Students

GEOP2060 – Geography and Planning Field School

2024 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kate Lloyd
kate.lloyd@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(GEOP1010 or GEOP111) and (GEOP2010 or GEOP201)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The Geography and Planning field school provides students with an opportunity to apply skills in a real-world environment. Students will develop theoretical and practical knowledge in the context of a specific field site and will participate in research exercises that prepare them for conducting future independent research. Working in a team, students will gain first-hand experience in applying research skills using different methods of data collection alongside assessing, analysing and presenting data. Students will also gain practical skills in assessing ethical implications, and considering the risks and hazards involved in doing fieldwork. On the basis of these activities, students will gain a clear understanding of the skills required for conducting geographic and planning research and have the capacity to see a research project through from start to finish.

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: Define, plan and execute a research project, incorporating practical and ethical elements of conducting research.
  • ULO2: Apply geographical and planning theory and methods to a specific field site.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate skills in project management, data collection, data analysis and communication of research findings.
  • ULO4: Work independently and as part of a team.

General Assessment Information

Assignment requirements and submission

Detailed requirements and marking rubrics for each assessment are available from the iLearn site. All written assignments should be submitted online to Turnitin via the relevant links provided in iLearn. You are not required to submit a hardcopy of any assignments or include a cover sheet.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

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 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. 

Assessment feedback

All feedback for assignments will be made available online. The grade will be in the form of a letter as consistent with University policy (HD, D, Cr, P, F) alongside written feedback

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Field School Brief 30% No Week 7 Friday 6th September 11:55pm
Presentation 20% No Week 8 Thursday 12th September 9-12pm
Field School Portfolio 50% No Week 10 Thursday 11th October 11:55pm

Field School Brief

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 7 Friday 6th September 11:55pm
Weighting: 30%

 

A 1,000-word project brief drawing on academic and policy literature related to the field site.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, plan and execute a research project, incorporating practical and ethical elements of conducting research.
  • Apply geographical and planning theory and methods to a specific field site.

Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 8 Thursday 12th September 9-12pm
Weighting: 20%

 

Students present their field school output in small groups and submit individual presentation scripts (600-800 words). Presentations will include the key observations made in the field, and a discussion and interpretation of these observations.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, plan and execute a research project, incorporating practical and ethical elements of conducting research.
  • Apply geographical and planning theory and methods to a specific field site.
  • Demonstrate skills in project management, data collection, data analysis and communication of research findings.
  • Work independently and as part of a team.

Field School Portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Field work task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 10 Thursday 11th October 11:55pm
Weighting: 50%

 

A 2,500-word portfolio comprising a) group analysis of approaches and observations from the field in the context of the wider literature; and b) individual reflections based on a fieldwork diary compiled during the field trip.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, plan and execute a research project, incorporating practical and ethical elements of conducting research.
  • Apply geographical and planning theory and methods to a specific field site.
  • Demonstrate skills in project management, data collection, data analysis and communication of research findings.
  • Work independently and as part of a team.

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

Classes 

The Geography and Planning field school will run on campus and at our field site location, Sydney Olympic Park on Thursday's from 9-12pm. In weeks 3, 6, 7 we will meet at Sydney Olympic Park. There will also be field work at Sydney Olympic Park in the mid-session break on the 17th, 18th and 19th of September. 

Given the nature of the unit students will not be able to complete the unit successfully if they do not attend all face-to-face workshops and field site visitis.  

Reading 

Required reading (journal articles and chapters) will be listed on iLearn and available via Leganto. 

Technology used and required 

All enrolled students have access to the GEOP2060 website via iLearn. iLearn will provide access to unit resources (powerpoint presentations for download) as well as readings, links and forum discussions. Regular access to iLearn is required in order to complete the unit. 

 

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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 2024.02 of the Handbook