FET8661 Masters Project II

FET	8661	78472	2, 2008	WEB	Masters Project II	2.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE003
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: Kaye Cleary
Moderator: Marian Lewis

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: FET8801 or FET8602 (or negotiated equivalent) and 4 units of Study

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

An important outcome of study at the Masters level is that learners should be able to plan and execute independent projects which consolidate and build upon and apply the capabilities developed through their program of study. A 'capstone' project undertaken at, or towards, the end of the program is a suitable instrument for demonstrating these capabilities. This course enables students to synthesise the knowledge and skills developed in earlier courses of their program, into an approved professional project focused on a key aspect of their areas of interest/specialisations.

SYNOPSIS

Learners will, with guidance from a member of Faculty staff, plan and execute an independent project which is clearly related to their overall program of study. This two-unit project is intended to meet the needs of learners who wish to include a research or evaluation component in their Masters program by providing a venue in which a research or evaluation project can be undertaken to apply and/or extend knowledge developed in their program of study. The project should lead to the preparation of a substantial written report presented at an appropriately scholarly standard. This report may be presented in the format of a research-based paper for publication in an approved academic or professional journal. Project reports must reflect mastery of the content of current literature and of knowledge and skills developed by the learner in his/her prior program. This course will operate on the basis of frequent individual consultation and feedback between the student and the staff member nominated as the study supervisor. Before enrolling in the course, students are advised to discuss the nature, processes and anticipated outcomes of the proposed study topic or activity with a Faculty member who might act as study supervisor. NOTE: Before enrolling in the course, learners should have successfully completed a course in methods for research and/or evaluation or be able to demonstrate to the course examiner that they have otherwise acquired such knowledge and skills. Where possible, students should have discussed the proposed project with the Faculty member who would act as supervisor, PRIOR to submitting their project proposal for this course. NOTES: 1. This course (FET8661) is available through INTERNET DELIVERY ONLY. There are NO print materials for this course. 2. For details of the technical requirements and accessing Internet study materials, please consult the following URL: http://usqconnect.usq.edu.au.

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 successful completion of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate the ability to plan an in-depth, independent academic investigation, research/evaluation project or other such scholarly activity focused on a research question, issue or topic of significance to the student's field of study in his/her Masters program (Project Proposal)
demonstrate the ability to implement, refine and monitor the implementation of that plan (Project Progress Report)
demonstrate the ability to report the outcomes of that investigation in the form of either a formal report or paper for publication, which reflects appropriate academic standards of scholarship and presentation. (Project Report)
Demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing, including correct spelling, grammar and bibliographic referencing. (Project Report)

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	The topic of the project will be developed in collaboration with an academic supervisor approved and appointed by the course examiner.	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).

Depending on the nature of the study to be completed students may be required to purchase reference material.

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.

Supervisors will assist learners in developing a reference list.

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

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Directed Study or Negotiation with Supervisor	40.00
Private Study	290.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
PROJECT PROPOSAL	15.00	15.00	31 Aug 2008	(see note 1)
PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT	5.00	5.00	12 Oct 2008
PROJECT REPORT	80.00	80.00	01 Feb 2009

NOTES

1.: The examiner will advise the due dates for all assessment items.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the student's responsibility to communicate regularly with the nominated supervisor at agreed intervals, to complete all tasks agreed as required for satisfactory completion of the study and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must achieve at least 50% of the marks 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 assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
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:
The course examiner is responsible for the awarding of the final grade for this course. Final project reports/papers developed for FET8661 will be examined initially by the student's supervisor. The supervisor will make a recommendation of a grade to the course examiner who will normally accept the recommended grade once all the requirements for the course are completed. Where the course examiner has any doubts about the appropriateness of the grade recommended by the supervisor, and these doubts cannot be resolved through negotiation with the supervisor, the project will be assessed by a second assessor nominated by the course examiner in consultation with the supervisor. The course examiner will then decide the grade, taking into account both assessments.
Examination information:
There is no formal examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
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.	Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of request being made by the examiner. The student must retain this copy until the grade for this course has been finalised.
2.	Student workload requirements are as required for the completion of the study and as negotiated between student and supervisor in the early weeks of the course.
3.	Marking criteria will depend upon the nature of individual projects.
4.	The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media, except for WEB courses.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
Students will require reliable, ongoing access to email and to the internet to be able to complete the requirements of this course.
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/).
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 16 Sep 2008.