This section provides students with general information about assessment tasks and how to submit them.

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.

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).

Special Consideration / Late Penalties

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:

• 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.
• Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor (or equivalent).
• Where an application for Special Consideration is approved and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.
• A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Applications must be made via Service Connect.

Marking

All assessments are marked using a rubric.

Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.

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.

Required & Recommended Texts

The prescribed text for this unit is:

Ridden, P. & De Nobile, J. (2024). Keys to School Leadership (2e). EdWest Publishing. This book is best obtained through EdWest Publishing - https://www.philridden.com.au/teaching 

Access to the following book is also strongly recommended as you will be asked to read some sections:

Cavanagh, M. & Prescott, A. (2022). Your Professional Experience Handbook (2e). Sydney: Pearson.

This book is best obtained through Bootopia or similar. Library access is also possible but limited. 

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.

Unit Structure

The unit comprises 6 Modules that are located online in iLearn and which require:

* Reading of the modules

* Engagement with the readings indicated in eachj module

* Viewing of lecture presentations

* Participation in online discussion forums (if they are arranged, by agreeement)

* Participation in online seminars 

* Completed assessments.

Information about the modules and activities, including assessment tasks will be found in iLearn.

Look for a document called Unit Curriculum. 

In addition, the following policies and procedures for the Macquarie School of Education apply to this unit.

Communication

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis.  Communication may occur via:

• Official MQ Student Email Address
• The Dialogue function on iLearn
• Other iLearn communication functions

The Macquarie School of Education recognises the Darug people as the traditional custodians of the land upon which we learn and teach. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the Wallumattagal clan of the Darug Nation, the traditional custodians of this land, whose cultures and customs have nurtured and continue to nurture the land on which we are meeting and learning. Their interaction with the land over such a long time suggests there is much we can learn from them about sustainability and respect for the environment. 

The local totem of the Wallumattagal clan is Wallumai, a black snapper fish that has been described this way: "shy but clever fish, who uses the shadows and patterns created by the mangroves to protect the younger fish. The mangroves are their nursery, their school and their home. The mangroves represent life – the obstacles and tangles that we need to navigate. Once we learn the right path to take, we are safe in that knowledge and in our lives"¹. 

¹ Walanga Muru. Accessed from https://www.mq.edu.au/about/about-the-university/our-commitment-to-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples