EDU9612 Proposal for Research 2

EDU	9612	78905	2, 2008	EXT	Proposal for Research 2	2.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE002
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070303

Staffing
Requisites
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Patrick Danaher
Moderator: Shirley O'Neill

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: EDU9611 or Enrolment in EDU9611

OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html

RATIONALE

The courses EDU 9611 - EDU 9618 provide a significant opportunity for doctoral study which will enhance professional practice in a particular field of education and will allow educators to investigate professional practice problems at the doctoral level and proffer solutions. These courses will provide the opportunity for educators to develop and apply appropriate theoretical frameworks to the study of professional practice and to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this domain. Criteria for completion and examination of these courses will be equivalent with the University's criteria for completion and examination of doctoral studies.

SYNOPSIS

The key aim of this course is to finalise and defend the research proposal developed in EDU9611 which describes the study and justifies the selection of thesis or folio alternative. Students selecting the thesis alternative will be required to finalise and defend a proposal for a dissertation following specified guidelines and procedures. Students selecting the Substantial Investigative Project folio alternative will prepare and defend a proposal for a folio which will be based on specified criteria and include the methods which will be used to present and report the study. Students selecting the Multiple Investigations folio alternative will prepare and defend a proposal for a study involving up to four related field studies based on specified criteria and including the methods of presenting and reporting the study.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate a high level of understanding of key issues and insights into a selected area of research; (Proposal)
select appropriate research methods and data collection techniques for a research study; (Proposal)
prepare and justify the form and presentation methods of a research proposal (Proposal) and
complete and successfully defend a research proposal in an academic forum - colloquium. (Proposal)

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Thesis/folio research proposal preparation and defence	100.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Students will be required to study a broad selection of library resources relevant to their research topic and proposed methodology.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/. The gateway to education resources is here: http://use.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

American Psychological Association 2001, Publication manual of the American Psychological Society, 5th edn, APA, Washington, DC.

Anderson, J & Poole, M 2001, Assignment and thesis writing, 4th edn, Wiley, Milton, QLD.

Brause, RS 2000, Writing your doctoral dissertation: invisible rules for success, Falmer Press, London.

Locke, LF, Spirduso, WW & Silverman, SJ 2000, Proposals that work: a guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals, 4th edn, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Marshall, C & Rossman, GB 2006, Designing qualitative research, 4th edn, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Pedhazur, EL & Pedhazur Schmelkin, L 1991, Measurement, design and analysis, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.

Roberts, CM 2004, The dissertation journey: a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Project Work	330.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description		Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date
STUDY PROPOSAL		100.00	100.00	31 Oct 2008

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks available or a grade of at least C-. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit required assignments late without the approval of the Examiner, they can expect to be given a Fail grade for the course.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
As SP is the only passing grade available for this course, all students who are qualified for a passing grade will be given a grade of SP. Other students will be given either a Failing grade or an Incomplete grade.
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

1.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner.
2.	In accordance with University policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
3.	The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media.
4.	The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.
5.	Students who do not have regular access to postal services or who are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements.
6.	In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the Examiner's convenience.
7.	Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).
8.	Students may be required to provide a copy of assignments submitted for assessment purposes. Such copies should be dispatched to the USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request to do so.
9.	When there is more than one marker for a single item of assessment, the distributed patterns and means for the different markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.
10.	Marking criteria are provided in course material as mark sheets/guides or as part of assignment specifications..
11.	Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.
12.	Summative assessment items will receive one of the following letter grades: SP, F or IIP (Incomplete - In Progress).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.
Students enrolling in WEB courses MUST have ongoing convenient and reliable access to the Internet in order to access course materials and participate in activities that will affect assessment. The levels of equipment required may change from time to time, with the most recent specification listed at http://www.usq.edu.au/currentstudents/computingstandards/default.htm. You can check whether your computer system meets these requirements from USQAssist (http://usqassist.usq.edu.au/).
Students are to use a recognised referencing system as specified by the course examiner.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc..) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html. *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the state of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

This version produced 27 May 2008.