Quiz 1: Science Skills (0%)

Workshop: online workshop and associated resources accessible via http://bio.mq.edu.au/science-workshop/. Four topics are covered: library searches, communication skills, referencing and plagiarism. Quiz 1 is based on this workshop, so it is recommended that you listen and read all guides and slides before attempting the quiz. The information provided in this workshop is necessary for all assessments in this unit.

Online quiz: compiled of 10 questions and completed in iLearn. A variety of question types are included, for example multiple choice, true/false, short answer matching. The quiz will test your general science skills knowledge eg. referencing, plagiarism, basic science communication, library searches. You have three attempts at this quiz, and it closes at the end ofweek 4. 

Science Literacy assessment (5% each topic, 20% total, 4 due dates)

Science Literacy assessments: These four assignments short written will help you understand what makes a good scientific source, the importance of good background and methods information, and how to interpret data output from experiments. Submit via TurnItIn.

Due Dates: Good Sources, 16-August; Justifying Hypothesis, 30-August; Managing Methods, 13-Sept; Handling Data, 11-October

Quizzes 2-11 (5% each topic, 50% total)

Weekly online quizzes:25-min quizzes compiled of ~20 questions (23 marks; ~1 minute per question) and completed in iLearn. You have only one attempt at each quiz. The time is short and you only have one attempt as these quizzes are designed to be taken as closed note, i.e. you have studied and know the information well. A variety of question types are included, for example multiple choice, true/false, short answer matching. Quizzes test your knowledge of the content from the corresponding lectures and reading assignments (see TEXTBOOK READINGS section on iLearn. These quizzes will become available no later than the Friday after the associated lectures are completed (with exception of quiz 7 which will become available after due date for 2-6 has passed). However, Quizzes 2-6 are due by the first Monday of Mid-semester break. Quizzes 7-11 are due by first Monday of Exams. We strongly suggest that you do the quizzes each week rather than waiting until mid-break or the end of semester. It also is easier to do them when information is fresh.

Poster assessment (25%)

Based on a real data set (provided in iLearn), the idea is to take on the role of the researcher and present the research findings as if they are your own. More detailed instructions will be provided in iLearn. Various resources are available in iLearn under ‘Poster Assessment’. 

A poster communicating your research findings is due at the end of week 11. Submission is online via the Poster assessment link. The poster should be created in PowerPoint, Keynote or Open Office only, and then converted to a pdf for online submission via TurnItIn AND Workshop. These marks comes from the course markers. There is no in-person presentation of the poster, just online submission.

As this course has no final exam, the mark for this assessment will be release with your final grades, not before.

Peer review (5%)

In order for your poster to be marked by your peers, you will need to submit it via the peer review assessment workshop link in iLearn. Please do this by the end of week 11. You will be provided with three online example posters that require assessment before you submit your own poster in week 11 – this is to give you experience in peer review and to give you ideas for your own poster. YOU MUST COMPLETE THE PRACTICE REVIEWS BEFORE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR POSTER TO WORKSHOP! 

Once all posters are submitted, you will be randomly allocated five peer posters and will be required to evaluate them online in iLearn by the end of week 12. Your mark is calculated from weighted marks given half from your ability to mark appropriately compared to your peers, and half from how your peers marked you.

Detailed instructions are provided in iLearn. You should also re-read the ‘poster summary’ in iLearn before reviewing (see ‘Poster Creation’ section in iLearn). 

Final exam

There is no final exam! Good Luck on your other courses exams!

Practicals

There are no practicals for this course!

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Assessment submission 

All assessments must be submitted online in iLearn as pdf files only.General instructions on how to submit assessments in iLearn are provided in the Essential Course Resources section under ‘iLearn help guides’. 

Science literacy: Submitted to correct topic in turnitin in a word document format that turnitin can assess for plagiarism. If the document cannot be assess for plagiarism by turnitin you will lose 10% off mark for first assessment with this issue and a zero for any additional assessments that cannot be plagiarism checked.

Poster assessment: You should submit your poster pdf to the poster assessment link. The text included in your poster pdf is submitted to turnitin.com to check for plagiarism, so your original poster file must be created in PowerPoint, Keynote or Open Office only so that the text can be read by turnitin. Posters created in graphics-based programs like Photoshop and Illustrator will not be accepted by turnitin. More specific instructions on how to submit turnitin assessments are found in the Poster Assessment section in iLearn under the ‘poster submission’ subheading. If the entire document cannot be assess for plagiarism by turnitin you will lose 25% off mark, if parts of the document cannot be assessed for plagiarism you will lose 15% off your mark.

Peer review: First, before you submit your poster you should mark the three practice posters in the peer review link (scroll down to the bottom of the page when you enter workshop). We suggest you do this well before the due date so that you can get some ideas for your own poster. Second, you should submit your completed poster pdf to the peer review. The poster pdf submitted to the peer review link will then be randomly allocated and marked by your peers. Instructions on how to submit via the peer review link are found in iLearn under the ‘peer review’ subheading. Third, log back in and complete peer review of 5 of your fellow student’s poster.

Extensions and penalties

10% of the mark allocated for each assignment will be deducted per day that any work is submitted late. All applications for extensions of deadlines with out penalty must be submitted to via the University’s special considerations form (see details and form link below). All applications for special consideration or extension must be sought before the due dateunless this is absolutely impossible (in which case you have 3 days from the due date).

The Special Consideration policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration 

The form: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

Assessment marks and feedback

Marks for each assessment can be found in the iLearn grade book (click on the Tools tab at the top of screen, and then on Grades). 

Science literacy: Feedback will be provided online via GradeMark in turnitin.

Poster: Feedback for the poster will be provided online via GradeMark – click on the ‘Poster assessment’ link to view. Instructions on how to view feedback and grades are found in iLearn under the ‘poster marks/comments’ subheading.

Quizzes: Correct answers and basic feedback for Quiz 1 (Science Skills) will be provided online. The other quizzes are to be treated as exams, therefore feedback will not be provided. Marks will, however, be available in the grade book after you finish each quiz.

Three lectures per week, are delivered in person, all available online In iLearn Echo360 live and ~1hr after recorded. 

2019 S2 times and location

Lecture 1 & 2            Monday 3 - 5 pm                  14SCO Mason Theatre

Lecture 3                   Wednesday 2 - 3pm            14SCO Mason Theatre

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE NO PRACS OR TUTES FOR THIS UNIT

Textbook:

This textbook was designed specifically for BIOL260, and you can purchase an ebook of the 4^thedition from the publisher ($60) - do note "4e" refers to 4th edition, although the website descriptor says edition:1

https://www.mheducation.com.au/9781308874012-aus-cust-ebook-the-science-of-sex-4e

Much of the lecture material corresponds with chapters in the text, and the associated readings and quiz questions are taken directly from this book.

There are also many hardcopies held in the reserve section of the library for 3 hour reserve. Hardcopies were not ordered by the Bookshop this year, however the used second, third and fourth hardcopy editions are suitable for this unit, but the first edition is not.

The full unit guide on iLearn provides the detailed page numbers for each week's reading. Note there are separate lists for the 4th edition vs the 2nd/3rd as there was a change in page numbering for the 4th edition.

* denotes prerecorded lecture - watch online, no in class presentation.

In 2018 and 2019 S2 there will be no practical tutorials run. Therefore, information presented in those practicals will be put online powerpoint tutorials and Echo 360 recordings. Due to this change poster assignments will be done individually vs. in pairs formed in tutorial groups as done prior to 2018.

Quizzes will be released weekly on information presented form week 2-11. However, there are two completion due dates for the quizzes. Quiz 2-6: Due 16-September and Quiz 7-11: Due 11-Nov

Textbook questions have been replaced with science literacy assessments. Textbook reading is still required, with questions from the textbook readings incorporated into the weekly quizzes.