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 - 10/100 marks of credit (10% of the total assessment weighting) will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessment - e.g. quizzes, online tests. A zero result for the assignment will be recorded after the late submission period has ended if no task has been received.

● 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 judgments.

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.

  

Grade	Descriptor
HD  (High Distinction)	Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline.
D  (Distinction)	Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
Cr  (Credit)	Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
P  (Pass).	Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes
F  (Fail)	Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.

 

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 and recommended texts 

One core text book will be used in this course. You can purchase a hard or soft copy. Although the reference is for the 7th edition of the book, you can also use earlier editions which may be cheaper or freely available on the internet. 

Johnson, B., and Christensen, L. (2019). Educational Research: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Approaches. (7th Edition). Sage.

Additional reading

Additional reading will be provided for each module. These should all be directly available from the library or will be made available on the unit iLearn site.

 

Unit delivery and communication

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn.   

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

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

 

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. 

The unit is split into 6 two-week modules, each led by a staff member who has expertise in that specific research approach. Each module includes pre-recorded presentations, recommended readings, and may include an activity such as a discussion forum, quiz, or preparation for a tutorial. Each module will also have a scheduled 2 hour tutorial - these are not compulsory but you are strongly encouraged to attend. The tutorials provide an opportunity to discuss course content and will include activities that aid your understanding of the unit material and help to complete the assessment for that module. It is also a great opportunity to interact with and learn from your fellow classmates.

The following table provides an overview of the activities for each module, the scheduled tutorial time, and the due dates for assessments. Please carefully review the unit schedule so you know what activities you are participating in each week. Note that content for each module will be opened Sunday morning to provide you with an opportunity to review the material and plan your work schedule. Note that assignments are due for submission on Saturday evenings by 11.55pm – if there are any exceptions to this the module convenor will contact you with specific details. It is your responsibility to ensure you complete all activities and assessments at the appropriate time.

 

	Activity	Online Meeting	Assessment
Module 1: Rebecca Bull. Overview and Introduction to Research Approaches
Week 1 (w.b. 26th July)	Read unit guide Introduce yourself Listen to module 1 presentations
Week 2 (w.b. 2nd August)	Complete allocated reading Identify your research topic Submit brief details of your research topic to discussion forum	Wed 4th August 5-7pm Questions about unit. Questions about module 1 content. Break out groups themed by research topic.	No assessment
Module 2: Garry Falloon. Qualitative Research – Narrative Inquiry and Case Studies
Week 3 (w.b. 9th August)	Read the indicated sections of the course text and Stake’s chapter as indicated in ‘Module 2 structure’ on iLearn Review Module 2 study guide sections 1 & 2 and related video lectures Record notes on above to assist in discussion of study guide section 1 & 2 questions during the online meeting
Week 4 (w.b. 16th August)	Review study guide section 3 and video lecture Make one posting and one response to another’s posting in each of the Module 2 Discussion forums on iLearn Prepare and submit the assessment task	Wed 18 August, 5-7pm Structured discussion of readings and lectures followed by group activity using study guide questions to frame up an assessment task response.	Due Saturday 21st August @ 11.55pm (15%)
Module 3: Neil Harrison. Qualitative Research – Phenomenology, Ethnography, and Grounded Theory
Week 5 (w.b. 23rd August)	Your reading and thinking about phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory should all take place this week. Listen to 3 module presentations Complete the readings
Week 6 (w.b. 30th August)	All your writing for the assessment task should take place in this week.	Wed 1st September 5-7pm You will need to have read the paper from Harrison, Burke and Clarke (2020). Risky teaching (see module 3). This will be discussed in relation to the assessment task	Due Saturday 4th September @ 11.55pm (15%)
Module 4: Rebecca Bull. Quantitative Research – Strong Experimental Design and Randomised Controlled Trials
Week 7 (w.b. 6th September)	Listen to presentations Complete assigned reading Read about the assessment for this module; look at research articles for assessment and select one
Week 8 (w.b. 27th September)	Listen to research presentations Test your understanding with the MCQ Read the practice paper for Module 4 assessment (for discussion at meeting)	Wed 29th September 5-7pm: Break out groups – discussion of practice paper Questions about module content Questions about assessment	Due Saturday 2nd October @ 11.55pm (15%) Short answer questions
Module 5: Rauno Parrila. Quantitative Research – Quasi-experimental and Single Case Study Designs.
Week 9 (w.b. 4th October)	Complete assigned readings Post five questions about the readings Post five answers to questions Post quasi-experimental study description	Wed 11th October, 5-6pm Quasi-experimental study designs and examples
Week 10 (w.b. 11th October)	Complete assigned reading Post questions about the readings Post your answers to questions Post your single-case study description	Wed 13th October, 5-6pm Single case study designs and examples	Due Saturday 16th October@ 11.55pm (15%)
Module 6: Philip Li. Non-experimental Designs and Mixed Methods Approach
Week 11 (w.b. 18th October)	Listen to pre-recorded lecture on ECHO 360 Complete recommended reading Participate in Forum Discussion and Self-exam
Week 12 (w.b. 25th October)	Prepare and submit the assessment task	Wed 27th October 5-7pm Questions about Module 6 Revisit of the content	Due Saturday 30th October @ 11.55pm (15%)
Final Review: Rebecca Bull
Week 13 (w.b. 1st November)	Complete Research Plan		Due Saturday 6th November @ 11.55pm (25%)

 

The 5Rs Framework, developed by the School of Education at Macquarie University, is embedded throughout your teacher education course. Your use of the 5Rs Framework will help you develop the capabilities that will make your teaching career sustainable and fulfilling. In this unit, you will learn using the 5Rs framework in the following important ways:

RESILIENT: For many students, the content of this unit will be completely new and may seem daunting and challenging. Students are encouraged to seek support from, and provide support to, other students in the unit. Students are also encouraged to plan ahead and manage their workload.

REFLEXIVE: Students engage critically with research evidence and the methodological rigor of that evidence. They are expected to make meaningful links between the research, their own professional context and experience, and their own research ideas.

RESPONSIVE: Research methods highlight the communities that impact on practice - students, families, educators, cultures, and systems. This unit requires students to identify an educational issue and to develop a research plan to examine that issue. The ultimate aim of the unit is to develop teachers as researchers who can identify important educational issues, and who will be able to evaluate and conduct research that impacts at all levels of the community.

READY TO LEARN: Students identify their own research topic (of personal and professional interest to them) that will be the focus of their research plan and to which they will apply their newly acquired knowledge of methodological approaches.

RESEARCH ENGAGED: Students are exposed to various research approaches and complete assignments which assess their research knowledge and their ability to critically evaluate research studies. The final assignment draws together their learning in the submission of a research plan for a study.