On-line quizzes on lectures and practicals/tutorials

In each week a quiz will open to make sure you have read and understood the lecture material, and have successfully completed any assessed practical/tutorial from that week. The 13 quizzes will be available on-line through the iLearn system (See “Quizzes” section of iLearn) and together are worth 30% of the unit mark. The % unit mark per quiz varies depending on how material is covered (see p. 8, unit handout). You will do these in your own time, open book, and they will be open after the lecture on Wednesday. They should only be done after completing that week’s practical/tutorial, if it is assessed (see p. 8, unit handout). The quizzes will close at 23:59 on the following Monday. There will be a time limit of between 30 mins and 90 mins on the quizzes (depending on how much material is covered, see p. 8, unit handout) and this time will also be advertised on the start of the quiz itself. The question order is forced and random, so you only get one go at each question. Don’t bother flagging questions that you are uncertain about, as you WILL NOT be able to go back!

Assignments

There are two assignments (see unit schedule for titles and timing). The assignments will be released to you electronically (not in hard copy) on iLearn on the date shown in the scheule, and later that week will be discussed before or after one of the lectures or practicals. The assignments are heavily text and research based, so skill at writing are important. Each assignment topic must be fully researched and the assignment written in your own words. Cutting and pasting information from web pages is NOT acceptable. Information you obtain from other sources (brief quotes, images, ideas) must be fully referenced in the text (author, year), with references listed at the end of the essay (year, author, title, journal or link). See later in the handout for sections on academic honesty and referencing. Students who fail in these fundamental principles and basic skills may score zero for assignments.

Both assignments are to be submitted using Turnitin. Macquarie University promotes student awareness of information management and information ethics. As well as training and the provision of general information, the University tackles the issue of plagiarism through use of an online plagiarism detection tool (Turnitin). This software is used in conjunction with a set of procedures to ensure its use is equitable. You will need to submit the text of both assignments for GEOS2042 to Turnitin via the iLearn page.

The two major assignments will be due by 17:00, by which time the assignment must be uploaded to Turnitin.

Turnitin automatically compares your work to the work of your classmates, previous students from Macquarie University and other universities, and with material available on the Internet, both freely available and in subscription-based electronic journals and books. The results will be sent only to your unit convenor and tutors, who will analyse these in reference to the University's standard Policy on Plagiarism.

Exam

The unit examination will be based on lectures, unit reading material, lab exercises, information you should have absorbed through completing assignments and any other material presented during classes. A printed English dictionary (not electronic) may be brought in for the exam if English is not your first language. The educational rationale for the exam is to check the acquired knowledge by the students at the end of the unit.

The University Examination period in the First Half Year 2020 is from Tuesday 9 June 2020 to Friday 26 June 2020. You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations.

http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

See unit handout for more details

Set textbook and background reading

Bennett, J, and Shostak, S (2016). Life in the Universe (4th Edition). Pearson Higher Ed, USA. ISBN-9780134080321.

• This book can purchased from the Pearson website for $60 from this link as an online eBook: https://www.pearson.com.au/9780134080345
• It is also available for purchase at as a hard copy, but is rather expensive: https://www.pearson.com.au/9780134089089

See unit handout for more details

GEOS2042: Life, the Universe and Everything (2020): Schedule

Who: SCG = Prof. Simon George (EES, convenor); CJO = A/Prof. Craig O’Neill (EES); MG = Prof. Michael Gillings (Biological Sciences), AO = Dr Olivier Alard. * = assessed work by iLearn quizzes.

Lectures and practicals/tutorials have been re-ordered.