EXE734 New Technologies and Education and Training - Assessment Task 1
For this assignment you engage closely with set readings, and conduct a focused search of the academic literature to support a position paper in traditional essay format.
This assignment contributes to 50% of your potential mark for the unit. Assignments should be 3000 words, +/- 10%.
Due date: 1st of October, 2018 - Submissions are via Cloud Deakin assignment folder.
Assignment task and format:
This assignment requires you to use an essay format to discuss a topic in relation to new technologies and education and training. In your discussion, you should draw on academic literature to present a considered and balanced view that reflects the complexity of the issues involved. You should also draw on your own experiences and professional observations.
The academic literature available on educational technology is vast and diverse. You should develop a topic to focus your position paper. You may choose to focus on a particular field of practice that interests you (e.g., primary school education, secondary education, higher education, work-based training, informal learning), and possibly even on a particular subject/discipline/area of skill (e.g., maths education, music education, work place safety), or type of technology (e.g., tablets, social media, LMS). For example: a topic might be “early years literacy education with iPads” or “digital tools in secondary music education” or “online tools for language learning” or any other topic that interests you and will serve to focus your inquiry and argument. It is recommended that you check with your lecturer or Unit Chair to ensure that your topic is appropriate for the assignment.
It is expected that in this assignment you will demonstrate that you have engaged with academic literature (both the set readings and other scholarly sources you have identified that relate to your topic). You are expected to demonstrate skills in conventions for drawing on the ideas and words of others, via appropriate citation and referencing practices. Resources to help you with this assignment include:
• Help with searching and identifying academic literature: https://wiki.deakin.edu.au/display/LRS/Getting+Started
• Help with academic writing: http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills , including specific information about techniques for incorporating the ideas and words of others into your writing: https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/referencing/summarising-paraphrasing-quoting
• EndNote software that is freely available for students from the Deakin Software catalogue. This software helps you to keep track of the literature that you collect, and to incorporate citations and references into your writing. The Library provides an introductory video to Endnote, as well as links to introductory guides: http://deakin.libguides.com/endnote
Assessment Criteria:
1. Your ability to explain why the topic is important in contemporary times, with reference to academic literature on the needs and contexts of contemporary learners. (10/50 marks)
2. Your ability to express a balanced viewpoint on the three issues relating to your topic, by discussing the complexities involved. Complexities might arise due to the diverse views and stakeholders involved or the different findings/arguments of different studies/papers. You should consider both the affordances and constraints/risks associated with the use of new technologies, and areas of contention/disagreement. (10/50 marks)
3. Your ability to relate the issues to your own professional setting or to your own experiences of teaching and learning. (10/50 marks)
4. Effective use of scholarly literature to support your discussion of the issues. (10/50 marks)
5. The overall quality of the paper, including structure, writing and the use of appropriate referencing style and formatting. (10/50 marks)
Assessment rubric
Fail Pass Credit Distinction High Distinction Mark
1. Explanation of topic No explanation or justification is given for the topic; or explanation is problematic or topic is not relevant to the task. Topic is explained in very general terms but without justification of significance to contemporary learners and learning contexts. Topic is explained well and significance of topic is justified with reference to needs and contexts of contemporary learners, drawing on academic literature. Explanation and justification of topic is very good, but with some variation of quality. Explanation and justification of significance is supported by reference to needs and contexts of contemporary learners, drawing on academic literature. Explanation and justification of topic is consistently excellent. Explanation and justification of significance is supported by reference to needs and contexts of contemporary learners, drawing on academic literature. /10
2. Discussion of complexity of three issues Three issues are not identified or are not relevant to the task; or discussion is difficult to understand or otherwise problematic. Three issues are identified and discussed in basic terms, but without attention to different stakeholder views, or affordances and constraints/risks associated with technology. Three issues are identified and explained with a good level of detail. Different views and/or both affordances and constraints/risks are noted but without elaboration of the complexities involved. Discussion of the complexities involved in three issues relating to the topic is very good, but with some variation of quality across the issues. Discussion of the complexities involved in three issues relating to the topic is consistently excellent. /10
3. Reflection on own experience/setting No reflection on relevance of topic and issues to your own professional setting or experience of teaching and learning. Very general reflection on relevance of topic and issues to your own professional setting or experience of teaching and learning, without concrete examples. Reflection on your own professional setting or experience of teaching and learning is elaborated with some detail but is still quite general and may vary in quality across the issues. Concrete examples taken from your own professional setting or experience of teaching and learning are described with very good details, but with some inconsistency of quality across the issues. Concrete examples taken from your own professional setting or experience of teaching and learning are described with an excellent level of detail for each issue. /10
4. Use of scholarly literature Lacks engagement with unit readings and wider academic literature relating to the topic. Lacking citations to support claims. Cited literature lacks relevance to topic Surface level engagement with set readings and wider academic literature relating to the topic. Citation practices are very general and ambiguous. Lacking citations to support some claims. Sound engagement with set readings and wider academic literature relating to the topic. Cited literature is relevant to topic. Citation practices are good, with citations provided to support claims. Very good engagement with set readings and wider academic literature relating to topic. A range of relevant literature are cited. Most claims are supported with citations. Citation practices use reporting verbs to avoid ambiguity and promote sense of critical perspective. May include some synthesis of literature to support claims. Some inconsistency of quality of literature work may be evident. Excellent engagement with set readings and wider academic literature relating to topic. A range of relevant literature are cited. Citation practices use reporting verbs to avoid ambiguity and promote sense of critical perspective. Synthesis of literature to support claims. Consistently excellent literature work. /10
5. Overall quality of paper (writing and formatting) Errors and/or lack of care in the conventions of communication make the work and argument of the submission very difficult to follow. Presentation is not at a level acceptable for a university assignment at this level. Adequate communication of argument, but communication is hindered by numerous presentation problems and lack of adherence to conventions. May evidence lack of proofreading and editing. Clear communication of the argument, but with some errors or challenges at the level of sentences, paragraphing, or overall structure. May evidence lack of proofreading and editing. Very good communication at all levels (sentence, paragraphing, and overall structure). Few errors evidencing a high level of care in preparation of the submission. Very few proofreading or formatting errors, or errors in formatting of citations and references. Excellent communication at all levels (sentence, paragraphing, and overall structure).
Thorough proof reading and attention to formatting conventions of citation and referencing. /10
Total mark: /50
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