As a PACE and Capstone unit, this unit involves a major project and, in most cases, group work. 60% of the overall mark for the unit is related to the major project, and the components of this mark are the Project Report (25%), Lab book (15%), Presentation (10%) and Mentor report (10%).  Students will receive individual marks for their lab book, presentation and mentor reports. Under normal circumstances, the students contributing to a group report will receive a common mark. In exceptional circumstances, eg dictated by the statements of contributions, individual marks may be considered.

Workshop Activities: 

There will be three main workshops associated with the unit, for which attendance is mandatory: Workshop 1 (Friday Week 11-3 am, lunch provided, Physics Multipurpose Room E6B 2.600): Unit Orientation. This introductory morning workshop will review the unit goals, give students the chance to introduce themselves and their project, and review some basic content on best work practices, health and safety, ethics, professional development, and reflective practice. These are essential tools for making the most of your practical experience during the unit. Workshop 2 (Friday Week 1, 3-6 pm,afternoon tea provided, multipurpose room): My Degree - Themes, Knowledge and Skills. This afternoon workshop follows on from workshop 1, and will be aimed at reflecting on the skills and knowledge you have gained across your degree, and how this might map to potential employers, and what they are looking for. We will look at how to recognise our strengths and make best use of them; as well as identifying areas where we can improve, and make plans on how to develop those areas during the unit. Finally, we will make a first draft of a personal curriculum vitae (CV, resume). Workshop 3 (Week 11, time and location to be advised on iLearn): Presentation skills.   This workshop will focus on two key opportunities where we present ourselves to our colleagues in a professional context: giving a formal presentation; and giving a job interview. The workshop will look at techniques for delivering an informative and professional presentation, and will go through the process involved in a typical professional job interview. We will use a combination of delivered content and group exercises, including mock interviews, with a focus on developing confidence and experience in presenting in different situations.

Project:  

The main component of this unit is a project conducted with an external partner organisation. Projects range from pure research to projects with a more educational or outreach flavour. All projects, however, should give you exposure to a professional working environment, and the opportunity to contribute to a larger effort related to professional physics. You will spend nominally 100 hours working with the partner organisation, spread throughout the semester. We suggest you spend one week of the mid-semester break, and 9 Fridays working at the external organisation, however the hours will need to be negotiated with your external supervisor and you may be required to spend additional days during the mid-semester break, Projects should normally start in Week 2, concluding in Week 10, but again there will be some variations in schedule according to particular circumstances.If you miss a day of your placement due to unforseen circumstances, you should  plan to make up the hours and/or apply for special consideration.

We will do our best to advise all students about their placement and project prior to Week 1. However we regret if due to circumstances beyond our control this is not possible for all students.

Supervisors and Mentors

Students will have a supervisor at the host organisation, who is able to devote some time to supervising the students on the days that they attend the host organisation. At the start of the project, agree on a time or day when you are most likely to have overlap with your supervisor. If you don't have regular access to your project supervisor, let the unit convenor know as soon as possible so that alternative arrangements can be made. The Physics and Astronomy Department at Macquarie University also appoints a PHYS311 academic mentor to liaise with the host organisation, monitor progress and assist in advising students. Students will meet with their University mentor at least three times during the semester to review lab-books, progress against project objectives, etc. Some of these meetings will take place at the host organisation (usually around week 2 and week 10), and you are required to make an appointment with your Mentor during weeks 7 and 8 so they can inspect your lab book and discuss your project report with you.

Required Unit Materials

You will be working within the premises of the partner organisation. Compliance with standard Work Health and Safety (WHS, sometimes also called Occupational Health & Safety, or OH&S) practice is expected. This includes wearing appropriate clothing and footwear (e.g. covered shoes), and following all workplace rules as defined by the Partner. If you are unsure of these rules, ask your supervisors.

Required Text: Not applicable, but project supervisors may recommend relevant readings.

Record-keeping:  Each student pair must maintain a lab book. The lab book needs to be completed for each day of work on the project. Entries in the lab book must be viewed and approved as correct records by the Partner supervisor on a regular basis (at least fortnightly). Students may be required to hand in their lab books to the Partner supervisor at the end of the unit.

Teaching Strategy

Students spend around 100 hours working within the host organisation. This time should be used effectively in the pursuit of the objectives identified by the partner supervisor and unit learning outcomes. A clear understanding of the project objectives and appropriate planning will facilitate progress towards the project objectives. Students are expected to regularly graph and analyse their results (if appropriate), and keep comprehensive and up-to-date records in their lab-books. The host supervisor and University mentor will review the lab-book to ensure good practice in this respect.

PACE:  PACE stands for Participation and Community Engagement. By connecting students with partner organisations, PACE gives Macquarie students the chance to contribute their academic learning, enthusiasm and fresh perspective to the professional workplace.

Attendance The unit has two key elements: Skills workshops (3 workshops over 2 days), and the external project (100 hours over semester), Attendance of both components is mandatory, as well as at other activities that be organised during semester. Students are required to be on-site at the host organisation when undertaking the project. The total project duration is 100 hours. Typcally, students will devote one day a week (nominally Friday) during 2nd semester (Weeks 1 to 13) and one week in their mid-semester break, working on the project at the partner institution. On some of these days some time may be spent at the University or elsewhere pursuing the objectives of the project with the agreement of the partner supervisor. In addition, there may be 'workshop' activities during the semester on topics including ethics, communication, and career skills (see above).

Professional Engagement: A total of 15 'Professional Engagement' credits must be earned by participating in professional activities during the semester.  The unit convenor has the final say on what counts for credit and at what level.