Hurdle Assessments

The learning participation tasks are all Hurdle assessments - they carry no weighting but must be completed to pass this unit. The remaining assessments are three hand-in assessments all carrying a weighting of 20% and a final exam at 40% - none of these assessments are hurdles.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn. 

Submission of Assessments

All assignments must be submitted online through Turnitin unless otherwise indicated. Links for the submission of each assignment will be available on iLearn.​ The due dates for all assessment tasks are not negotiable. If you have commitments that will significantly impact your study during the session then you must plan for this in advance as part of an effective individual study plan and you may need to contact the unit convenor for advice. 

Marking of Assessments

Assignments will be marked through Turnitin and feedback will be noted on the assignment. Do not submit your assignments via email or in hard copy. Your grades will be returned using the Grades Report on iLearn. Grades from quizzes and the exam will also be made available on iLearn.

We aim to return your assignments with feedback within two to three weeks of the date that you submit your assignment, and before your next assignment is due. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marked assignments and feedback are available for viewing.

Penalties for Late Assessments

The penalty for late submission of assessments in this unit is ten percent (10 %) of the assessment value per day, calculated from the due time and date. This means that if the assignment is worth a total of 30 marks (or 30 % of the unit) you will lose 3 marks for each day late. This is a hefty penalty designed to make you aware of the importance of organising yourself around assessment due dates. The penalty will be applied over weekdays and weekends unless you have been granted an extension prior to the due date.

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you will need to follow the formal process as outlined in the Special Consideration Policy, and you must provide appropriate supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate - see advice for Special Consideration requests). The final decision regarding the granting of an extension and/or a late penalty lies with the unit convenor. Permission for extension must be sought well before the due date unless this is absolutely impossible. Let us know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event: we are likely to be much more sympathetic and flexible in our requirements if you follow this advice.

CLASSES

The class timetable can be found through the Timetable portal. A detailed class schedule with assessment due dates will be made available to all enrolled students through iLearn.

ONLINE MATERIALS

This unit is supported by guided online learning via a series of online components. The link for these components can be found in the ilearn site. Each week you will be expected to complete the component (on a particular theme) for that week in your own study time and before the workshop so that you are familiar with the content. 

WORKSHOPS

The workshops are 3 hours, once a week on a Monday. You are expected to attend every week. They will be very practical and hands-on exploring the theme for each week. Make sure that you have completed the weekly online material before attending this workshop. Workshops are designed to provide you with a framework with which to focus your study of the subject and are an essential and important component of the unit. They are by no means exhaustive on each and every topic, and you are expected to supplement them by reading. The workshops will be structured as small group discussions and tasks - the more you contribute the more you will learn and gain from this unit. The unit has been designed to start your skills mastery journey and you will be able to document this journey throughout your degree by using an eportfolio platform, which will be introduced discussed and started during the workshops.

ASSESSMENTS

There are 4 assessments overall with different percentage weightings ranging from 20-40%. The first three assessments (Reference list, mapping task and presentation of figures) build on the skills that you will learn in the workshops. The fourth assessment is the exam at 40%, which will examine your understanding of the content covered by the online materials and workshops.

HURDLES

Certain learning and participation tasks are hurdles in this unit - meaning that they must be completed/passed to be able to pass this unit. These include the completion of an online quiz, a peer review activity, attendance and engagement in an employability event, compliance with work health and safety, and the creation of an ePortfolio. These tasks are hurdles because they are vital to your mastery of the skills necessary for a Bachelor of Environment degree and for your future employability.

This unit is a new offering for 2020 but is strongly based on the Skills mastery material that Kerrie Tomkins and Kira Westaway have been developing for the Department and for the Faculty of Science and Engineering.