For this task, you will be giving a live presentation to your peers via Zoom. The presentation will:

• outline your SoLT research problem and questions
• provide your rationale for this area of enquiry (including references to scholarly literature to substantiate your arguments)
• share initial ideas about the methodological design for your proposed study
• reflect on your research journey thus far (e.g., findings which have been surprising; what has been learned about SoLT, the topic, and methodology; unforeseen challenges or difficulties and how these might be overcome).

The content of this presentation should form the basis of Assessment 2, your research proposal. Peer and instructor feedback from this presentation will help you further refine your ideas.

The Presentations will be conducted during a Zoom session at the end of week 2. The presentation should be a maximum of 10 minutes in length, plus a further 5 minutes for questions and discussion. You are expected to stay for the entire session and provide your peers with quality feedback on their presentations.

This assessment task will be assessed using the following criteria:

1. Content and synthesis. The presentation effectively summarises the student’s SoLT research problem and question/s, draws on scholarly literature to establish what is already known about the research area and what further research is needed, and provides emerging ideas about methodologically appropriate ways to investigate the proposed research question.
2. Reflection. The presentation offers the student's insights into their own growth as a SoLT researcher, based on their experiences with unit materials, their peers within the unit, and the research into the literature they have conducted so far within the unit.
3. Communication and presentation. The presentation materials are free from grammatical and spelling errors. The presenter speaks fluently and clearly, adopting an appropriate pace. The language used is accessible to those outside the discipline. The presentation contains the level of detail needed to communicate the essential points. The presentation does not exceed the maximum time limit (10 minutes). Any written supporting materials (e.g., PowerPoint slides) include appropriate references presented in a consistent style (APA 6th or Harvard).

In this task, you will write a formal written research proposal explaining and justifying your planned SoLT project. This proposal should draw heavily on your initial presentation for the unit (Assessment 1) and show evidence that you have incorporated peer and instructor feedback from the presentation. The research proposal should:

• Demonstrate the need for the research. This rationale should be supported by a short review of relevant literature establishing what is already known and identifying gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.
• Specify the study’s aims and guiding research questions. The research questions should relate to the gaps in knowledge your study will address and guide your methodological approaches.
• Describe and justify your research design. The research proposal must provide a detailed description of and rationale for the study’s design, demonstrating that it is an appropriate way to investigate your research question/s. You must also show evidence that you have considered and addressed all potential ethical challenges that might arise within the research.
• Outline your study’s anticipated outcomes (including deliverables) and milestones. While it is expected that some of these dates will occur after the completion of this unit, your timeline of anticipated milestones and deliverables should be feasible and achievable.

The research proposal should be approximately 2,000 words and presented as a scholarly piece of work, written in third-person. The document should be structured using headings. Content should be synthesised, creating a strong argument for the need for the proposed research and the planned study design.

This task will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Research proposal structure. The document conforms to the conventions of a research proposal (e.g., use of headings, third person voice, appropriate vocabulary and tone). It contains all of the necessary components (i.e., rationale for the proposed research, research problem and questions, proposed methodological approach, research timeline and milestones). Writing should be concise and avoid
  repetition.
• Research problem and questions. The proposal contains a strong argument for the need for the proposed research. Research questions are clear and researchable.
• Appropriate use of research literature. The proposal draws effectively on research literature to justify the need for the proposed research, identify what is already known, and explain why chosen methodologies and methods are appropriate. Ideas within the literature are synthesised and there is evidence that divergent results and points of view within the literature have been considered. All academic references are cited using APA 6th or Harvard referencing style, with both in-text citations and a full reference list included.
• Appropriate Research Design. The proposed research design is feasible, well justified, and aligns with the research problem and questions. References to literature about the chosen methodologies and methods are included to support methodological decisions. There is evidence that ethical considerations have been addressed within the study’s design.
• Evidence of Research Planning. The included research timeline is feasible and achievable. Proposed deliverables are appropriate and will help achieve research outcomes.

For this task, you must submit a deliverable outcome from your research project. This deliverable will be negotiated with your Unit Coordinator. While many students will not be able to complete their entire proposed research project within the term, all are expected to reach at least one significant milestone. Examples of possible deliverables include:

• A completed low-risk ethical clearance application for the proposed project (including Participant Information Sheets and Consent Forms)
• A internal or external grant application seeking funding for the proposed project
• A draft conference paper or journal article which is ready to submit for peer-review
• A white paper or report sharing the results of your research with a specific audience
  

This final deliverable should be approximately 2,000 words in length; however, slightly longer or shorter word counts may be negotiated with your instructor if these are appropriate considering the genre selected. In almost all cases, you will draw substantially on work done as part of your research proposal; however, this content must be revised and reshaped to match your chosen genre for this assessment task.

While the nature and the scope of the final project deliverable will vary somewhat between students, all deliverables will be assessed by the following criteria:

1. Communication and presentation. The deliverable is written in clear and concise language. The structure of the document is in alignment with professional standards for the genre selected (conference paper, grant proposal, ethics application, etc.), adopting an appropriate tone and using vocabulary suitable for the intended audience.
2. Scholarly use of literature. The deliverable effectively draws on a range of appropriate research literature and demonstrates understanding of the topic under investigation. It synthesises research literature and/or research findings into a coherent piece of writing, adhering to a consistent referencing style (APA 6th or Harvard) for both in-text and reference list citations.
3. Effective use of arguments. The deliverable creates a compelling and scholarly case as to why the proposed or undertaken research is needed and effectively explains the potential impact of the findings.