Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor S1
Kathryn Korbel
Contact via kathryn.korbel@mq.edu.au
Caitlin Kordis
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(39cp at 100 level or above) and permission by special approval
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
High achieving students with a special interest in an area of biological research may be permitted to undertake a research project under the supervision of one of biology's research staff. Prior to admission it is necessary for the student to contact the unit coordinator and to have developed a suitable research project with a supervisor. Although there are no formal classes, students are expected to undertake 120 hours of research in the laboratory and/or field depending on the research project. Assessment is based on research performance, team participation, research paper preparation and a seminar.
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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:
Extensions, penalties and Disruptions to Studies
The deadlines for assignments are not negotiable. If an assignment is submitted late a penalty of -10% of the mark allocated for the assignment will be deducted per day that any work is submitted late (i.e. 5 days late = -50% of marks available).
If you experience a serious and unavoidable disruption to your studies and require an extension for an assessment please submit a Disruptions to Studies notification via ask.mq.edu.au with supporting documentation, and a Professional Authority Form completed by your health care professional. If you anticipate a potentially serious and unavoidable disruption (e.g. upcoming surgery) speak to the unit convenor early and apply for an extension before the due date.
If you apply for Disruption to Study for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the week of July 24 – 28, 2017 to sit a supplementary exam. If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Risk Assessment | 5% | No | By arrangement with supervisor |
Research skills checklist | 5% | No | By arrangement with supervisor |
Research Proposal Seminar | 15% | No | Week 5 |
Draft Abstract & Introduction | 15% | No | Week 7 |
Supervisor’s Report | 30% | No | Week 13 |
Scientific Report | 30% | No | Week 13 |
Due: By arrangement with supervisor
Weighting: 5%
Chemical safety induction and completion of a chemical safety risk assessment for at least one chemical used in the host laboratory. For research that does not involve use of chemicals, completion of a suitable alternative assessment (also safety-based), by arrangement with the Convenor and supervisor.
Due: By arrangement with supervisor
Weighting: 5%
Demonstration of competence in a 5-item laboratory/field skills checklist.
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 15%
A 10-minute seminar outlining the background to the project and the proposed experimental work.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%
Submit a draft of the Abstract and Introduction sections of your scientific paper (final report).
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%
Each supervisor will prepare a report evaluating the competency of the student during the research project.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%
Submission of a scientific paper based on the findings of the research project.
Enrolling in the unit
Students need to find a supervisor and agree on a potential project before you will be allowed to enrol. After you have a supervisor the student must submit a waver request via ask.mq.edu.au. Feel free to contact the convenor or an academic advisor if you would like help finding a supervisor.
Delivery of the unit
Apart from introductory and final classes/information sessions with the Unit Convenor, there are no formal classes for this unit. Students are to arrange their laboratory or fieldwork hours directly with their nominated academic supervisor.
Teaching and learning strategy
Projects will be developed under the supervision of a nominated academic supervisor. The assessments in this unit are designed to provide you with skills that are applicable across broad scientific disciplines. The focus in the early part of semester will be on workplace safety, experimental skills and developing a research proposal. All of these are skills required for independent research. Throughout the semester you will also be expected to develop skills and gain knowledge specific to your project area.
Required readings
There are no centrally allocated required readings for this unit. However, your supervisor will recommend journal articles pertinent to your research project. It is expected that you will read widely within your chosen research area, both for your own interest and in order to prepare your scientific paper.
Unit web page
Information and updates regarding the unit will be placed on the unit iLearn page. Please log in on a regular basis.
To access the online unit, go to https://iLearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/ and type in your Macquarie OneID Username and password.
New to iLearn? You can find out more at: http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/
Experiencing difficulties? Visit: http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/
Unit communications
Announcements: General announcements from the Convenor or other teaching staff will be communicated using iLearn.
Discussion board: In order to discuss issues of relevance to all students with the teaching staff, please use the Discussion Board feature of iLearn. The chances are that if you are confused about something in the unit, so are your peers, so it will be useful to share your questions with all.
Email: For matters of a more personal nature, and that do not concern other students (i.e. requests for extensions etc), you should contact the Unit Convener by email. Contact details are provided at the start of this document.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, 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 ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by: