Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Matthew Kosnik matthew.kosnik@mq.edu.au Contact via matthew.kosnik@mq.edu.au 14ER 330 prior to or after meetings or by appointment.
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites Admission to MRes
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This foundation unit deeply engages students with the broad topics, big questions, strategies, new directions of scientific thought and break-through methods currently emerging in the biological, chemical, earth and environmental sciences. Activities undertaken include tailored workshops and presentations by research groups and academics, seminar attendance, directed reading of research literature, as well as the discussion and critique of wide-ranging research topics. Students will demonstrate their understanding of current research and develop their science communication skills based on the research frontiers explored; they will become embedded in our active research community, and reflect on their future goals in their chosen discipline.

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: Demonstrate an understanding of current scientific questions and methods
ULO2: Critically evaluate and discuss current research with other researchers
ULO3: Communicate current research questions, methods and results in multiple formats to a variety of audiences with supporting evidence
ULO4: Apply networking skills in a variety of contexts with peers and partners from industry and academia
ULO5: Critically reflect on your current knowledge and transferability of these in relation to your career aspirations inside and/or outside academia

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must:

Attempt all assessments, and
Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%

Engagement – please read, as this is very important

As a BPhil / MRes Yr 1 student you are becoming part of our community of researchers. You need to be an active participant in the unit activities. You will be expected to lead and particpate in discussions, ask questions and engage with seminar speakers, and proactively work to find your place in our diverse research community.

Academic Honesty

Presenting the work of another person as one’s own is a serious breach of the University’s rules and carries significant penalties. In this unit, we will be checking written work for plagiarism using TURNITIN. Penalties for plagiarism may include a zero mark for the assignment or in more extreme cases, failure of the unit. Plagiarism WILL be noted on your academic record. (link: Academic Integrity Policy)

Due dates and assessement topics

For assessments where the topic is to be derived from a seminar / discussion - you must get the topic approved by the convenor prior to submission. Topics covered in leading discussions, summary paragraphs and general audience communicaiton piece need to be distinct and span the breadth of the research undertaken within the school with no more than one of those assessments from your anticipated area of focus. In the first two weeks of the session you will have the opportunity to adjust the due dates listed in the unit guide through agreement with the convenor. Once due dates are agreed they are final.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation 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. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be 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, please apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted

In this unit, late submissions will accepted as follows:

The summary paragraph, goals & needs assessment, communication plan, general audience science communication, and the time on task reflection are all subject to the standard late submission penalty.
Seminar and discussion particiation and discussion leadership must take place at the agreed / scheduled times unless a special consideration is granted.
See marking guidance on iLearn or consult the convenor for additional information.

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. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please contact the convenor prior to submitting a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Seminar and discussion participation	10%	No	Weekly through session
Discussion leadership	25%	No	As agreed
Summary paragraph	15%	No	Week 2 or as agreed
Goals and needs assessment	10%	No	Week 3 or as agreed
Communication plan	10%	No	Week 5 or as agreed
General audience science communication	25%	No	Week 10 or as agreed
Time on task reflection	5%	No	Week 13

Seminar and discussion participation

Assessment Type ¹: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 0 hours
Due: Weekly through session
Weighting: 10%

Seminars and discussion groups will expose you to a broad range of topics in the natural sciences from which you will select topics to explore in greater detail. Proactive participation in discussions following seminars is required. In addition to the seminars hosted by the school, you will also be required to attend seminars elsewhere (e.g. other departments / schools at Macquarie University, other universities, museums, botanical gardens or other research oriented institutions).