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. 

ECED831 is delivered in External Mode. The unit content, delivered via unit readings and assignment tasks is supported by:    

• Individual consultations with the unit convener (if required)  

• A voluntary on-campus session on Saturday 7th September

Unit Web-page There is a website for this unit. Access to this unit is available online through iLearn (ilearn.mq.edu.au). You will need to login using your Macquarie ID. This site is an essential unit resource. You are required to check this website at least twice per week for any announcements. In addition, it has the following features and functions:

        • Study resources: including links to required readings

        • Assignment details: detailed guidelines for each assessment task

        • Assignment submission links: All assignments are submitted via the unit webpage through the turnitin facility

        • Discussion pages: for conversation with peers about unit content On-Campus Session.

A Voluntary On-Campus day is provided on Saturday 7th September. The purpose of the on-campus day is to provide deeper discussion and reflection on the unit content. The day will include a focus on content relating to Assignments 2 & 3. Students are encouraged to bring their work in progress or initial thinking to discuss with the Unit Coordinator. Students will be asked to register in advance via iLearn to attend the on-campus session.

Student Workload and Allocation of Time

ECED 831 is worth four credit points and you would usually be expected to allocate about 12 hours a week in study for a four credit point unit over 15 weeks. This would be a total of 180 hours over the semester. 

Unit Expectations

• Students are listen to all of the unit lectures and read the relevant readings for each lecture
• All assessment tasks must be submitted.
• In order to receive a passing grade in this unit, you need to meet the following criteria:
  • Have made a serious attempt at passing all pieces of work in order to pass the unit.
  • In order to receive a grade of Pass, your total mark must be at least 50/100. Note: It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assignments.  If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to make contact with the unit coordinator.

Electronic Communication

During semester time, communication between staff and students use the following ways:

• Official MQ Student Email Address
• Other iLearn communication functions

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a regular weekly basis.

Withdrawing from this PG 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.

ECED831 is offered over 15 Weeks.  This includes 12 weeks of content - including on-line lectures and seminars, required readings and study tasks.  Three weeks of independent study is allocated to enable intensive work on your major assessment tasks.

Study Outline