Detailed information about assessment tasks is provided on the unit iLearn site.

• Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic honesty (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3) 

• Unless a Special Consideration (see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration) request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc).  

• Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.  

• Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. 

• All assessments are submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. 

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

• Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error. 

• Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.  

• All assessments are marked using a clear marking scheme or rubric. 

• Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor. 

• Applications for extensions must be made via AskMQ (https://ask.mq.edu.au/).  

• It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments.  If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to make contact with the unit convenor. 

Quizzes are an individual assessment task and MUST BE COMPLETED by each student individually. Similarities in responses between students will be checked and investigated for possible collusion.  

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. For Professional Experience units the PE Report is marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory and the Teaching Performance Assessment (in final PE units) is marked as not meets, meets or exceeds. 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. 

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 your course progression. 

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. 

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, including a reading template and guide to lecture note taking to assist your studies. 

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

All lecture content for this unit is delivered within the weekly topic sections (Note: lectures are not availabe via ECHO360). 

PowerPoint slides to accompany the lectures in the weekly topic sections are also available on iLearn.  

Access and technical assistance  

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

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

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk  

Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357  

Email: help.mq.edu.au. 

On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk 

Structure 

The unit structure can be found in the university timetable https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2023/ 

DAY students will attend ONE 2-hour tutorial per week. Classes are scheduled:

 Tuesdays 11.00 - 1.00 and 2.00 - 4.00

 Wednesdays 9.00 - 11.00, 11.00 - 1.00 and 2.00 - 4.00

INFR students will attend THREE On Campus Days:

         Day 1: Saturday 26th August (9am - 1pm)

         Day 2: Wednesday 13th September (9am - 4pm)

         Day 3: Saturday 28th October (9am - 1pm)

Note: It is essential that you register in classes.

In the tutorial 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. Some assessment tasks will be completed in tutorial time. 

The weekly program for the course with the accompanying readings/ preparation is available on the following pages and on the unit iLearn site - Please refer to the Teaching and Learning Activities document on iLearn for further details. There will be a supporting iLearn site for the unit providing additional readings, links and materials.

Required and recommended texts

Prescribed Text:

Hoffnung, M., Hoffnung, J., Seifert, K., Hine, A., Pause, C., Ward, L., Signal, T., Swabey, K., Yates, K., & Burton Smith, R. (2023). Lifespan development (5th Australasian edition).  Wiley.

Note: It is also fine to use the 4th edition of Hoffnung et al. (2019). Lifespan development (4th Australasian edition).

In addition to chapters from the text, there are supplementary weekly readings associated with some topics (available through library/Leganto unit readings) - refer to iLearn for details.

The following provides a brief overview of weekly topics covered in the unit. Please refer to the Teaching and Learning Activities document on iLearn for further details.

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:

Resilience practiced inside and outside of the classroom.

In order to be more resilient to the stresses of the teaching environment, teachers need to be aware of, and maintain, their holistic health and sense of coherence. They need the confidence and clarity of mind to manage uncertain and complex issues and unexpected events whenever they arise in their career.

Teaching is demanding for everyone; however, it has been observed that the teachers who thrive on challenges are those who are able to draw on their personal resources and the social and structural supports around them.

• Assignment feedback aims to focus on development of academic skills and critical thinking to encourage students to use feedback on assignments to improve performance. 

Reflexive in their teaching practice.

Teaching is about understanding multiple and changing ecologies of learning. This encompasses individual students’ needs, the affordances of classroom spaces, student and teacher relationships, curriculums, school culture, parental expectations, community demographics and needs and expectations of the profession, and the effects of government policy.

Teachers must recognise and mediate all these elements, along with their own motivations and priorities. A reflexive approach to teaching assists in making effective and impactful decisions that ensure quality student outcomes on a daily basis.

• Tutorial activities encourage examination of alternative interpretations of developmental research and critical thinking about own future role and implications for practice. 

Responsive to children, colleagues, parents and professional communities.

Teaching is a relational profession. The best teachers make deep connections with their students, parents and communities. Most of us remember a great teacher, not because of what they taught, but because they were inspiring. They engaged us through the personal connections they made with us, and their recognisable care for our wellbeing and success.

•  In tutorials students engage in an interactive game looking at how children's early experiences impact brain development and later outcomes for children and examine ways of providing optimal environments and experiences for children to support positive outcomes. Developing deep connections with parents and communities assists teachers in supporting families in providing positive expereinces for their child. 

Ready to learn.

When teachers graduate from university, they are far from the end of their learning journey, but rather just at the beginning.

The ongoing pursuit of learning is a mark of a quality teacher. There are always new methods and ideas to try. But in practice, learning needs are not a one-size-fits-all affair. Teachers need to identify their individual learning needs within the context of their career. Then, they can pursue that learning to the benefit of both themselves and their students.

•  Students are supported to develop an understanding that research provides the evidence base to inform practice and to identify strategies for supporting children's development. 

Research engaged throughout their career.

Effective teaching practice is based on evidence. This evidence can come from their own research in the classroom and the latest academic research in learning, teaching, motivation, cognition, curriculum, technologies and spaces, to name a few. A critical understanding of data is essential, allowing it to be analysed and woven back into practice.

• Lectures cover research methods used in child development research including specific reference to findings from the major longitudinal studies of child development (e.g. AEDC, NICHD, LSAC & LSIC).

• The major assignments require students to engage with  child development research and consider implications for practice based on the research evidence. In particualr, students analyse data from the AEDC to consider factors that inpact children's development in the early years and how this influences later developmental and academic outcomes. 

The 5Rs framework can help teachers stay focused on what’s important. It can give teachers the confidence to keep at their career, strive for personal improvement and maximise their positive impact on children.