Submitting Assignments

●     Assignments 1 and 2 (except lesson plan) 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 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. 

When preparing your assignments, it is essential that:

• Students 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.
• If an assessment is considered to be below the passing standard, another staff member on the unit will provide a second opinion. Failed assessments cannot be resubmitted as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process.

Final Submissions

• 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.

Special Considerations

The Special Consideration provision is to support students who have been impacted by circumstances that are unexpected, unavoidable, significantly disruptive and beyond the student’s control, and which may affect their performance in assessment.

The University classifies a circumstance as serious and unavoidable if it:

• could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student; and
• was beyond the student's control; and
• caused substantial disruption to the student's capacity for effective study and/or completion of required work; and
• occurred during an event critical study period and was at least three (3) consecutive days duration, and/or
• prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date (e.g. final examination, in class test/quiz, in class presentation).

The following link takes you to the Special Considerations policy, which makes clear the ways in which you can apply for special consideration in times of difficulty.

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedure s/policies/special-consideration

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 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.

Please note: The outcome of a re-marks 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. 

**Please include the following two paragraphs in your unit guide if relevant 

Units with Submissions of Family & Children’s Records : 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, adhere to ethical practices and are 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 confidentiality, and ensure that privacy obligations are met. There should be nothing in assessment submissions that identifies a centre or school. Use pseudonyms for any children or adults referred to in the assignment. Do not record details that enable identification of a site, or of children or adults. 

1. About this unit

This unit builds on the EDTE 433, TEP401 and TEP395. Curricula, resources and instructional strategies appropriate for the teaching of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth and Environmental Sciences and General Science for Senior Science Years 11-12 are examined. The EDTE 434 is linked to professional experience gained in TEP 401/402. Students complete methodology studies in two of the four science specialist areas listed below but may attend all areas if they want to.

Students must take a major option (science subject studied to the third year at university) and a minor option (science subject studied to at least first year and preferably to the second year at university).

2. Classes

EDTE Science Laboratory E7B317 - the location of all classes

The Science Curriculum Laboratory is available for EDTE 434 student use.  At times the laboratory is closed so that workshops can be prepared. Students are asked not to disturb the laboratory staff at these times. There will be some variations in opening times during the semester - students are asked to double check on these times.  Please phone/email Ms. Kanoun to check the availability of the laboratory ahead of time.

In the interests of safety and security, students are asked to inform the laboratory assistant when entering and leaving the area. You are required to wear appropriate shoes and safety glasses at all times when conducting experimental work. Doors must be left locked. Note: Children are NOT permitted in the Laboratory OR the Preparation Room.

All workshops focus on strategies for teaching these subjects at the senior level and assume a level of content knowledge covered by the respective syllabus documents. Each subject area will incorporate relevant aspects of the Stage 6 General Science Syllabus. If your content knowledge of chemistry or physics is inadequate and you wish to attend these workshops, then it is advisable to complete first-year units in chemistry or physics or to revise the relevant areas prior to the workshops each week. 

3. Readings and resources

Recommended Readings:

Hassard, J., & Dias, M. (2009). The art of teaching science: Inquiry and innovation in middle school and high school. New York: Routledge.

Harrison, A., & Coll, R. (Eds.) (2008). Using analogies in middle and secondary science classrooms. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Lewis, C.C., & Hurd, J. (2011). Lesson study step by step: How teacher-learning communities improve instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

NSW Education Standards Authority (2017). Science Stage 6 Syllabuses. Sydney: NESA.

Rapporteur, M. H. (2010). Exploring the intersection of science education and 21st-century skills: a workshop summary. Washington, D.D: The National Academies Press.

Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.). (2012). The art of teaching science: For middle and secondary school. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Wiliam, D. & Thompson, M. (2007). Integrating assessment with instructions: What will it take to make it work? In C. A. Dwyer (Ed.), The future of assessment: Shaping teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Xiufeng Lui. (2010). Essentials of science classroom assessment.  London: SAGE. Some useful websites:

NSW Education Standards Authority, Years 11-12

https://arc.nesa.nsw.edu.au/go/hsc/

NSW Education Standards Authority, Stage 6 syllabus

https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/stage-6/

NSW Department of Education

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/school-learning-environments-and-change/school-journeys

AAAS Science Assessment

http://assessment.aaas.org/

Australian Academy of Science

https://www.science.org.au/

AISTL, Lesson Study

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/lesson-study

International Journal of Lesson Study

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/20468251311323397

The schedule of weekly workshop is available from the EDTE434 iLearn page.