• 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 a 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 does not have a textbook.  We will use journal articles.  You are required to find the articles via the Macquarie University Library.  We will not be using Leganto.

Required readings

WEIRD Studies and Culture

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1720325115 Keller, H. (2018). Universality claim of attachment theory: Children’s socioemotional development across cultures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(45), 11414-11419.

https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdep.12425?casa_token=3RFBUn2QlOIAAAAA%3AqR0sBCKbtnLFecYmZtPCL0WYhUfRPAwT2JKtJvsXuiF2wyqll-6YPYuUhGU-tnO6kQR6rEf7Eov0hnD0 Masek, L. R., Ramirez, A. G., McMillan, B. T., Hirsh‐Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2021). Beyond counting words: A paradigm shift for the study of language acquisition. Child Development Perspectives, 15(4), 274-280.

https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13731?casa_token=da-QdEYFHMIAAAAA%3AxG1NZh4I1tJpw7JJe2wwcnKDb7NIqT5hDsX_1aPF7kqI9dDJ2Z4eJN5UNldcB5LrKkoiHI4u2_KilMoO Senzaki, S., & Shimizu, Y. (2022). Different types of focus: Caregiver–child interaction and changes in preschool children’s attention in two cultures. Child Development.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147176719300689?casa_token=8FmXYZXGU-cAAAAA:0eCJmvmsMaG0OqlRhQH1eBbeWQiKcTG9OiJZKMQCEZHH4uUfr0kcpqAUDWGayDUyCZgHkD-Kyg Dockery, A. M. (2020). Inter-generational transmission of Indigenous culture and children’s wellbeing: Evidence from Australia. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 74, 80-93.

Reviews

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hsc.12759 Hafford‐Letchfield, T., Cocker, C., Rutter, D., Tinarwo, M., McCormack, K., & Manning, R. (2019). What do we know about transgender parenting?: Findings from a systematic review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27(5), 1111-1125.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-022-02057-5 Bialystok, E., & Craik, F. I. (2022). How does bilingualism modify cognitive function? Attention to the mechanism. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 1-24.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-019-01694-7 Hawes, Z., & Ansari, D. (2020). What explains the relationship between spatial and mathematical skills? A review of evidence from brain and behavior. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 27(3), 465-482.

https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Fulltext/2020/09000/The_Impact_of_Family_Environment_on_Language.3.aspx?context=FeaturedArticles&collectionId=1 Holzinger, D., Dall, M., Sanduvete-Chaves, S., Saldaña, D., Chacón-Moscoso, S., & Fellinger, J. (2020). The impact of family environment on language development of children with cochlear implants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ear and hearing, 41(5), 1077-1091.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517305108?casa_token=bUW9hVjU2pUAAAAA:hn8el3dAfzSi1sbiu332rbfgf4e5p_cPa_SpZ0e8Mmix5pnJBa8TUhLwjeiHfF-IzNktYFWRbQ Truelove, S., Bruijns, B. A., Vanderloo, L. M., O'Brien, K. T., Johnson, A. M., & Tucker, P. (2018). Physical activity and sedentary time during childcare outdoor play sessions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive medicine, 108, 74-85.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cch.12832?casa_token=_UdZs8M-s18AAAAA%3A37zx-OgPla22H_yqqd7nxtNAGa3yv2V04AJsXtl0diuhusD24VTzq-4WqmMaT_AHeWCPesMOqKS5o-Pf Graber, K. M., Byrne, E. M., Goodacre, E. J., Kirby, N., Kulkarni, K., O'Farrelly, C., & Ramchandani, P. G. (2021). A rapid review of the impact of quarantine and restricted environments on children's play and the role of play in children's health. Child: Care, Health and Development, 47(2), 143-153.

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. 

Lectures and other short videos to support your study can be found in the ECHO360 block.

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  

Log a request: 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/  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. There will be a supporting iLearn site for the unit providing additional readings, links and materials.  

Consult iLearn for the scheduled topics in child development.  Note there will be no topics during the 10-28 October placement block.

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

Teachers need to manage uncertain and complex issues and unexpected events when they arise in their career. We know teaching is challenging and demanding, however, it has been observed that teachers who thrive are able to draw on their personal resources and the social and structural supports around them.

It can be hard to keep up with changes in child development research.  In this unit, you will learn some skills for keeping ahead in this constantly changing area.

Reflexive

Teaching is about understanding multiple and changing ecologies of learning: individual students’ needs, the affordances of classroom spaces, student and teacher relationships, curriculum, research evidence, school culture, parental expectations, community demographics and needs, expectations of the profession, and government policy. Teachers must recognise and mediate these elements in their career, along with their own motivations and priorities, to make effective and impactful decisions that ensure quality student outcomes every day.

This unit starts with an understanding of WEIRD to challenge our preconceptions and current knowledge.

Responsive

Teaching is a relational profession: great teachers make deep connections with students, parents and communities. Most of us remember a great teacher we had at school: not because of the content they taught, but because they were inspiring; because of the connection they made with us, their interest in us as an individual, their care for our wellbeing and success.

Understanding why children changes attitudes.  What may be considered a behaviour problem by some, those with a sound knowledge of child development see the same behaviour as a fascinating aspect of development that can be nurtured.

Ready to learn

When teachers graduate from university they are not at the end of their learning journey, but at the beginning. Ongoing pursuit of learning is a mark of a quality teaching profession. There are always new challenges to deal with and new ideas to try. However, in practice, learning needs are not a one size fits all affair. Teachers need to identify their own learning needs for their context and they can pursue that learning to achieve great outcomes for all students.

This unit provides you with skills in accessing and reading new research.  We will also focus on different types of publications to make your ongoing learning more efficient and effective.

Research engaged

Effective teachers base their practice on evidence. This evidence can come from their own research in the classroom and from the latest academic research in specialised areas of learning, teaching, motivation, cognition, curriculum, technologies and spaces to name a few. Understanding data is important so that it can be analysed and woven back into practice.

This unit requires students to engage with relevant, recent, and quality research literature through their assessment tasks, lectures, and prescribed readings.