Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn.

Submission of Assessments

(1) Your written assignments must be submitted online through Turnitin, unless otherwise instructed during the unit. (2) Your final exam will be administered on the fieldtrip (Covid and weather permitting).

Links for the submission of the written assignments will be available on iLearn. Due dates for all assessment tasks are in the unit schedule. If you have commitments that will significantly impact your study during the session then you must plan for this in advance as part of an effective individual study plan.

Marking of Assessments

Your written assignments will be marked through Turnitin and feedback will be noted on the assignments. Do not submit your written assignments via email or in hard copy without prior arrangement. Your assignment grade will be returned using the Grades Report on iLearn. We aim to return your assignments with feedback within 2-3 weeks of the date that you submit your assignment. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marked assignments and feedback are available for viewing.

Penalties for Late Assessments

The penalty for late submission of assessments in this unit is 10 % of the assessment value per day, calculated from the due time and date. This means that, since the written assignment is worth 20 marks (20 % of the unit) you will lose 2 marks for each day late. This penalty is designed to make you aware of the importance of organising yourself around assessment due dates, and it helps ensure equity for all students. The penalty will be applied over weekdays and weekends unless you have been granted an extension by the unit convenor prior to the due date.

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you will need to follow the formal process outlined in the Special Consideration Policy, and you must provide appropriate supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate - see advice for Special Consideration Requests). The final decision regarding the granting of an extension or a late penalty lies with the unit convenor. Seek permission for an extension well before the due date unless this is absolutely impossible. Let us know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event. We are likely to be much more sympathetic and flexible in our requirements if you follow this advice.

Final Examination

The final examination will be held in class time in the field, during the mid-session fieldtrip. If there is bad weather, or if Covid prevents fieldwork, then we may delay until we are back on campus or somewhere else with shelter from the weather.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

The freely-available textbook set for this unit, which is archived on the iLearn site, is; Lottermoser, B.G. 2010. Mine Wastes. Characterization, Treatment and Environmental Impacts. 3rd edition. Springer, Heidelberg, 400 pp.

Other recommended readings for each week will be noted on the iLearn site.

Technology Used and Required

This unit will use iLearn and associated technology. See the Instructions on how to log in to iLearn and the iLearn quick guides for students which will help you;

• Getting started - Find out how to navigate and familiarise yourself with the iLearn environment

• Activities - Learn how to effectively complete the activities required of you in iLearn

• Assessments and Gradebook - Find out how to submit assessments and view your grades using iLearn

• Online study tips

• Discussion fora - Explore the different types, and features of discussion fora in iLearn

Computer-Based Learning

Essential computer-based components of this unit include lectures recorded through Zoom, weekly practical exercises (not all weeks - refer to the unit schedule), and online discussion fora for communicating with staff and other students in this unit. You can undertake this work on- or off-campus, including through the computer laboratories (when they are not booked for classes) or in the Library. If you’re unsure of how to connect to the internet or use the computer system, help can be obtained at; http://students.mq.edu.au/support/.

General Discussion Forum and Announcements

The "General Discussion Forum" link on the unit's homepage is used to discuss important issues related to the unit. You are expected to read every posting to the discussion forum because important administrative and academic information will be posted there - it is your responsibility to stay up to date. Unit-wide announcements will also be shared through the Announcements function in iLearn.

What is Required to Complete This Unit Satisfactorily?

You must receive a unit mark of at least 50 % to pass this unit. In order to receive a Pass grade, you should spend around 11 h per week on this unit in weeks 1-7, which includes lectures, practicals, reading and assessment preparation and completion. On top of that, around 50 hours for the field work and 40 hours for the final assessment. However, keep in mind, grades are awarded on a demonstration of your understanding and ability, not on time or effort!

All lectures are recorded and available online. Lectures provide the framework with which to focus your study of the subject and they are essential for you to engage with. You should supplement them by reading, especially from the text, but also from current journals, which contain the most up-to-date information. All lecture material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. Please complete those before you attempt a relevant practical.

You should participate in six 2 h practicals held each week, at times stipulated by the timetable. Please refer to the iLearn site for that schedule. Each student should complete all practical sessions.

You should complete the full unit workload, and you may need to spend extra time on different parts of the unit content. Classroom and practical workload will be spread over the first half of the session, fieldwork in the mid-session break, and a major assessment in the second half of the session. Knowing this will help you manage your time effectively throughout the session and work around your other units and commitments.

In this unit we expect quality in your assignments and a level of knowledge and comprehension of unit content in the assessment tasks. Grades for each assessment task and the unit as a whole will be awarded according to the following general criteria (course rubric);

LECTURES

Lectures will be available on iLearn at the start of the week in which they are scheduled. All lectures will be online and you do not have to "attend" a lecture. You should supplement lectures by reading, especially from the textbook, but also from the current journals, which contain the most up-to-date information. The iLearn site contains suggested readings, but please don't limit yourself to those. Lectures are available through iLearn https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login.

PRACTICALS

Practicals will be held on Wednesdays, in rooms stipulated by the timetable or laboratories as the practicals require. Practicals will contain a mixture of online components where required, or in the laboratory or classroom. I’ll supply more information on iLearn. 

Each student must attend all practical sessions. Practicals contain material to supplement the lectures, or comprise exercises which give you skills to help with your understanding of the unit topics, fieldwork or the workplace. All practical material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. Practicals provide greater depth to related lecture materials and will assist learning by encouraging your active participation. Important material for the practical classes may be included on iLearn: check the weekly folders. The venue of the practical classes varies (see iLearn). You must wear appropriate clothes for the laboratory: closed toe shoes where no part of your foot is visible (imagine dropping a rock on your foot - choose the footwear you'd like to have should that happen).

FIELDWORK

There is one compulsory mid-session fieldtrip for all students. This fieldwork forms an essential component of this unit. We will conduct assessments and propose remediation plans (if necessary) for contaminated sites outside of the Sydney Basin. For this, we will survey and collect soil and water samples. You will measure the elemental compositions of the soil on site, and I will measure (back at the MQU laboratories) the elemental compositions of the water, and perhaps soil mineralogy. You will then use all of this information – collected by all students, or me – to write your major report. There is also a compulsory fieldtrip in Week 8, to help your understanding of WSUD and stormwater management.

On fieldwork, there are professional standards to adhere to for use of PPE. Everyone should have sturdy footwear - no running shoes or other inadequately protective shoes (but you don't need steel caps). You will wear hi-vis tops - either your own hi-vis shirts or a vest that I will supply. Your shirts will have a collar - no t-shirts. Long sleeves, and a hat with a wide brim - no baseball caps. Shorts or long pants are OK. Gloves as required by the task you are conducting (I can supply nitrile gloves). Safety glasses as required by the task you are conducting (I can supply these). In summary, no sleeves, no collar, no hat, no sturdy shoes = no work.

ASSESSMENTS

There are three assessments overall with percentage weightings as described above.

Due to Covid-19-related changes to the unit schedule, an up to date version will be placed on iLearn. However, the unit content will include the following lectures and activities. Please note this is not a weekly schedule.