Assignment Submission:

A high level of critical engagement with the set texts and active participation in the lectures and workshops is essential for passing this unit.

Assessment tasks are aligned to the Unit Learning Outcomes. Rubrics are provided for each assignment that give information about the standards required to meet the learning outcomes at each of the grading levels - high distinction through to fail. Please be aware that the failure to meet one of the learning outcomes specified for each grading level can result in a lower grade. For example, students who do not complete the assignments ethically will fail, even if they successfully meet the learning outcomes in other areas.

Assignments are to be submitted through Turnitin on iLearn. The assignments are varied but all relate to building professional creative non-fiction writing skills. They will be assessed according to the appropriate rubrics.

Correct use of grammar, accurate spelling, demonstrated depth of research where appropriate and evidence that you have thought deeply about your subject matter are other important factors in assessing your work. Meeting the set deadline and presenting the work according to specifications will improve your mark. Group and individual feedback will be provided wherever possible.

While you are encouraged to show your work to your student colleagues for feedback, please be aware that the piece you submit must be your own work. Substantial editing by other people - family, friends, colleagues or professionals - is not permitted. Nor is overuse of AI.

Use of AI

Use of Artificial Intelligence in your work is discouraged. Its use becomes unacceptable in your work for this unit when it crosses the line and becomes cheating: AI must not do your work for you. For example, it is not acceptable to use AI in your research to replace real interviews with real people -- or to replace actual locations you have visited with invented fieldwork. Nor is it acceptable to copy and past text produced by AI into your assignments.

This semester, it is acceptable to use AI generatively in your writing -- for example, as a starting point to write. It is then up to you to continue re-writing and re-writing, until you achieve new and original work of your own. It is not acceptable to use AI to write the assignment for you.

If you use AI then you must:  

• Acknowledge at the end of your assignments that you have used it and the ways you have used it.

• In your final assignment, discuss its usage in your reflection. You can add up to a further 100 words to the existing length of the reflection, as long as those extra words are dedicated to the topic of your use of AI.

Presenting work for assessment

In the Writing strand we work on the assumption that you are preparing all coursework as if you were presenting material to real editors in the real world. Editors are people who read for a living. They read a lot. They read thousands of words a day and make decisions about it. If your work is poorly presented, what they will decide is that you are wasting their time. Consequently, marks will be deducted for failing to present work in an appropriate manner that would not offend the eyes of a professional editor.

Use the following checklist before handing in any work:

1. Typed, double spaced, with wide margins. 2. Spelling checked, including proper names 3. Word count done (where required) and printed at the end of the piece. 4. Grammar correct. 5 All book, film and other titles in italics.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

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 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 written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of other peoples' work or ideas. It is a serious academic offence and attracts severe penalties. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it. 

Consent Forms and Publication Wavier Forms

When a student interviews a real person face-to-face, via Zoom or other online platform, over the telephone, via email or through any other means, they must provide that person with information about the interview and how the resulting information gathered will be used. Students must also obtain written or emailed confirmation that their interview subject has understood and agreed to such uses. A standard form for this purpose is attached to the study guide (consent form). The relevant form must be completed and attached to all assignments that involve interviews.

When students submit their work to a magazine, website or other publication, whether seeking payment or not, they must obtain written agreement that the publisher will assume total responsibility for the publication of the story and indemnify the writer against any action arising from such publication. A standard form for this purpose -- a publication waiver -- must be used and can be obtained from the unit convenor.

Note: Your assignments will not be marked unless the required Consent Form is completed and attached to the work for each person interviewed. Students should keep copies of all completed forms.             

Delivery - Day.

Lectures will start in Week 1 and tutorials will start in Week 2.

The lectures in this unit will be pre-recorded. There will be no live lectures - they will be delivered weekly as either lectures recorded on Echo 360 or as annotated Powerpoint slides that can be accessed each week via iLearn. Lectures on Powerpoint are best accessed by playing in slideshow, which gives a continuous presentation (rather than slide by slide).The lectures will usually be accessible the Friday of the week before the relevant tutorials.

The tutorials will be offered both face-to-face and online.

Assignments are to be submitted via Turnitin.

For current updates, lecture times and classrooms please consult your timetable -- visit Class Finder (click on the  icon on the homepage of eStudent).

Resources:

Each week during the course students will be asked to read articles relevant to the topic at hand. These will be listed each week in iLearn. The articles can either be sourced online or via the library. 

Technology:

Lectures will be available on iLearn and some tutorials will be run on Zoom. Announcements, assignment tasks and other materials to be used in tutorials will be posted as needed on iLearn. 

Please see iLearn for details.