Assessment Presentation and 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 responsibility 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,
• 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 untouched/unopened after submission. This can be used to demonstrate easily that the assessment has not been amended after the submission date.

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. 

Note: Failed assessments cannot be re-marked 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.

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.

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.

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.

1. About this unit

Welcome to EDUC109 we are looking forward to sharing our enjoyment of science with you this semester. Science: Today and Tomorrow (EDUC109) is a 3-credit point designated planet unit of one semester duration.  It has been developed as a science based unit to assist beginning teachers with science teaching both at primary and high school levels and, for those undergraduate students who are not directly involved with teaching but nevertheless are interested in science.

The unit addresses a range of science topics and their associated basic concepts drawn from the four major science disciplines - biology, earth and environmental science, chemistry and physics.  There will be opportunities for engagement with practical work and the use of ICT to facilitate your knowledge and understanding of science.  The unit will cover some of the fascinating ideas and processes of science, developed over thousands of years of human endeavour or in a moment of genius. We hope you enjoy your studies.

2. Classes

All tutorials will be held in E7B 317 - Science Teacher Education laboratory.

You are required to wear covered shoes in the laboratory - open toed shoes, eating and drinking are unsafe in the lab and are therefore not permitted.

You are required to read all lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations as these contain the science content covered in this unit. These are available on-line in the unit iLearn https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

The unit is supported by iLearn and by Echo360. PowerPoint slides; lecture notes and tutorial notes will be posted on iLearn as they become available.  Please check regularly. We will also make regular use of laptop computers in the workshops.

The iLearn web page for this unit can be found at:  https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Students will need to use their own student username and password to log in and then choose EDUC109 from their My Online Units menu. Contact the Macquarie University Library Student IT Help Desk (Phone: 9850 4357; Email: support@mq.edu.au) for assistance with difficulties or problems with iLearn.

In order to pass EDUC109, you are required to do the following:

• Engage with lectures and read web-based and printed materials for each module

• Participate actively in working groups

• Complete all assignments

• Attend the final examination

3. Note for attendance

Students are expected to attend lab sessions (tutorials), during which an attendance roll will be taken. Where a student has difficulty meeting attendance requirements, they must be prepared to substantiate their reasons by supplying relevant documentation to the unit convenor. Since participation in lab sessions is linked to achievement of unit learning outcomes, failure to substantiate absence may result in an FA final grade. Please note that for illness/misadventure "special consideration" should be applied (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration).

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

This is an invaluable resource for science communication. It maps the development of common science concepts from Kindergarten to Year 12 and helps you to locate and track understandings of science concepts from simple to complex.

Skamp, K. (Ed.) (2012). Teaching primary science constructively (4th ed.). Melbourne: Thomson. Primary teacher education students may choose to purchase this text that will support their work in science and technology throughout their degree and beyond. Copies of this text are available on-line through the library and in the closed reserve section of the library.

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

Background readings in science

Ackerman, D. (2014). The human age. New York: WWNorton & Company. Bryson, B. (2004). A short history of nearly everything. London: Black Swan. Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Boston Mariner Books.

Cox, B. (2010). Wonders of the solar system. London: HarperCollins Publishers. Darwin, C. (1859). The origin of species. London: Penguin.

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

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

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

Sagan, C. (1995). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York: Random House.

Background readings in science for schools

Australian Academy of Science. (2012). Primary Connections: Linking science with literacy. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science. Ensure that you refer to the updates Primary Connections texts, written for the Australian curriculum

Many titles available from www.science.org.au/primaryconnections

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

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.

Gregson, R. (Ed.). (2012). Connecting with science education. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Harlen, W. & Aualter, A. (2004). The teaching science in primary schools. London: David Fulton. Howitt, C. & Blake, E. (2010). Planting the seeds of science. Perth, W.A.: Curtin University.

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 December 2, 2013, from http://www.acer.edu.au/research_reports/AER.ht

Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.) (2004). The art of science teaching. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.

Weeks 1 and 2:  Professional Experiences 

Week 3: Introduction and the nature of science

Week 4: Biology: The importance of plants, Ecology Week 5: Genetics: Mendel to DNA

Week 6: Fieldwork, Environmental Sustainability Week 7: Our changing earth

Mid-semester break

Week 8: Kitchen Chemistry

Week 9: Chemical reactions

Week 10: Force and motion

Week 11: Electricity and Magnetism

Week 12: Big bang, space and the evolution of the universe Week 13: Summary