Assessment presenting and submission guidelines 

• Assignments 1 and 2 should be about 1500-2000 words in length, word-processed and designed in such a way as to benefit your own understanding of the science teaching process. It should be well written and reflect your own opinions and demonstrate critical thinking ability.
• Reference your work using the current APA style. Consult the APA style guide located on the Library website.
• Make sure you keep a copy of your assignment in case it gets lost. 

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 remark. To request a remark 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 judgments.

Note: Failed assessments cannot be remarked as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process.

Please note: The outcome of a remark 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.

The classes for EDTE433 are workshops. There is one x 3hr workshop per week. You will need to access a copy of the Years 7-10 Science Syllabus and download the weekly learning activities from the EDTE433 iLearn page.

The areas of study in EDTE433 include the history and philosophy of science, inquiry-based teaching and learning approaches, the use of scientific language, writing/reading in science, classroom management, ICT for learning about science, group work and discussion, assessment, along with children’s ideas about science and how these might differ from those presently held by members of the scientific community. Work will continue on lesson planning and implementation according to the prerequisite units. In each workshop session, detailed strategies for the teaching and learning of each of the prescribed focus areas, contexts and domains of the current NSW Stage 4/5 science syllabus will be presented and discussed in terms of their effectiveness. This will then be linked together with the Stage 6 science syllabus documents and discussion of the National Curriculum for science as appropriate.

Many of the workshop strategies are hands-on so that students are able to gain practical knowledge of activities that can be used in science classrooms at the junior secondary level. The workshops are organised to model a school classroom, where effective learning and teaching takes place including the use of laptops. Each workshop provides a choice of activities usually negotiated by the students in small groups. The lecturer’s role is to provide guidance where necessary and highlight important issues in the overall theme of the workshop along with current, relevant science education research. Students are expected to participate in all workshops as individuals, in small groups and as a whole class.

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit.

Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted here, as will other relevant unit notices and materials, including a reading template and guide to lecture note taking to assist your studies.

Various activities and materials for discussion and critical reflection are included and external students especially are encouraged to use this web component. Electronic links and suggested references will be included in the Resources section. Please check the iLearn unit regularly.

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 IT Helpdesk ph: 1800 67 4357, or log a request at help.mq.edu.au. OneHelp is the online IT support service for both students and staff.

This unit requires students to use several ICT and software skills:

• Internet access: The iLearn site contains materials for this unit; it is also required for the online submission of all Assessment Tasks, and for the use of Turnitin submission for ALL tasks. 
• Word processing, visual representations, and document formatting: You are required to use an appropriate form of software to present your assignments.
• Uploading of assessment tasks to iLearn.

Unit Schedule

The Unit Schedule is available on the unit's iLearn page.