Students

AFAS200 – Principles of Financial Literacy

2019 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Mark Stewart
mark.stewart@mq.edu.au
Refer to iLearn
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
21cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit develops financial literacy, enabling students to understand what is needed to achieve a lifestyle that is financially sustainable, ethical and responsible. On completion of the unit, students will be able to set financial goals, establish a working budget, understand and distinguish between different investment instruments, understand the key features of superannuation in Australia and understand the implications of common financial contracts and employment structures. These outcomes aim to develop students' research and problem solving skills and develop personal judgement and initiative.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit iLearn site. 

Assessment Task Marks: It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each within session assessment on iLearn within 20 working days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment marks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Quizzes 27% No See details
Forum Discussion 18% No See details
Final Exam 55% No Saturday 15 June 2019

Online Quizzes

Due: See details
Weighting: 27%

Task Description:

Student will be required to complete four online quizzes. The questions will be based on the materials covered.

Diagnostic Quiz (0%) - Due on Thursday 14 March 2019 at 11.59pm

Quiz A (9%) - Due on Thursday 21 March 2019 at 11.59pm

Quiz B (9%) - Due on Thursday 11 April 2019 at 11.59pm

Quiz C (9%) - Due on Thursday 16 May 2019 at 11.59pm

Type of Collaboration: Individual Submission: via iLearn Format: Please refer to iLearn Length: Please refer to iLearn Late Submission:

Extension 

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.

Forum Discussion

Due: See details
Weighting: 18%

Task Description:

Students are required to contribute to the forum. Details will be provided on the iLearn unit. 

Forum One (9%) - Due on Sunday 7 April 2019 at 11.59pm

Forum Two (9%) - Due on Sunday 12 May 2019 at 11.59pm

Type of Collaboration: Individual Submission: via iLearn Format: Please refer to iLearn Length: Please refer to iLearn Late Submission:

Extension

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Final Exam

Due: Saturday 15 June 2019
Weighting: 55%

Task Description:  The final exam is open book and will be held online. The final exam will be held on Saturday 15 June 2019.  Type of Collaboration: Individual Submission:  via iLearn Format: Please refer to iLearn Length: The duration of the exam is 2 hours including reading time.  Late Submission:

Extension

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Delivery and Resources

Please note: This is an online course and therefore it is the student’s responsibility to have the technology to access the material and to complete the assigned tasks. No exceptions or extensions will be granted because of issues with the student’s technology, the student's internet provider or the student's internet connectivity.

Required Text:

Focus on Personal Finance (McGraw-HILL, by Kapour, Dlabay and Hughes)

Please note that the Unit references eight Chapters in the text (Chapter 1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13 and 14).  The publisher has agreed to make these chapters (all eight) available as an eBook at a cost of approximately AUD45.  We will post on iLearn the link to the eBook as soon as it is available.
Unit Web Page: Course material is available on the learning management system (iLearn) The web page for this unit can be found at ilearn.mq.edu.au.
Technology Used and Required:

1. Access to a computer

2. Access to Microsoft Office

3. Access to the Internet
Delivery Format and Other Details:  
Recommended Readings:

Additional materials will be made available on iLearn.  These materials include industry papers on selected Topics and narrated Overview Presentations on each Topic.

In the News items will be drawn from online sources and posted on iLearn during the unit. 
Other Course Materials:   

Unit Schedule

Schedule

Week

Commencing on

Topic

Details

Text chapter

Week 1

25 Feb

Topic 1

Personal finance basics

Chapter 1

Week 2

04 Mar

Topic 2

Money management

Chapter 2

Week 3

11 Mar

Topic 3

Setting goals and objectives

Chapter 2

Week 4

18 Mar

Topic 4

Investments - fundamentals

Chapter 11

Week 5

25 Mar

Topic 5

Investments - bonds 

Chapter 11

Week 6

01 Apr

Topic 6

Investments – equity

Chapter 12

Week 7

08 Apr

Topic 7

Investments – managed funds

Chapter 13

 

 

 

Mid session break

 

Week 8

29 Apr

Topic 8

Investments – strategy

Chapter 13

Week 9

06 May

Topic 9

Home selection and financing

Chapter 7

Week 10

13 May

Topic 10

Home and auto insurance

Chapter 8

Week 11

20 May

Topic 11

Superannuation

Chapter 14

Week 12

27 May

Topic 12

Retirement and Estate planning

Chapter 14

Week 13

03 Jun

 

Revision

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Supplementary exams

Information regarding supplementary exams, including dates, is available at: http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/how_do_i/special_consideration

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.

Student Services and 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.

Student Enquiries

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment tasks

  • Online Quizzes
  • Final Exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Discussion
  • Final Exam

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures instruments.
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment task

  • Forum Discussion