Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Co-Convenor
Michelle O'Dowd
Contact via Consultation via dialogue
Consultation via dialogue
Co-Convenor
Fay Hadley
Contact via Consultation via dialogue
Consultation via dialogue
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MSpecEd or GradDipSpecEd or MInc&SpecEd or GradDipInc&SpecEd or GradCertLearnDiffSuppTeach
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is designed to provide knowledge and skills necessary to guide instructional and assessment practices in the areas of reading and writing in English, including processes for providing effective support to facilitate learning for students with reading and writing difficulties. It focuses on current research-based theories and pedagogies for reading and writing. Topics of the unit include key components of reading and writing such as phonics, reading fluency, reading comprehension, text types and spelling. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
General Submission Information
Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing.
All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to 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. 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 contact the unit convenor.
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.
Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).
Unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence
occurs when a student uses material produced by a generative artificial intelligence in an academic exercise, without authorisation and submits it as their own work.
Unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence may include using generative artificial intelligence to:
Any student suspected of using unauthorised AI in an assignment will be referred to the Faculty of Arts Discipline Committee. Penalties can include reduced marks for an assessment, being awarded '0' for a task, failing an entire unit, being excluded from a course of study. Please see each assessment task description/rubric for expectations about AI.
Special Consideration / Late Penalties
Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect.
Late 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 to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar 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.
Important to note:
Marking
University Policy on Grading
Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy.
To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds.
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because 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 Service Connect.
Withdrawing from this unit
If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect 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.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Reading and Reading Comprehension Problem Set | 50% | No | 19/09/2025 |
Writing Problem Set | 40% | No | 03/11/2025 |
Online Discussion Forum Participation | 10% | No | 23.55, Sunday, weekly |
Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 19/09/2025
Weighting: 50%
Students are to answer a set of questions related to effective program design and assessments for reading and reading comprehension (2,200 to 2,700 words).
Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 03/11/2025
Weighting: 40%
Students are to answer a set of questions related to effective program design and assessments for writing (1,500 to 2,000 words).
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 23.55, Sunday, weekly
Weighting: 10%
Students are to contribute to online discussion forums under each topic.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Information about the unit iLearn site
This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. 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: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk.
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.
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 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
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.
School of Education Procedures
In addition, the following policies and procedures for the Macquarie School of Education apply to this unit.
Academic Progression Policy
This unit is a part of a professional course listed on Schedules 2 and 3 of the Academic Progression Policy. This course has additional requirements that are applicable for the full duration of the course, including course-specific Inherent Requirements, Fitness to Practice requirements and other compulsory course requirements. It also has rigorous academic progression standards. Inability to meet these requirements may result in a withdrawal of offer of admission and/or permanent exclusion from the course in accordance with the General Coursework Rules.
Communication
It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis. Communication may occur via:
Attendance and Participation
This is a fully online, flexible delivery unit. There are no classes.
Completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is expected.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success 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.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
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.
Date | Description |
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25/07/2025 | Update unit convenors and removed information about tutorials as this is a fully online flexible delivery unit. |
Unit information based on version 2025.01R of the Handbook