Students will be invited to share a brief 300 word synopsis of their proposal independent study topic to gain early formative feedback about their conceptual understanding and topic formation.This is a voluntary exercise to support your learning and is not weighted and has no grade. 

This optional task provides you with the opportunity to 'test' or try out a research idea for your major assignment task known as Task 3 Independent Study Paper. You will be provided with a brief template which you will complete online and share with peers. Peers will learn from one another's ideas and the Unit Convenor will provide feedback and any insights on your suggested topic. This is very useful for people who have never studied educational psychology or child development before and may be unfamiliar with the constructs and terms used in the field to describe common learning and behavioural phenomena that you may wish to research for your  independent study. e.g. you may wish to study learner 'motivation'  in the classroom and you may be able to describe the 'problem' or a scenario you would like to address. Peer support and feedback may add further insights about this problem and Convenor feedback to you will suggest more specific and focussed topic areas to investigate and would introduce you to some specific terms or study areas in this disciplinary field. 

Three critical reflections, addressing set reading questions, valued at 10% each.

Students are required to demonstrate understanding of the Unit content in each Module by addressing set reading questions. The format of these tasks is a written response. Appropriate professional presentation skills and academic writing style is expected and APA-style referencing procedures used to insert references where required. Submission

Responses will be submitted inan assignment tool and also subitted to the Turnitin Assignment submission portal as a Word document iLearn.

Grades will reflect the University grading standards descriptors of HD, D, Cr, P or F.  Your submissions will be assessed against the following criteria (please see Full Assessment Rubric in iLearn):

A HD-D grade (8-10%) will be awarded to responses which demonstrate clear understanding and application of complex concepts from the reading to address the questions; provides clear evidence of critical thinking by demonstrating understanding of competing or alternate views or positions in the topic and provides acceptable argumentation and justification for individual position in all responses; communicates ideas using appropriate academic and professional language. Meets University Academic Honesty requirements.

A Credit to Pass grade (5- 7%) will be awarded to submissions if any of the above HD-D criteria are not addressed, application of concepts may be limited or understanding is routine; responses may be incomplete, late or missing; justification may be weak or ideas not consistently supported with evidence. Meets University Academic Honesty requirements.

An Unsatisfactory response will be awarded a Fail grade (0-4%). A Fail grade will be awarded to submissions if any of the above criteria are not thoroughly addressed; if fundamental misunderstanding is evident; responses may be incomplete, late or missing. May not meet the University standards for Academic Honesty.

A Literature review and report of independent study findings (2000 words).

In this paper you will identify a practice-related ‘problem’ or research question of professional interest. You will review, synthesise and evaluate current educational psychology and child development research in your chosen topic area by reviewing research that addresses your issue or problem. Your review will clearly identify the theory and findings emerging from this research. The paper will demonstrate critical discussion of your research problem in light of this review, considering new insights, practical applications, changes to practice, possible resolutions or further complexities that may be raised by this review of literature.

Possible selected topics in previous years have included topics as diverse and fascinating as:

• The self-efficacy of pilots: Is too much self-efficacy a good thing?
• Relational aggression in early childhood and cognitive factors that may contribute.
• Television viewing in early childhood: Help or hindrance to language development?
• Online aggression: An exploration of cognitive processes

Grades will reflect the University grading standards descriptors of HD, D, Cr, P or F. Your written report will be assessed against the following criteria (please see Full Assessment Rubric in iLearn):

(a) Identification and description of the research issue or 'problem' that you are addressing and convincing rationale and justification for this problem, with reference to the educational or workplace context to which your research problem or theoretical concern applies.

(b) Review, synthesis and evaluation of current educational psychology research and writing in your chosen topic area, reviewing several examples of research that address your issue or problem and clearly identifying the theory and findings emerging from this research.

(c) Critical discussion of your research problem in light of this review, considering new insights, practical applications, changes to practice, possible resolutions or further complexities that may be raised by this review of literature.

(d) The paper is clearly presented, demonstrates a high standard of written communication, appropriate acknowledgement of all sources and in compliance with the University Academic Honesty Policy.

A brief oral/online presentation (with slides or other materials to support presentation) based on the practical implications and application insights arising from your Independent Study Topic investigation. This presentation should take no longer than 10-15 minutes. The presentation will be submitted in iLearn for all students to access in Week 11 before all students engage in peer review and feedback in Week 12. In addition, all students will particpate in peer reviews of a small number of assigned presentations. These reviews will be submitted to iLearn and instructions will be supplied.

A full task description and examples of previous presentations will be shown in ILearn.

This task will be graded against the following criteria with reference to the Grading standards provided by the University. The unit Convener practices sound assessment principles including moderation of grades in all tasks (e.g. to resolve any discrepancies or large differences in peer reviews). For this task the following criteria will be assessed (pleasee see full Assessment Rubric in iLearn):

(a) Clear communication of the focus of your research project (i.e. your research problem). You must explain your educational psychology research 'problem' or question, and explain why this is significant. The clarity of your explanation to your audience is being assessed here.  

(b) Statement of your research aims or questions. You must state your research questions or aims. You will demonstrate the significance, quality and clarity of your research aims and questions.

(c) Explanation of pertinent and significant examples of the research literature. Outline and explain the practical and application based learnings you have gained in studying these papers. NOTE: You do not have time in this brief presentation to explain all literature, choose two or three key pieces to highlight. 

(d) Summary of the main research findings and conclusions. You will demonstrate synthesis and link between the research literature and your main conclusions.

(e) All required peer reviews have been submitted. Your grade for this task will not be released until you have submitted all reviews for presentations assigned to you for review. Failure to submit the required peer review in the time period for your assigned presentations will result in a 10% reduction to the value of this task. e.g. you will only receive the 10% value of the unit Assessors grade for this task.