesne, S., and McMaugh, A. (2015). Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching (5th ed). Melbourne: Cengage.

If you do choose to purchase this textbook, please use the recommended section headings in the textbook for guidance. Because the textbooks are not compulsory, there are no set pages to read. You will not be examined on textbook content: it is simply a guide to assist you.

Expected and optional readings

Some weeks have additional readings and other resources posted on iLearn. These will be identified as expected or optional.

• Expected readings/resources may be examinable, and all students should engage with these (note that you will never be asked to remember author names, dates, etc: we are interested only in the core research ideas and how they apply to education).
• Optional readings/resources are not examinable but will likely enhance your understanding of concepts discussed in class.

iLearn

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted there, as will other relevant unit notices, activities, materials, and guides to assist your study. Please check iLearn before emailing questions to your convener or tutor. 

Access and technical assistance  

Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/. You will need to enter your student username and password. Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help.  

• No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions.  
• Assistance is available from the IT Helpdesk. Please ph: 1800 67 4357.
• Assistance is also available from OneHelp, an online IT support service for students and staff. Please go to: help.mq.edu.au.

Unit structure and attendance

This unit comprises (i) two one-hour lectures weekly, and (ii) a one-hour tutorial weekly OR two "On Campus Days". In the tutorial you will discuss issues and questions arising from the lectures and prescribed readings. You are expected to base your arguments/discussions on evidence from published research and other relevant material. There will be a supporting website for the unit providing additional readings, links and materials.

Lectures

There are two lectures per week: Wednesday 12-1 pm and Friday 10-11am. Both lectures are held at 21 Wally's Walk (21WW) Macquarie Theatre.  Lectures are recorded and available later on Echo360. Lectures include core unit content about the learner, and are interspersed with occasional lecture activities to provide a more engaging experience.

Copies of the lecture slides are available in advance of lectures from iLearn. Lecture slides will be posted each Monday. PowerPoint slides are available on iLearn. Whether you are attending the lecture in person or listening on Echo360, it is recommended that you have a printed copy of the slides in front of you. This enables you more time to encode the relevant content and to take only those notes that will help you learn (i.e., without scribing every word). In-person lecture attendance is optional, but strongly encouraged. In-person attendance is the easiest way to keep up with the material, has been shown in research to predict higher grades, and also enables you to ask questions and reflect as you go.

If you are unable to attend lectures, it is extremely important that you access the lecture recording soon after. Lectures are available through Echo in iLearn from the following link: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au. You must listen to the previous week's lectures before your next tutorial or on campus day. You are welcome to post questions or comments about the lecture via iLearn.

Tutorials / On Campus Days

Attendance at tutorials/on campus days is expected and attendance will be recorded. The activities completed are essential for consolidating knowledge about the learner, building educational research skills, and considering classroom implications. Full attendance enables you to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards.

• Internal students. Internal students attend a one-hour tutorial each week. You must attend all tutorials. You should attend the class you are enrolled on e-student. While we understand the stresses of juggling university, work, and family, it is unfortunately not possible to attend classes that are already full. All changes must be made via e-student. Unit staff cannot make changes for you. In your tutorials you will engage in small group activities and whole class discussion focused on (i) the consolidation and application of lecture content about the learner, and (ii) the development of educational research skills. In some instances, you may be asked to complete some prep work in advance.  
• External students. You must attend both on-campus days. These will be held on Saturday 14 September and Saturday 19 October. You are expected to stay for the full day. Please do not enroll in external mode if you cannot attend both days in full. In your two on campus days you will complete the same tutorial activities as the internal students complete across 10 weeks. On the first on campus day you will also complete your in-lecture quiz.   
• All students. You are also expected to participate in the activities designed for you. This means taking part in group or class discussions, reading the weekly material in advance, and completing activities as individuals, pairs, and groups.

Illness and misadventure

It is your responsibility to communicate with your tutor regarding attendance. If you attend a one-off make-up tutorial, you should advise tutors by email so your attendance is recorded correctly, and also introduce yourself to the tutor whose class you attend (please explain that you are attending as a one-off make-up class only and check they have space to include you). With the exception of attending a make-up tutorial, make-up work is not available in this unit. If your attendance at an expected tutorial/on campus day is affected by illness or misadventure and you are unable to attend a make-up class, you should apply for special consideration via ask.mq.edu.au.

All classes for this unit begin in Week 3. This includes lectures and tutorials (many students have practicum placement in Weeks 1 and 2). Please see iLearn for any Week 1 and 2 activities that may be recommended or required.

*The 2 week midsession break is between Week 7 and 8 (Sept 16 to Sep 29). Please take this opportunity to work through the ResearchEd iLearn site for Assessment III.

30/07/2019 - Changes were made to correct the unit schedule