Hurdle Assessments: Student Engagement

Development of knowledge and skills requires continual practice at authentic problems in a laboratory-based setting. In an effort to develop good study skills and because this is a skills-based unit, we have made participation compulsory for the Workshops - this is a hurdle assessment for the unit i.e., you must comply with this requirement to pass the unit. 

While we expect 100% participation at all workshops to guarantee a successful outcome, the hurdle assessment in this unit requires that you attend and participate in at least 9 out of the 11 weekly workshops. The teaching staff of your registered class will provide you with further details on what we define as participation and we will record your participation weekly in the iLearn grade book.

Please contact your convenor [nathan.daczko@mq.edu.au] as soon as possible if you have difficulty attending and participating in any classes. If there are circumstances that mean you miss a class, you can apply for a disruption to studies request through ask.mq.edu.au and if approved, this workshop will be removed from your record of absences.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Students enrolled in Session based units with written assessments will have the following university standard late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information.

Unless a 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 grade of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration. 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted: In this unit, late submissions will accepted for all assessments following the standard late penalties described above. The dates for submission of assessment tasks are listed on the schedule. Students must keep a photocopy of their reports.

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit, you must: (1) attempt all assessments; (2) achieve a total mark greater than or equal to 50%; (3) meet the engagement hurdle described above; and (4) achieve at least 50% in the final examination.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short- term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment.

Written Assessments: If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the written assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Weekly practice-based tasks: To pass the unit you need to demonstrate ongoing development of skills and application of knowledge in 10 out of 13 of the weekly practical classes. If you miss a weekly practical class due to a serious, unavoidable and significant disruption, contact your convenor ASAP as you may be able to attend another class that week. If it is not possible to attend another class, you should still contact your convenor for access to class material to review in your own time.

Note that a Special Consideration should only be applied for if you miss more than three of the weekly practical classes.

Week 1 class: EESC2150 runs a Workshop (3hr) in week 1, i.e., you must attend class in week 1.

Methods of communication: We will communucate with you via your university email (if personal) and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors must be placed on the iLearn discussion board (if not personal) or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn (if personal).

COVID information: For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/ about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Introduction: This is a hands on unit of study that will reinforce skills developed in first year (EESC1150 Planet Earth) and acquaint you with the essential features of the materials that constitute the Earth, processes that shape the Earth’s surface, and the deeper Earth processes that lead to rock change. The unit is an introduction to deep Earth processes and interpreting Earth history and not only forms the vital stepping stone for future studies in Earth and Environmental Science, but also sets out to give students from other disciplines a basic understanding of the physical Earth.

We aim to help you develop the skills necessary for study of the physical Earth. By the end of the unit, you should have the skills to:

• Make critical observations of geology for yourself
• Identify minerals and rocks
• Determine geometric relationships between rock units, as depicted on geological maps
• Use geological information to better understand the physical Earth

STUDY PROGRAM

This unit concentrates on five major themes that will be explored and revisited in various ways throughout the unit. These themes include:

• Deep time (prehistorical and ancient geological past)
• Plate tectonics
• The rock cycle
• Geological skills, e.g., mineral/rock identification, cross-sectioning, interpreting geological history, mapping
• How geoscience can be used to solve some of the problems of the 21^st century

There are three modules that investigate different aspects of geoscience. The main ideas and objectives for the modules are:

Module 1: Applied Geology (approximately one-third of the unit)

By the end of this unit module students should be able to:

• Understand the rock-cycle and key deep earth processes that make and change rocks
• Distinguish typical hand specimens of different rock types and investigate these in thin section
• Read and interpret geological maps using cross sections to determine geological history

Module 2: Stratigraphy and geological time (approximately one-third of the unit)

By the end of this unit module students should be able to:

• Characterise sedimentary rocks and interpret sedimentary facies
• Describe methods of dating the Earth
• Reconstruct paleoenvironments from sedimentary rocks

Module 3: Palaeontology (approximately one-third of the unit)

By the end of this unit students should be able to:

• Describe body and trace fossils and use these in biostratigraphy
• Illustrate how knowledge of mass extinctions can be useful to understanding diversification and evolution
• Reconstruct paleoenvironments from fossil records

FIELD TRIPS

During this unit of study you will be required to participate in field trips: on-campus (in-person during the workshop class) and off-campus, as well as virtual. These excursions form an essential part of the unit and give you an introduction to field geology. You should take special note of the following:

Equipment: The basic requirements are a hand lens, magnet, and some method of testing mineral hardness (e.g. a pocket knife, copper coin, etc.). Buy a geological hammer only if you intend to continue in a geological field. As the weather is not always kind, note taking can be a problem if ballpoint or ink pens are used. Pencils are recommended. Bring several, and keep them sharp. Learn to be neat and tidy in these initial stages, and form a good habit early. It is much easier to discipline yourself now than to change habits later.

Clothing: Everyone has their own idea of comfort, but some common features of field clothing are obvious. Wear sensible, tough footwear, such as boots or strong sneakers. Thongs, fashion shoes and street shoes are useless and unacceptable. We will be walking over some irregular rock outcrops and may be in snake-infested areas. We cannot guarantee good quality weather; so you should have waterproof clothing. Long trousers, such as jeans, are safer than shorts. Bring a hat and sunscreen.

SCHEDULE:

IMPORTANT DATES:

Week 4 – 25% Mapping Bingie 'Field Report' is due

Week 8 – 20% Narrabeen 'Literature Review' is due

Weeks 4,8,11 – 15% iLearn 'Quiz' is due

Exam period – 40% 'Exam' (date advised once the examinations timetable is drawn up)

This unit is experiencing a change of academic staff and so the content for the current offering is being developed as we deliver the unit. Please help us by providing feedback each week on how the unit is progressing.