IN-LECTURE QUIZ 

Due: Week 5 

Weighting: 20% 

Quiz Date: Week 5, Wed, March 25 (internal students) & Sat, April 18 (external students)

The in-lecture quiz comprises 25 multiple-choice questions, each with four alternatives. It assesses your understanding and application of Week 1-4 content. The quiz takes 30 minutes. For external students, the quiz will be completed at the beginning of the first On Campus Day. For internal students, the class quiz will be held during the Wednesday lecture in Week 5. This will require lecture attendance for any internal students who usually listen to iLecture. Please note: if you are in a mixed-mode enrolment (internal tutorials with iLecture), you must register to indicate whether you will sit the quiz (i) during the Monday lecture with internal students, or (ii) at the beginning of the On Campus Day with external students. A registration sheet will be placed on iLearn closer to the time. You must attend one of these two sittings.

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;

RESEARCH REPORT

Due: 19/5/2020

Weighting: 40%

Due Date: Week 11 Tues, May 19 

Length: 2000 words

Education is a scholarly discipline, and research is critical. Good teachers use research findings as part of an everyday evidence-based approach to practice, and conduct their own research to troubleshoot problems that occur (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; Everton et al., 2002). To ensure that we develop strong educational research skills amongst our EDUC2620 cohort, we will conduct our own research project examining an educational psychology topic.

The research process

1. You will personally collect data from one learner aged 5 to 15, using the interview prompts provided. You may work alone or in pairs to collect your data.
2. We will pool all of the data for each topic, so that everyone in EDUC2620 has access to a large dataset to write their reports from. Coding practice will be provided in tutorials.
3. You will write a structured research report (including an abstract) outlining the research question and findings. Your report must be completed independently.

Writing your report

1. We will provide a research report template on iLearn. This reduces the working memory load related to the report structure, and allows you to attend to the report content itself.
2. We will write some sections of the report for you. These are pre-filled in the research report template on iLearn. You simply fill in the rest.
3. We have developed an iLearn site called ResearchEd, which contains a full writing guide and additional resources. The site was built in collaboration with former EDUC2620 students, for current students. This is a work in progress: feedback is welcome!

Referencing You are expected to use APA referencing style in your research report. An APA referencing guide can be accessed through the Library’s Multisearch function. It provides tools and templates to assist you to correct format citations in APA 6. If you would like additional assistance, the following website is also particularly useful: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Word Count

State your word count on your title page. Reports that exceed the word limit by 10% or more will be penalised. The reference list is not counted in the word limit, but (i) in-text references, (ii) the abstract, and (iii) pre-filled sections on the report-writing template are.

A note on Turnitin

As below, all assignments are submitted digitally to Turnitin. A Turnitin submission link will be posted to iLearn. You must ensure you have uploaded the correct file. If you upload the incorrect file, you will lose late marks until the correct file is uploaded. Please note that your turnitin score may be higher for this assignment than for some others, because some sections of the report are shared by all students in the unit. We are not at all concerned by matches for these sections: please do not panic about these! However, inadvertent instances of plagiarism should be fixed immediately.

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;
3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
4. Access appropriate psychological or educational literature, including peer reviewed journal articles, using the library databases ERIC and PsycINFO;
5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and
6. Understand the classroom implications of a research project, making reference to appropriate theory and literature

FINAL EXAMINATION

Due: exam period 

Weighting: 40% 

The final exam, held in the formal examination period, is 2 hours long plus reading time. It is designed to test your ability to apply conceptual knowledge developed throughout the unit, and will include: 

• Ten short answer questions (20 marks)
• Two extended response questions (20 marks) 

You will be given a list of six questions in the final lecture, from which the two extended response questions will be chosen. All modules will be examinable.

Exam timing

• Please view the exam timetable at http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/exam. The exam timetable does not typically become available until the midsession holidays. Once it is available, please mark the date in your calendar. 
• Please note: EDUC2620 teaching staff do not have any power to change the date and do not know the date in advance. 
• You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the exam timetable.

Failure to attend

• Macquarie University policy requires that no early examinations be set for individuals. Late examinations are only given in exceptional circumstances. Please do not book holidays until you have seen the Exam Timetable.
• The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unexpected and unavoidable misadventure. In these circumstances you must apply for Disruption to Studies as soon as feasible.

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;
3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;

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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 and 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.

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Units with quiz assessments

Online quizzes are an individual assessment task and MUST BE COMPLETED by each student individually. Similarities in responses between students will be checked and investigated for possible collusion. Please see the Academic Honesty Handbook for more information.

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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 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

Student workload

Before commencing EDUC2620, please read this outline very carefully and ensure that you can meet all requirements, including unit requirements, attendance requirements, and assessment requirements (please see below, "unit requirements"). We are sympathetic that students often have significant domestic and work-related responsibilities. To be fair to our staff and to other students, however, these cannot be used to justify incomplete work or extension requests. Please ensure that you have sufficient time to dedicate to your studies before attempting this unit. Study includes attending or listening to lectures, attending tutorials, completing recommended readings, completing assignments, and using the unit’s iLearn site. Independent study is strongly encouraged in EDUC2620.

Textbook and readings

There are no prescribed textbooks for this unit. If you would like an additional resource to guide your study, please consider using the following textbook:

• Duchesne, S., and McMaugh, A. (2015). Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching (5th ed). Melbourne: Cengage.

If you do choose to purchase this textbook, please use the recommended section headings in the textbook for guidance. Because the textbooks are not compulsory, there are no set pages to read. You will not be examined on textbook content: it is simply a guide to assist you. 

Some weeks also have additional readings and other resources posted on iLearn. These optional readings/resources are not directly examinable but, like the textbook, will likely enhance your understanding of concepts discussed in class.

iLearn

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit. Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted there, as will other relevant unit notices, activities, materials, and guides to assist your study. Please check iLearn before emailing questions to your convener or tutor.

Lecture 

Weekly lectures are available on the web through the ECHO360 lecture component. You must listen to all lectures if you do not attend these ‘live’. PowerPoint slides are available in iLearn in advance of the weekly lecture and/or are available in the Active Learning Tool.

Access and technical assistance

Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/. You will need to enter your student username and password.

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help. 

No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions. 

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk ph: 1800 67 4357, or log a request at help.mq.edu.au. OneHelp is the online IT support service for both students and staff.

This unit requires students to use several ICT and software skills:

• Internet access: The iLearn site contains materials for this unit; it is also required for the online submission of all Assessment Tasks, and for the use of Turnitin submission for ALL tasks. 
• Word processing, visual representations, and document formatting: You are required to use an appropriate form of software to present your assignments.
• Uploading of assessment tasks to iLearn.

This unit comprises (i) two one-hour lectures weekly, and (ii) a one-hour tutorial weekly OR one "On Campus Day". In the tutorial you will discuss issues and questions arising from the lectures and prescribed readings. You are expected to base your arguments/discussions on evidence from published research and other relevant material. There will be a supporting website for the unit providing additional readings, links and materials.

Lectures

Lectures are held in the Macquarie Theatre. In-person lecture attendance is optional, but strongly encouraged. In-person attendance is the easiest way to keep up with the material, has been shown in research to predict higher grades, and also enables you to ask questions and reflect as you go. PowerPoint slides are available on iLearn in advance of the weekly lecture and/or re available in the Active Learning Tool.

If you are unable to attend lectures, it is extremely important that you access the lecture recording soon after. Lectures are available through Echo in iLearn from the following link: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au. You must listen to the previous week's lectures before your next tutorial or on campus day. You are welcome to post questions or comments about the lecture via iLearn.

Tutorials / On Campus Days

Attendance at tutorials/on campus days is expected and attendance will be recorded. The activities completed are essential for consolidating knowledge about the learner, building educational research skills, and considering classroom implications. Full attendance enables you to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards.

• Internal students. You must attend all tutorials. You should attend the class you are enrolled on e-student. While we understand the stresses of juggling university, work, and family, it is unfortunately not possible to attend classes that are already full. All changes must be made via e-student. Unit staff cannot make changes for you.
• External students. You must attend the on-campus day. This will be held on Saturday 18 April 2020. You are expected to stay for the full day. Please do not enroll in external mode if you cannot attend both days in full. 
• All students. You are also expected to participate in the activities designed for you. This means taking part in group or class discussions, reading the weekly material in advance, and completing activities as individuals, pairs, and groups.

Illness and misadventure 

It is your responsibility to communicate with your tutor regarding attendance. If you attend a one off make-up tutorial, you should advise tutors by email so your attendance is recorded correctly, and also introduce yourself to the tutor whose class you attend (please explain that you are attending as a one-off make-up class only and check they have space to include you). With the exception of attending a make-up tutorial, make-up work is not available in this unit. If your attendance at an expected tutorial/on campus day is affected by illness or misadventure and you are unable to attend a make-up class, you should apply for special consideration via ask.mq.edu.au.

Unit Schedule

Learning and Teaching Activities

Lectures

There are two lectures per week: Wednesday 9-10am and Thursday 2-3pm. Lectures are recorded and available later on iLecture. Lectures include core unit content about the learner, and are interspersed with occasional lecture activities to provide a more engaging experience. Copies of the lecture slides are available in advance of lectures from iLearn. Lecture slides will be posted each Monday. Whether you are attending the lecture in person or listening on iLecture, it is recommended that you have a printed copy of the slides in front of you. This enables you more time to encode the relevant content and to take only those notes that will help you learn (i.e., without scribing every word).

Tutorials for internal students 

Internal students attend a one-hour tutorial each week. Please remember that you are expected to attend all tutorials. In your tutorials you will engage in small group activities and whole class discussion focused on (i) the consolidation and application of lecture content about the learner, and (ii) the development of educational research skills. In some instances, you may be asked to complete some prep work in advance. 

On campus day for external students 

On your on campus day you will complete the same tutorial activities as the internal students complete across 10 weeks and complete your in-lecture quiz. On campus days are held on Saturday 18 April 2020. In preparation, you should listen to all the lectures beforehand and bring your notes/questions. 

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

• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems; https://iteach.mq.edu.au/unit_guides/119123/print_preview
• 4. Access appropriate psychological or educational literature, including peer reviewed journal articles, using the library databases ERIC and PsycINFO;
• 5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and

Assessment tasks

• RESEARCH REPORT
• FINAL EXAMINATION

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate. This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

• 1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
• 2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;
• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
• 5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and

Assessment tasks

• RESEARCH REPORT
• FINAL EXAMINATION

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially. This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

• 4. Access appropriate psychological or educational literature, including peer reviewed journal articles, using the library databases ERIC and PsycINFO;
• 5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and
• 6. Understand the classroom implications of a research project, making reference to appropriate theory and literature.

Assessment task

• RESEARCH REPORT

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

• 1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
• 2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;
• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
• 6. Understand the classroom implications of a research project, making reference to appropriate theory and literature.

Assessment tasks

• IN-LECTURE QUIZ
• RESEARCH REPORT
• FINAL EXAMINATION

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

• 1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
• 2. Explain typical cognitive development (e.g., attention, memory, meta-cognition) and socio-cognitive development (e.g., self-concept, motivation, self-regulation) as it applies to children of school age;
• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
• 6. Understand the classroom implications of a research project, making reference to appropriate theory and literature.

Assessment tasks

• IN-LECTURE QUIZ
• RESEARCH REPORT
• FINAL EXAMINATION

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking. This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
• 5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and

Assessment task

• RESEARCH REPORT

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

• 1. Explain how information is learned and generate implications for classroom practice;
• 3. Synthesise knowledge about children’s cognitive and socio-cognitive development in order to identify and solve specific educational case study problems;
• 5. Take part in a research project, analysing the results of the research in light of appropriate theory and literature; and
• 6. Understand the classroom implications of a research project, making reference to appropriate theory and literature.

Assessment tasks

• IN-LECTURE QUIZ
• RESEARCH REPORT
• FINAL EXAMINATION