Program Overview

Macquarie University

ECHE4000 Developing Expertise through a Special Interest Project

General Information

The unit convenor is Professor Fay Hadley. This unit is worth 10 credit points and has prerequisites of 160cp at 1000 level or above, including ECHE1310 or ECHE131 and EDST1518. The unit description is as follows: This unit gives students the opportunity to develop their expertise in an area of interest through sourcing, reading, synthesising and communicating evidence from research and professional literature.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

• Justify the relevance of their special interest topic with reference to the contemporary context of early childhood education.
• Locate and synthesise ideas relevant to their chosen topic contained in relevant theoretical and research literature.
• Demonstrate a depth of understanding of their special interest topic as it applies to early childhood education.
• Create a professional resource which successfully translates the findings of the research literature for an early childhood professional audience.

General Assessment Information

General Submission Information

All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence may include using generative artificial intelligence to produce or retrieve information, paraphrase text, increase or enhance the quality of an academic exercise, produce an answer for a task or quiz, and/or produce non-text-based work.

Special Consideration / Late Penalties

Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect. A 5% penalty will be applied each day to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar day.

Marking

All assessments are marked using a rubric. Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.

Assessment Tasks

• Project Proposal (0%): Students will create a project proposal which identifies their special interest, justifies this in relation to research literature and the early childhood education profession, and describes the intended communication platform for their professional resource.
• Literature search and thematic analysis (45%): Students will source relevant literature to compose a literature review of their chosen topic.
• Professional resource (55%): Students will create a professional resource that demonstrates deep understanding, an ability to relate research and professional perspectives, and an ability to communicate effectively to the early childhood sector.

Delivery and Resources

The unit content is supported by four face-to-face or zoom tutorials and regular iLearn discussion forum tools. Tutorials are scheduled on Thursdays, and attendance is expected.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the Academic Appeals Policy, Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Progression Policy, Assessment Policy, and Special Consideration Policy.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct.

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, academic integrity is at the core of learning, teaching, and research.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students, including Academic Success, Library support, IT Support, Accessibility and disability support, Mental health support, and Social support.