ENVS3463 requires students to work in groups, independently, for much of the semester. There are 4 compulsory face to face (or online for external students) 3 hour workshops/teaching blocks in Week 1, 3, 5 and 13. Please note that this may change at short notice to fully online delivery due to COVID-19 restrictions. Keep an eye out for ENVS3463 ilearn announcements. The face to face teaching space is 11 Wallys Walk, Room 140.

We only meet formally 4 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 a 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. I request that we stick to the scheduled available times for meetings for this Unit. For any other queries, please email Emilie Ens or Marios Elles.

The University expects that you devote 9 hours per week (over the 15 week session), in total, to a 10 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

See some useful readings on group work and project management on ilearn.

Pre-Session Preparation

Students enrolled in the unit are required to subscribe to the ENVS3463 Pre-Session Preparation iLearn site to help them secure a PACE project prior to the start of Semester 2. To subscribe, please click on this link: Unit: ENVS3463 Environmental Management Pre-Session Preparation (mq.edu.au)

Week 1 - Introductory lecture and project definition, selection and confirmation

Week 3 - Presentation - topic overview

Week 5 - Presentation - data collected/other measures of progress presented

Weeks 2,6,7-11 Group consultations with unit convenor and PACE Advisor

Week 12 - Summary report due

Week 13 - Final presentations and Final Report due - “Industry day” (external supervisors are welcome to attend as they are for previous sessions, COVID restrictions pending).  

Assessments in ENVS3463 reflect the University's policy on group work. In this sense, the unit includes individual grading for all assessment tasks required by the unit.

NOTE: All individual grades will be derived from peer review assessment. All students are required to participate in the peer review assessment process of this Unit. For each individual student grade, 70% will comprise of marks allocated to the individual, and 30% will come from marks allocated to the group's work. The group work component is based on assessment of the final report. See "Peer Review Instructions" section in this Unit Guide, lectures and ilearn for further detail on the peer review process.

As all assessments in ENVS3463 are based on group work, 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.

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

Students are required to use SPARK for their peer review assessments. 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.

Why does this unit focus on group work and peer review?

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.

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 peer review process we will use software called SPARK. Log in to SARK at https://mq.sparkplus.com.au/login.php

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 a grade 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 contributions - factors to consider

For individual marks:

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

For group marks:

1. Provided useful and relevant suggestions; had good ideas; active in
2. Discussions were enthusiastic, everyone participated actively and effectively
3. Used clear communication – verbal and written
4. Negotiated and respected opinions and contributions of others
5. Showed leadership and carriage of tasks; reliable and trustworthy
6. Demonstrated problem-solving skills
7. Assisted in collective decision-making
8. Worked well with others

**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.