Students

EDST8704 – Early Childhood Communities of Practice Specialist Project

2026 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Sandie Wong
sandie.wong@mq.edu.au
Contact via Dialogue via i-Learn
Room 610, 25B Wally's Walk
Thursdays 9 - 11 or by appointment
Lecturer
Yihan Sun
yihan.sun@mq.edu.au
N/A
N/A
Credit points Credit points
20
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to Master of Education
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

A community of practice will support students to engage in collaborative dialogue, share insights, and reflect on diverse perspectives in early childhood education. Combining communities of practice with persistent challenges the unit will tackle complex challenges by leveraging collective knowledge and diverse perspectives. Through workshops, guided readings and peer collaboration students will be supported to develop a research-informed project. The combined project plan and report may serve as the basis for a Master of Research thesis, allowing early planning and preparation for this degree, or it may propose an independent but equivalent-length project.

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: Critically analyse contemporary issues, pedagogies, and policies using a range of theoretical and research-informed perspectives. in early childhood education.
  • ULO2: Design a research-informed project that addresses a complex or persistent challenge relevant to early childhood education practice.
  • ULO3: Apply ethical and inclusive approaches to the design of the project, demonstrating responsiveness to the rights and voices of early childhood stakeholders.
  • ULO4: Collaborate effectively within a community of practice to exchange insights, refine ideas, and construct shared understandings of professional challenges in early childhood education.
  • ULO5: Communicate using clear, well-structured, and critically reflective documentation suited to scholarly and practitioner audiences in early childhood.

General Assessment Information

General Submission Information 

All written assessments must be submitted electronically. Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. 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. 

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. 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, with + or – 10% applicable. Work above the word limit will not be marked.  

 

Academic Integrity

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

 

Artificial Intelligence

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments/ai-and-assessment

https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=394

 

Information for Unit Convenors: What to communicate to students about AI and Assessments.

 

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.  

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. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Project Proposal Draft 25% No 28/08/2026 Individual Yes Open
Literature Review Draft 25% No 25/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Completed Proposal 50% No 06/11/2026 Individual Yes Open

Project Proposal Draft

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 28/08/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Drafting a Project Proposal
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse contemporary issues, pedagogies, and policies using a range of theoretical and research-informed perspectives. in early childhood education.
  • Design a research-informed project that addresses a complex or persistent challenge relevant to early childhood education practice.
  • Apply ethical and inclusive approaches to the design of the project, demonstrating responsiveness to the rights and voices of early childhood stakeholders.
  • Collaborate effectively within a community of practice to exchange insights, refine ideas, and construct shared understandings of professional challenges in early childhood education.
  • Communicate using clear, well-structured, and critically reflective documentation suited to scholarly and practitioner audiences in early childhood.

Literature Review Draft

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 25/09/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Mapping the challenge located in the literature
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse contemporary issues, pedagogies, and policies using a range of theoretical and research-informed perspectives. in early childhood education.
  • Design a research-informed project that addresses a complex or persistent challenge relevant to early childhood education practice.
  • Collaborate effectively within a community of practice to exchange insights, refine ideas, and construct shared understandings of professional challenges in early childhood education.

Completed Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 60 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Presenting a completed project proposal
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse contemporary issues, pedagogies, and policies using a range of theoretical and research-informed perspectives. in early childhood education.
  • Design a research-informed project that addresses a complex or persistent challenge relevant to early childhood education practice.
  • Apply ethical and inclusive approaches to the design of the project, demonstrating responsiveness to the rights and voices of early childhood stakeholders.
  • Collaborate effectively within a community of practice to exchange insights, refine ideas, and construct shared understandings of professional challenges in early childhood education.
  • Communicate using clear, well-structured, and critically reflective documentation suited to scholarly and practitioner audiences in early childhood.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

There are NO required and recommended texts 

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 Schedule

A Unit Schedule will be provided in i-learn.

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.

School of Education Procedures 

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 

Attendance and Participation 

There is an attendance expectation of at least 80% attendance in classes (face to face or online). 

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

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. 

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 https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.02 of the Handbook