General Information

Grading procedures for individual assessments

Students will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University grade descriptors. Where the grades are used to report results for assessment components with significant weighting, convenors may also optionally add the suffixes of + (plus) or - (minus) to the generic descriptor in order to provide additional detail. For example:   

         Pass +

         Pass

         Pass -

In this case, a 'Pass +'  would indicate performance in the upper end of the pass range, a grade of 'Pass' would indicate a mid range pass and a 'Pass -' would indicate performance at the lower end of the pass range. This principle is applied to all grade descriptors ( i.e., HD, D, CR, P, F )

Raw scores for all assessments will be moderated according to the University guidelines so that work judged to be of a given standard is awarded a moderated score within the following distribution: High Distinction 85 - 100; Distinction 75 - 84; Credit 65 - 74; Pass 50 - 64; Fail 0 - 49.

For example, if it is judged that the HD standard for a particular assessment is met by work scoring 90 - 100, raw scores will be adjusted so that students received moderated scores between 85 and 100. This moderation takes into account both the stated performance standards for the assessment component and the degree of difficulty of the specific task.  

Final unit grades

In order to ensure clear distinctions between grades, final marks of 49, 64, 74 and 84 will not be used. 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 

Assessment weighting

All assessment tasks must be attempted for students to be eligible for an overall passing grade in the unit. 

Students are required to gain an overall pass on the unit, but do not have to pass all assessment components. If you perform poorly on one component, you may compensate for this with a better performance in the other component. 

Consistent with the University Assessment Policy, moderated scores will be used in the calculation of final grades. The final unit score will be the weighted average of the moderated scores for 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.

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.

Resubmission

Students are required to gain an overall pass on the unit, but do not have to pass all assessment components. If you perform poorly on one component, you may compensate for this with an improved performance in the other component.  Resubmission is not permitted.

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. 

Appeals against final unit grades

See the Policies and Procedures section for details on appeals against Unit Grades.

Academic honesty and plagiarism

You must read the Academic Honesty Policy that is linked in the Policies and Procedures section of this guide.  

Important points:

• Close paraphrasing of another persons’ writing is considered to be plagiarism. You must express ideas using your own words.
• Claim of ignorance of the University policy on plagiarism is NOT a defence. If you do not understand the Academic Honesty policy, please seek advice from a member of the academic staff.

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 viahttps://ask.mq.edu.au/. This will ensure consistency in the consideration of such requests is maintained. 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests. Note that the 7 day allowance for assignments to be submitted after the due date is a period of grace, not a new deadline. The 7 day period of grace applies only to the original due date. No period of grace applies when an extension has been granted. When an extension has been granted, the work must be submitted by the revised due date or a mark of zero will be awarded. ​

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.

Please note that if you submit a late assignment or submit after the due date, you may only submit once. 

Detailed information on Assessments

Assignment

When will the assignment be available?

The assignment will be available from the unit website in week 3 of the semester at the latest. 

What is required for the assignment?

In general, good presentation, correct grammar, spelling and appropriate word choice will be expected. Express your ideas concisely and clearly, and observe any stated word limits.

Strict APA 7th edition referencing procedures should be used.

How do I submit my assignment?

You will submit your assignment through the iLearn website via the link in the Assessment section.

How do I know my assignment submission was successful?

Staff will NOT respond to requests to confirm that assignments have been correctly submitted. You will receive an email receipt on successful submission of your assignment in your student email account. Make sure that this has been received and retain this receipt. No claims will be considered regarding missing assignments without this receipt. You can also re-download your assignment to double-check it was submitted (see above). 

What if my hard drive crashed, my pet hippopotamus ate my computer, etc?

You are responsible for making sure your work is adequately backed up. Make sure your work is regularly backed up on a USB drive or to a cloud-based backup and don't leave your submission to the last minute. No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions. Always keep your hippopotamus and computer in separate rooms.

When is the deadline for submission?

The deadline is 11:55 pm on the due date. Note that this means you must submit BEFORE 11:55 pm. Note that it takes time to upload your assignment to Turnitin. This is normally quite quick but will depend on the speed of your internet connection at the time. The submission time is the time that assignment is recorded as received by Turnitin as we can not verify the time you started uploading. You need to allow time for the upload. Do not leave submission of your assignment to the last hours (or minutes).

What if my assignment is only 11 seconds late?

Late is late. Any submission after the deadline will be considered late. Do not leave submission of your assignment to the last hours (or minutes).

What if I accidentally submit a blank assignment, the wrong document, etc?

We can only mark what you submit. Make sure you re-download your assignment from the location that it was submitted and verify the correct document has been submitted. No consideration will be offered if you submit the incorrect document. You may submit your assignment as many times as you wish before the due date and only the last submitted version will be marked.

Final Submissions 

• Students are responsible for checking that their submission has been successful and has been submitted by the due date and time.

• Late submissions due to last minute technical difficulties will incur a lateness penalty.

How will I get feedback for my assignment?

Individual feedback will be provided electronically where you submitted your assignment. 

Assignment rubric

The assignment rubric and performance criteria will be available on the iLearn site in the Assessment section. 

Online Participation

What does online participation involve? 

Online participation involves making posts on the Topic Discussion Forums of the unit website. Once a post is made in a topic Discussion Forum, anybody in the unit can read or respond to it. Online participation allows you to give feedback and receive feedback from other students and staff, to explore issues in discussion with other students and staff.

When can I contribute? 

You may contribute before 11:55pm on the due date. The content of each forum will remain accessible, but no further posts will count toward participation after the closing date.

Closing dates for discussion forums

How much do I have to contribute?

Each student is expected to make a minimum of ten (10) contributions to the topic discussions over the course of the semester. You must post in at least eight (8) of the ten (10) topics. Only posts to Topic Forums (i.e., Topic 1 to Topic 10) will be counted and posts must be a minimum of 50 words. Posts of less than 50 words will not could toward participation. Social posts and general administrative questions and comments do not count towards your assessment.

How are the posts marked? 

Only eligible contributions to Topic Forums are counted. The convenor will mark each eligible post and the total of eligible posts will appear progressively in the Grades section. If you make fewer than ten posts to topic forums, your maximum possible mark will be reduced by half a mark for each missing post. Similarly, if you post in less than 8 forums, your maximum possible mark will be reduced by half a mark for each forum missed.

Online Examination

THIS UNIT INCLUDES A FINAL ONLINE EXAMINATION

A three-hour online examination will be held during the University examination period. It will be comprised typically of questions that require short answer and will include questions addressing conceptual understanding and practical application of unit content. All unit content is examinable. The examination will be open book. 

The examination will be released at a specified time on the iLearn site.  The paper will be available for download 5 minutes before the start time. You will download it to your computer. It will be available in Microsoft Word format and you will type answers directly in the spaces provided. Please make sure that you SAVE YOUR WORK AT REGULAR INTERVALS. Please also make sure that you have a quiet and comfortable area to work, free of distraction or disruption.

You will submit your completed examination paper via a Turnitin link on the iLearn site.  

Please note that exams are scheduled Monday to Saturday. University rules specify that students must ensure that they are available for the full duration of the final examination period. Students must complete the exam at the nominated time or submit a disruption to study request with documentation of the nature of the disruption (e.g., sickness, family emergency).

A sample examination paper will be provided at the end of the unit.

Final Examination Rubric

In general, markers will be looking for the following qualities in your responses in the examination:

• Depth and breadth of knowledge of key concepts and principles related to assessment and programming for studies with high support needs that were addressed in the unit.

• Integration of concepts and principles from relevant content across the unit.

• Evidence of generalisation of the concepts and principles addressed in the unit to new examples.

• Synthesis of relevant content to address practical problems.

• Quality and originality of critical analysis.

• Ability to effectively apply conceptual understanding to novel examples. 

Examinations will be graded according to the University grade descriptors.

Practicum (Professional Experience) 

Students are ONLY required to complete 5 days professional experience if they have NOT already completed practicum in SPED8220. If you have completed practicum in SPED8220, you are not required to repeat this practicum. If you are currently enrolled in SPED 8220 you WILL be required to complete practicum in SPED8230.

The following information only applies to students who are concurrently completing SPED8220.

All students enrolling in this unit are required to complete 5 days of professional experience (practicum). This is an accredited requirement of this unit's assessment.

Students residing in the Sydney Metropolitan area are required to complete 5 days of supervised professional experience at the on campus MUSEC School. Further details about when this may be completed can be found on the unit Ilearn site.

The Sydney metropolitan area is considered to be the area bounded by Engadine in the south, Campbelltown in the southwest, Penrith in the west, North Richmond in the northwest and Brooklyn in the North. Final decisions about boundaries are at the discretion of the Unit Convenor.  Under all but exceptional circumstances (e.g., documented medical problems) it is expected that students residing in the Sydney metropolitan area will complete their 5 days of professional experience at the MUSEC School. 

Students residing outside the Sydney Metropolitan area may elect to complete their professional experience at MUSEC School, or they may negotiate another appropriate site closer to home. External professional experience sites must provide appropriate programs for a special education population and must have an appropriately trained and/or experienced staff member to provide supervision. External professional experience sites must be approved by the SPED8210 Unit Convenor.

Requests to complete professional experience within a student's work place will not be approved. The professional experience is meant to be an opportunity for students to apply and practice their newly developed special education skills. It is also an opportunity to learn how these techniques can be put into practice in a classroom program that caters for children with a range of special education needs. The five day professional experience must be completed within one week.  

Further inofrmation regarding booking of professional experience and related requirements is available on the iLearn site. 

General organisation of the unit

The unit is organised in external mode only, and  in a flexible delivery format. 

Delivery is designed such that students may seek as much or as little assistance as required in completing the unit. In flexible delivery units, it is critical that students are organised and disciplined. If you get significantly behind in your topic coverage, it may be impossible to catch up. Please start your study as soon as possible.

Unit delivery: Teaching and learning activities

• Study guides provide an overview of topics and guide learning.
• Readings are designed to prepare students for the seminars as well as broaden their understanding of topics.
• Online presentations provide information and highlight key concepts.
• Forums provide students with the opportunity to ask question and discuss issues relevant to the unit. Contributions to the online discussion forum are not compulsory but can be a beneficial way of exchanging ideas and discussing unit content with other students. Although unit convenors typically check the Discussion Forums daily (on weekdays), they will not respond to all posts, as discussion between students may be more appropriate. Forums should be checked every 48 hours for important announcements. 
• Dialog allows students to communicate privately with the unit staff. Dialog should be checked every 48 hours for important information. 
• Zoom Meetings allow students to meet online with unit staff to seek clarification or discuss relevant issues. 
• Assessments allow students to refine and demonstrate achievement of unit learning outcomes. 

Technologies used and required

The unit uses an iLearn web site. You may access the site from:

               https://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Zoom Meetings will be used for consultation. You can sign up to use the service for free (https://www.zoom.us) and download clients for computers and mobile devices here:

               https://www.zoom.us/download#client_4meeting

The following table gives an overview of topics covered in the unit and the recommended completion dates.

Zoom Meetings

You may speak with the unit convenor by joining Zoom Meetings at the following times:

• 28/7 at 5pm
• 4/8 at 5pm
• 11/8 at 5pm
• 18/8 at 5pm
• 25/8 at 5pm
• 1/9 at 5pm
• 8/9 at 5pm
• 8/10 at 5pm
• 29/10 at 5pm
• 6/10 at 5pm
• 13/10 at 5pm
• 20/10 at 5pm
• 27/10 at 5pm
• 3/11  at 5pm  (Sample Examination Review)

Please use this URL to join a Zoom Meeting:

                   https://macquarie.zoom.us/j/896069654

If no students are in attendance in the first 10 minutes, the meeting will be cancelled. 

Text

The text for the unit is:

Westling, D. L., Fox, L., & Carter, E (2015). Teaching students with severe disabilities - custom version (5/e). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

It can be purchased from Booktopia.

Other Required Readings

Compulsory readings may be downloaded from the Leganto link on the unit web site 

Required readings should be completed prior to viewing the relevant presentation and in conjunction with the study guide.  

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice by writing to https://ask.mq.edu.au before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following semesters and may impact on your progression through the degree.