Students

EDUC7001 – Introduction to Systematic Reviews in Education

2023 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Shirley Wyver
Contact via via iLearn
Room 232 29WW
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
EDUC7000
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Students will be introduced to the process of writing a systematic review and other methods of systematic research synthesis. Students will select an area of education research that is of interest and develop a systematic review. Areas of education research that may be examined in this unit include; early childhood education and care, primary and secondary schools, higher education, educational institutions such as museums, professional development, community education programs.

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: Understand how to develop a researchable question for a systematic review
  • ULO2: Demonstrate knowledge of advanced database searches required for systematic reviews
  • ULO3: Analyse definitions of constructs used in education research
  • ULO4: Apply an established quality analysis procedure to a set of research articles
  • ULO5: Prepare the basics of a systematic review in preparation for writing a full review

General Assessment Information

All assessments are due on the same day.  Ideally you will time your assessments to take advantage of the workshops presented throughout semester.  The single due date will give you experience in planning for your MRes thesis.  You will have one due date for the thesis, but you need to figure out when you will submit work for feedback.  For this unit, you can submit throughout session and receive feedback or submit all assignments at the end.

  • 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 aclear 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. 

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. 

 

  

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. 

 

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. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Developing Research Questions 25% No 6 November 2023
Selecting Articles 25% No 6 November 2023
Data Extraction 25% No 6 November 2023
Final Report 25% No 6 November 2023

Developing Research Questions

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 6 November 2023
Weighting: 25%

 

2,000 words covering research area, background literature and aims leading to the research questions will be covered in this assignment.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand how to develop a researchable question for a systematic review
  • Analyse definitions of constructs used in education research

Selecting Articles

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 6 November 2023
Weighting: 25%

 

A 2,000 word assignment includes documenting advanced database searching and decisions for including and excluding documents.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of advanced database searches required for systematic reviews
  • Analyse definitions of constructs used in education research

Data Extraction

Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 6 November 2023
Weighting: 25%

 

A 2,000 word advanced summary, extracting information from the articles using and applying an established quality analysis regarding the design of the studies.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply an established quality analysis procedure to a set of research articles

Final Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 6 November 2023
Weighting: 25%

 

A 6000 word final report involves integration of the previous assignment including response to feedback and other refinements.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Prepare the basics of a systematic review in preparation for writing a full review

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

his 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. 

 

Content will be available on the web through the ECHO360 lecture component.

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/ 

Unit Schedule

Classes

 

We have 4 Scheduled Classes.  The classes are on Saturdays 11am-3pm and are offered by Zoom.  Attendance is not compulsory, but it is strongly encouraged as these are interactive sessions.  The classes will be recorded as students from previous years have found it valuable to review the recordings even if they have attended the session.  The recordings will be available via Echo360.

Week 30 (29 July) 

Week 33 (19 Aug) 

Week 39 (30 Sept) 

Week 43 (28 Oct) 

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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 2023.01R of the Handbook