Students

ENVS3463 – Environmental Management Project

2020 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Mark Taylor
12 Wally's Walk, Level 4, Rm 433
Thursday 12 PM - 3 PM
Tutor
Cynthia Isley
12 Wally's Walk, Level 4
Thursday 12 PM - 3 PM
PACE administration
Marios Elles
Contact via 02 9850 6566
7 Wally's Walk, Building E6B Level 1
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(130cp at 1000 level or above) and (Admission to BEnv or by Special Approval)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This is a simulated work experience unit, where small groups undertake major projects on matters of environmental concern under the supervision of Macquarie staff and experts from outside agencies. Progress reports and a final presentation are made by each group. Much of the project work is undertaken independently and outside formal class hours (the class does not meet every week but there are frequent opportunities for additional advice and supervision with the course convenor).

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:

  • ULO1: Design and implement a research project in collaboration with a project partner or supervisor
  • ULO2: Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • ULO3: Produce a professional document of the size and complexity required of consultants
  • ULO4: Demonstrate communication skills by preparing and presenting information in a professional and confident manner
  • ULO5: Demonstrate high levels of social and environmental awareness by evaluating the implications of research

General Assessment Information

Failure to attend the presentations without justification means that your personal mark will be zero for that piece of assessment. The rest of the group will not be penalised for non-attendance of a group member. The final report must be completed and submitted, on time and in full, in order to receive credit. Late assignments must be handed personally to me, and they will be penalised 10% of the assignment grade per day or part thereof, beginning at 0900 hours, not at some time later in the day. Late days include weekends. This penalty will be imposed if required. Allowing a group to hand the final report in late is unfair to those who meet the deadlines.

Attendance at the presentations and the deadline for the final report are not negotiable. Only a medical certificate or a letter with appropriate supporting documents outlining other serious extenuating circumstances can be used to avoid penalties associated with non-attendance or late/non-submissions of the report. Let me know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event. I am likely to be more sympathetic and flexible in my requirements if you follow this advice.

Grading approach and policy

As noted elsewhere in this Unit guide, assessment will comply with the standard University grading policy and its descriptors:

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedure s/policies/assessment-in-effect-from-session-2-2016

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Presentation 1 10% No Week 3, 13 Aug 2020
Presentation 2 10% No Week 5, 27 Aug 2020
Report Summary 10% No Week 12, 29 October 2020
Final Project Report 60% No Week 13, 5 Nov 2020
Final Presentation 10% No Week 13, 5 Nov 2020

Presentation 1

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 3, 13 Aug 2020
Weighting: 10%

 

For the first presentation, each group will present an overview of their project, including the research question(s), proposed methods, supervisor and initial thoughts and ideas based on preliminary research and site visits.

 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Design and implement a research project in collaboration with a project partner or supervisor
  • Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • Demonstrate communication skills by preparing and presenting information in a professional and confident manner

Presentation 2

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 5, 27 Aug 2020
Weighting: 10%

 

The second presentation is an opportunity for each group to showcase their initial data/findings, and receive feedback to help guide you through any issues arising.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Design and implement a research project in collaboration with a project partner or supervisor
  • Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • Demonstrate communication skills by preparing and presenting information in a professional and confident manner

Report Summary

Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 12, 29 October 2020
Weighting: 10%

 

To accompany the final presentation, each group needs to produce a one page summary of their project that will be provided to the audience.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • Produce a professional document of the size and complexity required of consultants

Final Project Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 13, 5 Nov 2020
Weighting: 60%

 

The Final Report will document the project in its entirety, including the research question(s), methods, results and a detailed synthesis of the major research outcomes.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • Produce a professional document of the size and complexity required of consultants
  • Demonstrate communication skills by preparing and presenting information in a professional and confident manner
  • Demonstrate high levels of social and environmental awareness by evaluating the implications of research

Final Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 13, 5 Nov 2020
Weighting: 10%

 

The final presentation is a summary of the project and needs to cover the issues examined and the findings, limitations and conclusions/recommendations.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Work effectively in small teams by implementing collaboration and teamwork skills to achieve the project goals
  • Demonstrate communication skills by preparing and presenting information in a professional and confident manner

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

ENVS3463 occupies a 3 hour teaching block on Thursday from 12 PM to 3 PM, at 03IR G240.

Please note that this may change at short notice to online delivery due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Updates will be provided via iLearn as soon as they are available.

Tutorial room (see the campus map here: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/contacts-and-maps/ maps). We only meet formally four times in the semester so that you have ample time to read and carry out your research project. Please refer to the Unit timetable below, for further guidance. If I request a meeting with a group outside of these designated four meetings outlined in this unit guide, consider it to be compulsory, given that there will be a good reason for it – such as insufficient evidence of progress that needs to be discussed.

You and your group have to give three presentations (Weeks 3, 5 and 13), submit a short project summary (Week 12) and two copies of a bound Final Report (Week 13). In addition, reflecting and responding to the needs of previous group projects, I have scheduled 3 consultation weeks (weeks 6, 9, 11) for group meetings as required by appointment (via link on iLearn). I request that we stick to the scheduled available times for meetings for this Unit. For any other queries, I can be contacted on mark.taylor@mq.edu.au.

The University expects that you devote 9 hours per week (over the 15 week session), in total, to a 3 credit point unit such as ENVS3463. Put another way, you should be able to achieve a passing grade with around 150 hours for the semester. A rough breakdown for EACH person might be as follows:

Classroom: 4 x 3 hours = 12 hours

Group project meetings: 8 x ~ 1 hours (including preparation time) = 8 hours.

Individual/group research: 130 hours

Total: 150 hours

There is no set textbook or reading list for this unit, due to the varied nature of the projects that are carried out.

Unit Schedule

Week 1 (30 July 2020) - Introductory lecture and project definition, selection and confirmation

Week 3 (13 August 2020) - Presentation - topic overview

Week 5 (27 August 2020) - Presentation - data collected/other measures of progress presented

Weeks 2,6,7-11 Group consultations with unit convenor/tutor

Week 12 - (29 October 2020) Summary report

Week 13 (5 November 2020) - Final presentations - “Industry day” (external supervisors are welcome to attend as they are for previous sessions).

*Consultation appointments may be made for Thursdays between 12 PM - 3 PM.

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:

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

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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

As per the unit offered in 2019, the unit ENVS3463 reflects the University's policy on group work. In this sense, the unit includes individual grading for all assessment tasks required by the unit.

Individual grades will be derived from peer review assessment and will comprise 70% of the unit, with 30% allocated for group work.

The group work component is based on assessment of the final report.

The peer review assessments will be subject to evaluation by the Unit convenor to determine marks are aligned with the assessment comments and that they are consistent and reasonable. In this regard, they may be subject to moderation.

Assignment Assessment Criteria

Students are required to use SPARK. Log in at https://mq.sparkplus.com.au/login.php

The assessment criteria ALSO requires all students in all groups to turn up and present at the three sessions in weeks 3, 5 and 13. Not turning up means the task is incomplete and cannot be marked i.e. if an individual does not turn up or provide a bona fide medical certificate, the result for that assignment will be zero (0), irrespective of the comments and marks provided by the peer review assessment. In summary, turning up and participating in the presentations is integral to the assessment tasks and MUST be completed to achieve marks greater than zero for that task.

Peer review overview

Group projects enable students to develop different skills to those acquired via individual study. These can include team building, communication, negotiation and respect, acceptance for different perspectives. Effective teamwork involves developing a process within the group to facilitate communication for all parties so that all group members can contribute to the task and end product. The reality of the work place is such that you will have to work with and for others who may not be aligned entirely with your view of the world. Moreover, individuals will have different skills sets, expectations, standards, goals and work ethics. It is a learnt skill to be able to navigate project personnel with such differences to reach the end goal of your project.

Peer evaluation is one way to evaluate team processes. Group members should know how well their group has functioned and be across the relative contribution of each member of the group. Contribution to a group dynamic and outcome is multifaceted: it involves generating ideas and processes for project success; undertaking research and finding resources; completing agreed tasks on schedule; taking notes and supporting group processes; turning up on time to meetings and contributing positively; and adopting leadership and responsibility. The end goal (e.g. class presentation, summary report, final report) requires persistent and consistent effort across the semester in order to achieve a good group outcome.

Instructions

To arrive at a fair assessment for group tasks, students should reflect on the relative contribution of themselves and each group member in their project group using the peer evaluation guide and the University grading system set out below.

Also consider attitudes, such as willingness to perform tasks, dedication, enthusiasm, and use of initiative. For the assessment of themselves and each group member, use the template on SPARK to:

  1. provide a grade out of 5 for the contribution of the individual to the group. Note that agrade of '3' means that the group member participated equally with others in the group; a grade of '1' denotes a poor contribution (below average) and a grade of '5' would be a much higher participation than others in the group.

  2. justify your mark with brief comments.

Quantity and quality of individual contributions

  1. attended and contributed to field work/data analysis/group discussions

  2. completed tasks – bearing in mind their size and importance

  3. completed tasks on time, efficiently and correctly as agreed

  4. completed tasks in professional manner – i.e. useful and error free

  5. used initiative to complete tasks

  6. articulated gaps, opportunities and relevant issues to the group

Contribution to group

  1. provided useful and relevant suggestions; had good ideas; active in discussions;enthusiastic, participated actively and effectively

  2. used clear communication – verbal and written

  3. negotiated and respected opinions and contributions of others

  4. showed leadership and carriage of tasks; reliable and trustworthy

  5. demonstrated problem-solving skills

  6. assisted in collective decision-making

  7. worked well with others

Log in at https://mq.sparkplus.com.au/login.php

We require your responses to the above assessment by 1700 hours the day after the presentation using the software for this purpose (to be detailed in class). If responses are not in on time then a mark of ZERO will be allocated. The above evaluation requires allocation a mark out of 5 for the assessment task, supported by brief justifying comments.

Please note that because all work is group for this Unit, University policy dictates that students will only receive a Pass (listed as an 'S' grade (Satisfactory) on your transcript or Fail for this unit, irrespective of the cumulative marks for the various components of the Unit.