Students

MMCC8045 – Professional Practices

2021 – Session 1, Special circumstance

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

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Rachael Gunn
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MMediaComm or MCrInd and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The objective of this unit is for students to develop professional media and creative skills. Students demonstrate their skills across a variety of formats in either project design, aesthetics, and management, or creative entrepreneurship tactics and strategies. This unit promotes learning through participation with community partners as well as the development of graduate capabilities and professional skills.

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: develop professional, collaborative, and interpersonal skills to navigate the interconnected and fast-paced global workplace
  • ULO2: integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • ULO3: connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • ULO4: communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

General Assessment Information

Internship

This unit involves a professional internship or personal project ("Professional Practice Activity" or PPA) that will develop and demonstrate graduate capabilities and professional skills acquired during your studies. As such, it is designed to be completed in the final session of your degree. All PPAs must be approved by the unit staff, and a log must be kept to show a breakdown of the hours and work completed (for internships, this log must be signed off by the supervisor at the conclusion of the internship).

Late Penalty and Special Consideration

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. 

Please note: Extensions and late penalties will be applied per 24hour period. I.e. If the original deadline was Monday 5pm and the student received 2 days extension, the assessment will then be due on Wednesday 5pm. This is to help prepare students for employment contexts.

Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support is governed by other policies and may be sought and coordinated through Campus Wellbeing and Support Services. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Quizzes 30% No 30 March, 4 May, and 25 May 2021
Portfolio Part 1 35% No 5pm 6 April 2021
Portfolio Part 2 35% No 5pm 1 June 2021

Online Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 30 March, 4 May, and 25 May 2021
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will complete online quizzes that will assess their knowledge and understanding of unit content, including key professional practices in the media and creative industries. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • develop professional, collaborative, and interpersonal skills to navigate the interconnected and fast-paced global workplace
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts

Portfolio Part 1

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 5pm 6 April 2021
Weighting: 35%

 

Students will submit a portfolio of work that shows their progress of learning in this unit, including key tasks related to professional development, career management, reflective practice, and relevant theoretical knowledge and professional practice. A reflective portfolio introduction needs to be included. Students are expected to synthesise and apply theoretical knowledge relevant to employment contexts in ways that underpin the portfolio task. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

Portfolio Part 2

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 5pm 1 June 2021
Weighting: 35%

 

Students will submit a portfolio of work that shows their progress of learning in this unit, including key tasks related to professional development, career management, reflective practice, and relevant theoretical knowledge and professional practice. A reflective portfolio introduction needs to be included. Students are expected to synthesise and apply theoretical knowledge relevant to employment contexts in ways that underpin the portfolio task. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

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

Classes

This unit will be delivered as two-hour weekly interactive seminars. Attendance is required at all seminars. Further details regarding schedule and topics are available on iLearn. For current updates, please consult the MQ Timetables website.

Classes start in Week 2.

Internship

As a requirement of this unit, students must undertake a Professional Practice Activity (PPA) of at least 30 hours over the course of semester. There are two types of PPA that students can undertake: 1. Internship; 2. Student-designed project. PPAs must be aligned with the student's career goals, enhance their employability skills, and help them progress in their career development. All PPAs must be approved by the unit staff before students can proceed.

To prepare for their PPA, students are encouraged to utilise the following resources:

- MQ Career and Employment Services

- WIL for international students

And to find your own internship:

- Career Hub (MQ's own job portal - use your student OneID and password to activate your account when you first visit)

- The Centre for Volunteering

- The Loop

UNICEF Internships

- Pedestrian.tv

- GradAustralia

- GradConnection

- ArtsHub

Emails

Students are expected to regularly check their student email account, and respond to the unit staff and their internship supervisor in a timely and professional manner. If a student is not able to access their student email account, they should provide an alternative account asap for staff and supervisors to contact them.

Website

The website for this unit is provided through the University's iLearn system, which can be found here. If you are enrolled in this unit you should have access to the material on iLearn (from two weeks before the start of semester). Students are expected to regularly visit the unit’s iLearn site to engage with the unit materials and announcements, utilise the assessment and career resources, and interact with their peers. 

Readings 

The MMCC8045 unit readings are listed on iLearn and accessed via Leganto. The readings are essential preparation for your assignments and help you meet the learning outcomes. Students are expected to go beyond the set readings through independent research that is both specific to their area of study and also to their placement.

Technology used and required

Computer and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g. internet browsing), skills in word processing and powerpoint, and emailing are also a requirement.

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:

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 2021.04 of the Handbook