EDU3457 Independent Project

EDU	3457	91194	2, 2009	WEB	Independent Project	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE002
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070301

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

STAFFING

Examiner: David Cleaver
Moderator: Shauna Petersen

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

There are many professional activities offering significant opportunities for learning in relation to education. The Independent Project will enable students to undertake guided individual or group study that may be research or practice-based, which will facilitate the investigation of a current issue in an area of education.

SYNOPSIS

This course is designed to allow individual learners to investigate a topic of interest related to an area of education (e.g. music, drama, dance, media, visual arts, literacies, children's literature). The nature of the project will be negotiated between the student and an assigned academic mentor. The project may be research or practice-based and may be undertaken individually or, where approved, as a group activity. Each individual or group will complete a proposal that will define the nature of the project. This proposal will be a formal assessment item and act as a contract of work for the completion of the project. Practice-based projects must include a report, that may be in written, digital, or other appropriate form, as negotiated between the student/s and mentor.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.: demonstrate the ability to plan, conduct, and report on an investigation focused on an issue or topic of significance in the field of education (Proposal and Product or Report)
2.: demonstrate awareness of professional and ethical issues related to research or practice-based projects in education (Proposal and Product or Report)
3.: demonstrate ability to critically analyse information from a variety of sources (Proposal and Product or Report)
4.: demonstrate understanding of the social, environmental and cultural context of the chosen project (Proposal and Product or Report)
5.: undertake independent learning (Proposal and Product or Report)
6.: demonstrate competence in the use of appropriate technology (Proposal and Product or Report)
7.: demonstrate competence in communication as appropriate to the study (Proposal and Product or Report)
8.: demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing including correct spelling, grammar and bibliographic referencing (Proposal and Product or Report)

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Identifying and addressing an educational issue	25.00
2.	Planning project design	25.00
3.	Project management	25.00
4.	Project Report writing or Report of 'pratice'	25.00

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).

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.

Reference materials for the course will be assigned or suggested by mentor teachers

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://www.usq.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Directed Study	70.00
Independent Study	70.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description		Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
PART 1 PROPOSAL		30.00	30.00	21 Aug 2009
PART 2 PRODUCT OR REPORT		70.00	70.00	30 Oct 2009	(see note 1)

NOTES

1.: As negotiated

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the student's 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 complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
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 final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no 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 or in the current USQ Handbook.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQ Connect for this course.
Students are to use a recognised referencing system a specified by the course examiner.
Assessment instruments for this course could include any of the following if agreed or specified: folios, projects, journals, notated scores, video and tape recordings, researched essays, computer-generated presentations.
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 11 Dec 2009.