EDU8719 Contemporary Issues Conference
| Semester 2, 2013 Online Toowoomba | |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Education |
| School or Department : | Education |
| Version produced : | 11 April 2013 |
Staffing
Examiner: David Jones
Moderator: Peter Albion
Rationale
Graduates from a masters program should possess advanced knowledge and skills in an area of specialisation, be able to apply those capabilities independently to solve significant professional problems, and be able to engage effectively in related professional discourse. There is evidence that 'engaged educators' who share their experience with colleagues increase their own effectiveness. Conferences are a common means by which professionals engage in discourse to share and extend knowledge. Opportunities to learn and practise the skills and conventions associated with professional conferences can contribute to the capabilities of graduates and provide starting points for enduring professional networks.
Synopsis
The course will be structured around an online conference that will include several themes or strands that reflect current trends and issues in education. Students will prepare a proposal for a paper in which they will draw upon their prior study and experience to respond to one of the conference themes and will participate in anonymous peer review of submitted proposals. Using their reviews for guidance, students will complete their papers, present them online using an appropriate medium, and engage in discussion of their own and other papers.
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:
- articulate a question or an issue appropriate for presentation at a professional conference (Assignment 1);
- locate, access, and critique published material relevant to conference themes and area of specialization (Assignment 1);
- prepare a paper, incorporating relevant literature and reflection on relevant experience, which addresses a question or issue appropriately for submission to a professional conference; (Assignment 2)
- contribute appropriately to professional discussion in the context of an online conference (Assignment 3);
- demonstrate professional knowledge using appropriate modes and conventions of expression, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing (All Assignments).
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Engaging in professional networks | 25.00 |
| 2. | Locating, accessing, and critiquing current professional discourse | 25.00 |
| 3. | Writing for professional audiences | 25.00 |
| 4. | Online presentation techniques | 25.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2013&sem=02&subject1=EDU8719)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
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There is no prescribed text for this course.
Reference materials
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American Psychological Association 2005, Concise rules of APA style, American Psychological Association, Washington.
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Atkinson, C 2005, Beyond bullet points: using Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations that inform, motivate, and inspire, Microsoft Press, Redmond.
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Canter, D.V., Fairbairn, G., & ebrary Inc 2006, Becoming an author advice for academics and other professionals,
<http://ezproxy.usq.au/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/unisouthernqld/Doc?id=10161307>. -
Finkelstein, J 2006, Learning in real time: synchronous teaching and learning online, 1st edn, Jossey-Bass A John Wiley & Sons Imprint, San Francisco.
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Hartley, J 2008, Academic writing and publishing: a practical guide, Routledge, New York.
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Mohan, T 2007, Communicating as professionals, Thomson Learning, Southbank.
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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/help/facultyguides/education/default.htm.
Student workload requirements
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Independent Study | 80.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 20 | 20 | 14 Aug 2013 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 60 | 60 | 18 Sep 2013 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 3 | 20 | 20 | 23 Oct 2013 |
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to participate appropriately in all activities including discussion fora scheduled for them, and 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. This course contains a discussion forum where students' participation is formally assessed and successful participation in that discussion group is required to complete the requirements to be awarded a passing grade in the course. -
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. -
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 aggregate of the weighted 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:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.
Assessment notes
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APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/apa
Other requirements
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Students will require access to e-mail and have Internet access to UConnect for this course