Students
GMBA8103 – Improve Yourself, Always
2021 – Coursera term 2, Fully online/virtual
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Dr Narelle Hess
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
5
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to GMBA or GradCertGlobalBusPrac
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
The world of work is characterised by rapid ongoing change. In this dynamic environment, one of the most critical skills for leaders is their capacity to learn and to adapt; to engage in the continuous development of their skills in managing and leading others. This unit is designed to assist you in your efforts for the ongoing development of your skills and abilities by focusing on the nature of the self-development process. The unit will assist students to reflect on and develop self-awareness of their current leadership style, to understand their current and needed strengths and challenges as a leader. The unit also examines the change process and explores the processes of self-regulation that underpin personal skill development. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Critically evaluate the nature of the self-development process.
- ULO2: Apply skills of self-reflection to enhance self-awareness of development insights about their leadership styles.
- ULO3: Apply skills of self-reflection to enhance self-awareness of development insights about their abilities and challenges as leaders
- ULO4: Apply the self-development process to an area of a personal leadership skill challenge.
General Assessment Information
Submission
You will submit your assessment tasks via your online unit on Coursera.
For individual submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:
lastname-firstname-GMBAxxx-A1.*
lastname-firstname-GMBAxxx-A2.*
For group submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:
team-number-GMBAxxx-A1.*
team-number-GMBAxxx-A2.*
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Extensions
Please note that no extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission = 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.
For any questions regarding your assignment submission please contact your Unit Convenor. If you would like to apply for Special Consideration please submit a request via ask.mq.edu.au
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Formatting instructions
These instructions pertain only to written assignments. In the case of other formats (e.g., slide decks) specific formatting instructions may apply. Written assignments should be in 11 point Arial font with 1.5 line spacing. Each page of the report should be numbered and have at minimum 2.5 cm margins from the left and right edges and top and bottom of the page. The word count is strictly enforced. The actual word length of the document, not including references or appendices, should be clearly stated on the title page of the report. Written assignments should have the following structure:
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A title page with the question, your student name and student number, word count of the text
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The body of the report structured with paragraphs and with appropriate headings and citations, with page numbers.
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Complete reference list of material cited in the text.
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Referencing
Please use the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition reference style. This means that when referring to an article or book etc, you indicate the author’s name followed by the year of publication (Jones, 1989). For multiple authors include all names (Jones, Smith, & Wilson, 1990). If you use a direct quote put the quoted words in “quotation marks” and include the page number with the reference (Jones, 1989, p. 76). A reference list should be presented in alphabetical order at the end of the paper. Further information on APA style is available at http://libguides.mq.edu.au/content.php?pid=85232&sid=634282
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Commercial in Confidence
Please note that you must not disclose any information marked ‘Commercial in Confidence’ without permission from the party who supplied it (e.g., your current or previous employer, customers, etc.).
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Style Analysis | 40% | No | 23 March 2021, 11:59pm (AEDT) |
| Skill Development Action Plan | 60% | No | 15 April 2021, 11:59pm (AEST) |
Leadership Style Analysis
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 9 hours
Due: 23 March 2021, 11:59pm (AEDT)
Weighting: 40%
Length: max 1,500 words (excl. references) Task type: Reflective Analysis Groupwork: No Task: In this assignment, you will critically evaluate your leadership style and the strengths and weaknesses of that style. You need to utilise your understanding of the self-understanding phase of the self-development model and apply the skills of self-reflection to work (or social) experiences to support your analysis. Please refer to the section Resources - Assessment Information in your online unit for detailed information on this assignment as well as the marking criteria.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the nature of the self-development process.
- Apply skills of self-reflection to enhance self-awareness of development insights about their leadership styles.
Skill Development Action Plan
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: 15 April 2021, 11:59pm (AEST)
Weighting: 60%
Length: max 3,000 words (excl. references) Task type: Reflective writing Groupwork: No Task: In this assignment, you will present a self-development action plan to address no more than two (2) development aspects related to weaknesses identified in your leadership style. (Note: This should ideally relate to areas identified in Assignment 1 although you can address any two (2) skill areas you wish to improve). The plan must show an understanding of a social cognitive perspective of behaviour and an understanding of self-regulation theory in its design. Please refer to the section Resources - Assessment Information in your online unit for detailed information on this assignment as well as the marking criteria.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply skills of self-reflection to enhance self-awareness of development insights about their abilities and challenges as leaders
- Apply the self-development process to an area of a personal leadership skill challenge.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Required text
There is no required textbook for this unit. Please refer to the weekly required readings in your online unit. All readings are available via the Macquarie University library and do not need to be purchased separately.
Delivery method
This unit will be delivered entirely online via the Coursera Learning Management System. Access to a personal computer is required to access the resources and learning materials on Coursera.
Unit Schedule
For this unit, Live Events (via the web conferencing software Zoom) will take place once a week starting in Week 1 and ending in Week 6. The links to the events are available via Live Events in the online unit. Students are strongly advised to attend the Live Events. Recordings of the live events will be made available within 24 hours of the event and can be accessed via Resources in the online unit.
Attending the Live Event each week is an opportunity to engage with the unit content, your Unit Convenor and classmates. Students are encouraged to complete specified Live Event preparation learning activities prior to each scheduled Live Event in order to get the most value out of these sessions.
Please note: The teaching schedule is subject to change. Please refer to your online unit for the latest schedule.
| Week | Live Events | Assessments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Webinar: Wednesday 10 March 2021, 7-8pm (AEDT) | |
| 2 | Webinar: Wednesday 17 March 2021, 7-8pm (AEDT) | |
| 3 | Webinar: Wednesday 24 March 2021, 7-8pm (AEDT) | A1 due: 23 March 2021, 11:59pm (AEDT) |
| 4 | Webinar: Wednesday 31 March 2021, 7-8pm (AEDT) | |
| 5 | Webinar: Wednesday 7 April 2021, 7-8pm (AEST) | |
| 6 | Webinar: Wednesday 14 April 2021, 7-8pm (AEST) | A2 due: 15 April 2021, 11:59pm (AEST) |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook