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

(1) Your written assignment must be submitted online through Turnitin, unless otherwise instructed during the unit. (2) Your quizzes are to be completed on iLearn. (3) Your final exam will be administered on campus by the university during the formal examination period.

Links for the submission of each assignment will be available on iLearn. Due dates for all assessment tasks are in the unit schedule. 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.

Marking of Assessments

Your written assignment will be marked through Turnitin and feedback will be noted on the assignment. Do not submit your written assignment via email or in hard copy. Your assignment grade will be returned using the Grades Report on iLearn. Grades from your quizzes will also be made available on iLearn. We aim to return your assignments with feedback within 2-3 weeks of the date that you submit your assignment. 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 10 % of the assessment value per day, calculated from the due time and date. This means that, since the written assignment is worth 20 marks (20 % of the unit) you will lose 2 marks for each day late. This penalty is designed to make you aware of the importance of organising yourself around assessment due dates, and also it helps ensure equity for all students. The penalty will be applied over weekdays and weekends unless you have been granted an extension by the unit convenor prior to the due date.

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you will need to follow the formal process 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 or a late penalty lies with the unit convenor. Seek permission for an extension 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.

Final Examination

Details of examination conditions and timetables can be found via the Student Portal. Please note that the final examination period includes weekdays and weekends and all students are expected to complete the examination at the time specified in the timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form four weeks before the commencement of examinations. For unavoidable disruptions during examinations, you should apply for Special Consideration as soon as possible. If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration application, the examination time will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period and you will receive an individual notification one week prior to the examination with the exact date and time of the Supplementary Examination. It is Macquarie University policy to not set early examinations - all students are expected to ensure that they are available until the final day of the official examination period. You are required to download your room and seat number from the examination website before the examination. Further information on this on campus examination, which you must attend in person to complete unit requirements, is provided below at the end of "Delivery and Resources".

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

The freely-available textbook set for this unit, which is archived on the iLearn site, is; Middelmann, M.H. (Editor) (2007) Natural Hazards in Australia. Identifying Risk Analysis Requirements. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.

Any other recommended readings for each week will be noted on the iLearn site.

Technology Used and Required

This unit will use iLearn and associated technology. See the Instructions on how to log in to iLearn and the iLearn quick guides for students which will help you;

• Getting started - Find out how to navigate and familiarise yourself with the iLearn environment

• Activities - Learn how to effectively complete the activities required of you in iLearn

• Assessments and Gradebook - Find out how to submit assessments and view your grades using iLearn

• Online study tips

• Discussion fora - Explore the different types, and features of discussion fora in iLearn

Computer-Based Learning

Essential computer-based components of this unit include lectures recorded through Zoom, weekly practical exercises (not all weeks - refer to the unit schedule), and online discussion fora for communicating with staff and other students in this unit. You can undertake this work on- or off-campus, including through the computer laboratories (when they are not booked for classes) or in the Library. If you’re unsure of how to connect to the internet or use the computer system, help can be obtained at; http://students.mq.edu.au/support/.

General Discussion Forum and Announcements

The "General Discussion Forum" link on the unit's homepage is used to discuss important issues related to the unit. You are expected to read every posting to the discussion forum because important administrative and academic information will be posted there - it is your responsibility to stay up to date. Unit-wide announcements will also be shared through the Announcements function in iLearn.

What is Required to Complete This Unit Satisfactorily?

You must receive a unit mark of at least 50 % to pass this unit. In order to receive a Pass grade, you should spend around 11 h per week on this unit, which includes lectures, practicals, reading and assessment preparation and completion. However, keep in mind, grades are awarded on a demonstration of your understanding and ability, not on time or effort!

Lectures provide the framework with which to focus your study of the subject and they are essential for you to engage with. You should supplement them by reading, especially from the text, but also from current journals, which contain the most up-to-date information. All lecture material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. The iLearn site contains suggested readings, but please don't limit yourself to those. Lectures will be available by the start of the week in which they are scheduled.

You should participate in one 2 h practical held each week, in Weeks 2-10 and Week 13, at times stipulated by the timetable. All practicals are live online, and are not recorded. The idea is that the practicals consist of tasks that you have to work through individually, but a tutor will be available online throughout the practical to introduce the activity, and to help you work through it. Each student should complete all practical sessions. Practicals contain material to supplement the lectures, or comprise exercises which give you skills to help with your understanding of the unit topics and the workplace. All practical material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. Practicals provide greater depth to related lecture materials and will assist learning by encouraging your active participation. Important material for the practical classes is included on iLearn.

You should complete the full unit workload, and you may need to spend extra time on different parts of the unit content. Workload will be spread over the session, but may be concentrated around the time assessment tasks are due. It would help if you manage your time effectively throughout the session and work around your other units and commitments.

In this unit we expect quality in your assignments and a level of knowledge and comprehension of unit content in the assessment tasks. Grades for each assessment task and the unit as a whole will be awarded according to the following general criteria (course rubric);

This unit is "Online with attendance for exams". What this means is that most of the unit content (lectures, practicals, quizzes, written assignment) can be undertaken without you being on campus. We do this because many of you have demonstrated a need for unit content to be delivered in this way, to help you schedule your studies around other commitments, and we hope that ENVS2237 delivered in this way is convenient for you. The only part of the unit that is on campus is the final examination. You must attend a final examination on campus during the formal examination period at the end of session 2. 

Weekly schedule of lectures, practicals and assessment tasks