General Assessment Information

Assessment Presentation and Submission Guidelines 

Please follow these guidelines when you submit each assignment: 

• Allow a left and right-hand margin of at least 2cm in all assignments. 

• Please type all assignments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. 

• All assessments must be submitted through Turnitin in .doc or .pdf format  

• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all assessments are successfully submitted through Turnitin. 

• Faculty assignment cover sheets are NOT required. 

Draft Submissions & Turnitin Originality Reports 

• Students may use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. 

• Students are strongly encouraged to upload a draft copy of each assessment to Turnitin at least one week prior to the due date to obtain an Originality Report. 

• The Originality Report provides students with a similarity index that may indicate if plagiarism has occurred. Students will be able to make amendments to their drafts prior to their final submission on the due date. 

• Generally, one Originality Report is generated every 24 hours up to the due date. 

Please note: 

• Students should regularly save a copy of all assignments before submission, 

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

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

• Late submissions: 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. Late penalties are applied by unit convenors or their delegates after tasks are assessed. 

• 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. 

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: 

• Please do not request a re-mark for a Failed assessment as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process.  

• The outcome of a re-mark may be a higher/lower or unchanged grade.  

• Grades are standards referenced and effort is NOT a criterion.  

University policy on grading 

Criteria for awarding grades for assessment tasks 

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading Policy. The following descriptive criteria are included for your information. 

Descriptive Criteria for awarding grades in 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. 

Students will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment-in-effect-from-session-2-2016 

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 of the timing of the placement. 

Withdrawing from this unit 

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

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. 

Required textbook

The REQUIRED textbook for this unit is:

Inclusive Education for the 21st Century: Theory, policy and practice. by Linda J. Graham (2020). Allen & Unwin.

Other weekly readings and resources will be made available to students via links on the unit website and / or through Leganto (University's Library Link).

Information about the unit iLearn site  

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn.   

Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit.  

Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted here, as will other relevant unit notices and materials.

Various activities and materials for discussion and critical reflection are included and external students especially are encouraged to use this web component. Electronic links and suggested references will be included in the Resources section. Please check the iLearn unit regularly.  

Weekly lectures and PowerPoint slides will be available through iLearn in advance of the weekly lecture timeslot. You must listen to all lectures.

Access and technical assistance  

Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/. You will need to enter your student username and password. 

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help.  

No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions.  

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk ph: 1800 67 4357, or log a request at help.mq.edu.au. OneHelp is the online IT support service for both students and staff. 

This unit requires students to use several ICT and software skills: 

• Internet access: The iLearn site contains materials for this unit; it is also required for the online submission of all Assessment Tasks, and for the use of Turnitin submission for ALL tasks.   

• Word processing, visual representations, and document formatting: You are required to use an appropriate form of software to present your assignments.  

• Uploading of assessment tasks to iLearn. 

Structure 

The unit comprises a one-hour lecture and a two-hour tutorial each teaching week. In the tutorials students will discuss issues and questions arising from the lectures and prescribed readings. They are expected to base their arguments/discussions on evidence from published research and other relevant material. Attendance at all tutorials is expected. Attendance at on campus days for external students is also expected.

Students are required to participate in small group activities, whole class discussion, to read the weekly material in advance, and to complete brief tasks either as individuals or in pairs. The weekly program for the course with the accompanying readings/ preparation is available on the unit iLearn site. 

The learning content in this unit is structured into five modules over 10 weeks:

Module 1: Understanding inclusive and special education

In module one teacher education students will have the opportunity to develop advanced understandings of theoretical perspectives and key issues related to inclusive and special education in contemporary education contexts.

This will include the ethical, legislative and policy responsibilities of teachers as related to educational provision for learners across the full range of human diversities.

Anti-discrimination legislation and policy will be addressed.

The historical context will be outlined, alongside exploration of the current education systems, and the implications for inclusive education.

Teacher education students will be provided with opportunities to engage in advanced critical analysis of barriers to equity in education for students with disability, including consideration of micro as well as macro exclusion, alongside examination of facilitators of inclusive education.

Given the implications of the current social context for students and families who experience disability, in this module the social construction of disability will be explored, including critical evaluation of complex and conflicting theoretical perspectives relating to the social constructions of diversity and disability and the implications of ableism and disablism for education.

Considerations for appropriate terminology, language and labelling will be examined.

Module 2: Collaboration in diverse school communities

Extending on module one, in module two fundamental aspects of collaboration in diverse school communities will be addressed.

Teacher education students will be provided with opportunities to develop advanced research-informed knowledge of the importance of collaboration, including consideration of family-perspectives and school-family-community relations.

The importance of inter-professional collaboration will be examined, alongside consideration of the effective use of available supports for facilitating equitable educational practice.

The role of teachers in working with students, families and colleagues and recognising the importance of a strengths-based approach, resisting all forms of stigma, disestablishing ableism and facilitating inclusion will be addressed.

Opportunities will be provided for critical reflection on attitudes and beliefs towards diversity including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and the implications for educational practice. Inclusive approaches to communication will be explored.

Module 3: Universal approaches to pedagogy, curriculum and assessment

Building on modules one and two, in module three the many considerations of inclusive planning will be explored.

Teacher education students will be provided with opportunities to develop and apply research-informed specialised knowledge of a range of approaches to designing curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and environments that cater for all students in diverse classrooms.

This will include examining a wide range of considerations for planning, assessment and monitoring, including engaging with universal design for learning, quality differentiated practices, and evaluating processes for identifying specific learning needs.

Explore curriculum and physical accommodations including assistive technology applications that schools can make to support a range of needs.

Further consideration of implications of labels given to children will also be undertaken within an exploration of all aspects of human diversity and the implications for genuinely equitable education.

Module 4: Creating inclusive classrooms

In module four teacher education students will be provided with opportunities to apply and extend unit learning with a focus on implementing inclusive strategies.

This will include in-depth analysis of specific materials and resources and the ways in which these are used to ensure the meaningful engagement and participation of all students. The role of the teacher in understanding and responding to the individual needs and behaviours of students will be addressed.

This will include examining ways to develop a positive emotional climate to support positive behaviour through the application of research-informed knowledge and understanding of approaches to responding to complex behaviour.

Module 5: Transformation for inclusion

In module five teacher education students will have the opportunity to apply their learning to facilitate the development of a culture of inclusion within education settings.

Key factors involved in establishing an inclusive classroom environment will be explored from the perspective of transforming schools in order to improve educational and community outcomes. This will include discussing the importance of leadership for inclusion, including the need for aligning the cultures, policies and practices of an education setting to support an inclusive approach to learning and teaching that embraces human diversity.

Teacher education students will be supported in developing a high-level of confidence in drawing on research (present and future) to inform pedagogy to ensure optimal student learning experiences and in drawing on theory and practice as the basis for continually informing approaches to reflective and inclusive teaching practice.

Detailed information about the weekly schedule, the required readings and the assessment tasks is available on the iLearn site.