General assessment information

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.

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 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 can not be re-submitted 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.

Assessment Presentation & 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 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.

Please note:

• Students should 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.

• Students are responsible for checking that their submission has been successful and has been submitted by the due date and time.

University policy on grading

Criteria for awarding grades in the unit

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.

Units with Submissions of Family & Children’s Records

Family and Children’s Records at Department of Educational Studies (EC)

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, adheres to ethical practices and is 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 confidentially and ensure that privacy obligations are met. There should be nothing in assessment submissions that identifies a centre or school. Use only the first name for children, families and staff. Do not record details that enable identification of the site, and of the adults or children.

Withdrawing from this UG Unit

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

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

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.

Student support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

• Workshops

• StudyWise

• Academic Integrity Module for Students

• Ask a Learning Adviser

Student enquiry service

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

Equity support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

IT help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

LEARNING IN THIS UNIT

Successful completion of this unit relies on independent study. There are no lectures, tutorials or preset readings in ECH400. Some students enjoy the challenge of independent study, while others find it difficult to work to their own schedule without a weekly timetable provided in a unit outline, or a structure provided by recorded lectures. In ECH400, you control your own learning and you should develop some personal strategies to make sure you remain focused on your study. Some strategies are listed in this section.

Set aside ‘class time’ It is often helpful to set aside some regular non-negotiable time each week, where you imagine that you are ‘going to class’. For example, you could decide that 7-10 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings would always ECH400 class time. You tell family and friends that you are not available for social gatherings or anything else on those evenings because you have to go to university – even if ‘university’ is actually your study space. Of course, this is not the full nine hours study time expected for this unit and you’ll need to add additional time as it suits you, but at this regular time should help structure your learning.

Maintain a learning journal It is a good idea to maintain a learning journal as you progress through your study for this unit. This is a personal record of your study, and entries may include responses to your reading, any quotes you would like to remember, new ideas or techniques you would like to try and questions for discussion with your tutor or other students. Weekly entries in your learning journal will help maintain a steady focus on your study.

Readings As there are no lectures, tutorials or on-campus sessions for this unit, your independent reading is a key component of your learning. The diversity of students’ interests makes it impossible to cover the range of topics in a text or recommended readings. You must spend time searching for relevant information to complete your assignments. A wide range of original and creative thinking underlies the work you will complete for ECH 400, and a search of the literature is an important component of your study. If you feel that you are struggling to understand your reading, try one or more of the following strategies: (a) go to one or more of the references listed at the end of the reading, (b) contact another student and discuss the issues, (c) post your question on an ECH400 iLearn Forum, or (d) contact your tutor.

UNIT WEB PRESENCE This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit. You can access the website for this unit by logging into: ilearn.mq.edu.au. This site is an essential unit resource and every student must check it at least twice a week. It has the following features, which we encourage you to make effective use of:

§ Unit Resources: contains your unit outline and links to useful resources on academic writing and studying at the Department of Educational Studies.

§ Forums (discussion boards): where you can discuss with each other ideas and questions that arise from lectures, readings or seminars.

§ Dialogue (email facility): for private email messages to other students and the unit’s teaching staff.

iLearn announcements and dialogue functions/student email: During session time, staff may contact students using iLearn’s announcements or dialogue facilities or their official MQ student email address. It is students’ responsibility to check both iLearn and their student email at least twice a week during session.

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.

IMPORTANT: The iLearn website is not a substitute for reading the unit outline and associated expectations, guidelines or information. It is there to support your engagement with the unit’s content and relevant communication with other students and teaching staff.

§ Staff will respond to emails in a timely manner. Please be aware that they have multiple teaching, research and university service commitments, and may take a couple of days to respond. It is unrealistic to expect them to respond after work hours or during weekends.

§ Please follow accepted modes of communication that are appropriate for an academic website and show respect towards your addressee/s. Please use standard semi-formal English in your posts and emails, focus only on topics relevant to the unit, use clear and concise subject lines, and avoid posting questions that have already been addressed elsewhere (on the iLearn website, in lectures or in the unit outline).

§ Consider the tone of all your messages very carefully and avoid creating unnecessary anxiety in your peers. Disrespectful, inappropriate or off-the-topic messages will be deleted or returned to sender