Assessment (1) Individual submission (40 marks)

Overview

This individual assignment tests your essential research competencies needed to identify a knowledge gap or a problem in your discipline that may warrant research. It primarily assesses your understanding and level of engagement with learning resources at an early stage of the inquiry process. The assignment MUST be your own piece of work. You must not plagiarise, collude or get help from others. All submissions must follow CQU Harvard referencing style.

Assignment 1 consists of two parts:

1. Assessment 1A, 40 marks: Review Report and Artefact Submission, due by end of week 6.

Tasks

Assessment 1 Review Report and Artefact Submission (40 marks)

Assessment 1 requires you to prepare a review report of no more than 2000 words using a given template. Along with the report, students must provide a link to the OneDrive folder where all their research artefacts are stored. The folder must include all relevant materials, such as annotated cited articles, earlier word drafts, and any other resources used in the development of the review report.

Your report must be relevant to the unit content and Moodle sources and must only be based upon your learning in this unit. You must follow the following steps in developing your report:

1. Choose and develop an initial research topic using a topic from the given list.
2. Conduct a literature search to identify one scholarly paper relevant to your chosen topic and provide an explanation of the search process you followed in locating and downloading this paper (Include screenshots).
3. Provide a detailed annotated bibliography of the paper using your own words.
4. Apply and explain at least three credibility indicators to test the reliability of the main paper (include screenshots).
5. Identify two relevant sources/references relevant to the summarised paper using backward and forward technique, and explain how you identified both papers.
6. Annotate and tag the PDF version of the three papers for developing the summary tables.
7. Build a review summary table and a theme matrix table of the three identified papers.
8. Provide your personal reflection, including your commentary on Turnitin report and learning experience (a minimum of 300 words).
9. Provide a link to OneDrive Artefact folder, including all relevant annotated PDF articles and earlier Word drafts (include screenshots of the folder content and samples of annotations).

Tip: The reflection must include your commentary on Turnitin similarity percentage, evaluation of the adopted approaches, techniques or tutorial activities that have been helpful or unhelpful. The personal reflection must also record your experiences, feelings, and reactions during the learning experience in the last five weeks. You must also reflect on the consultation process you have had with your lecturer/tutor, peers and Moodle sources.

Assessment 1A: Review Report & Artefact submission (40 marks)

• The selected articles are properly identified, credible and relevant to the chosen topic (15%)
• The annotated bibliography is concise and well paraphrased (10%)
• The summary and matrix tables include key and useful information to guide the writing (20%)
• The One Drive folder include all relevant documents, including the three annotated PDF files (15%)
• Personal reflection is specific to student own experience and includes a commentary on Turnitin report (15%)
• The report content is substantially based upon the unit resources and lecture notes (15%)
• Clarity and soundness of language, report format, presentation and/or referencing (10%)

Assessment 2:

Task Description

You will be required to complete one set of quiz questions related to your learning materials. 

Purpose

The primary purpose of this assessment item is to test your understanding of the processes required in initiating and planning a research project. The quiz will be based on the unit learning materials. In order for you to complete the quiz, it is necessary for you to complete all learning activities prescribed in the unit for the respective weeks.

Important Information:

1. The quiz will only be conducted in-class during the scheduled tutorial classes for on-campus students. A separate Zoom session will be scheduled for online students.
2. It is crucial for all students to be present at the beginning of the session. Late attendance will impact your ability to complete the quiz.
3. If a student fails to take the quiz as scheduled during the class, they will receive zero marks.
4. Quiz questions will be in the form of 40 graded multiple-choice questions and one compulsory non-graded open-ended question. 
5. The quiz must be completed within a maximum of 50 minutes.
6. The quiz is considered a closed-book quiz, and seeking any form of assistance is prohibited. 
7. Students must bring their own laptops or devices to complete the quiz and must make sure that they are fully charged. Using phones or accessing any webpage other than the Moodle quiz page is strictly prohibited.
8. Different versions of the quiz will be provided to students, ensuring that it is highly unlikely for two students to receive the same set of questions.
9. The quiz is password protected, and the password will be communicated at the beginning of the session.
10. The quiz will be similar to an invigilated exam, meaning that there will be a CQU staff member present to supervise the quiz.
11. Distance and online students must attend a Zoom session to undertake the quiz in real time. Students must share their screens and switch on their cameras and microphones while attempting the quiz.
12. Students will be given an opportunity to practice a mock non-graded quiz before attempting the graded quiz.
13. Quiz results will be released by the end of week 10.

• No penalty deduction for wrong answers
• Zero marks for students failing to attend the scheduled session for undertaking the in-class quiz.

Assessment 3 (Research Proposal) (40 marks)

Overview:

This group assessment requires all on-campus students to enrol in groups to complete a project-based assessment. The project is to work as a team to plan and develop a viable research proposal of high academic standards. Your group must demonstrate effective application of project management competence in planning your research project and completing the project proposal. Your group should prioritise projects initiated in the completed outline proposals and eventually agree upon the group research topic for further adoption in this assessment. The proposal must address a research problem or gap that warrants research in your discipline. The proposal must be substantially based on the learning materials of this unit.

The assessment must be developed via a group of 3–5 students formed by the faculty. Each group member must enrol in their group in Moodle by the given deadline. The group must select its group leader and negotiate group rules by completing a group charter template by the given deadline. Along with the research proposal, each group must provide a link to the OneDrive folder where all their submission artefacts and contributions are stored. The folder must include all relevant materials used for developing the final proposal. The folder must include a master folder including group deliverables such as charter, presentation slides, main submission, recorded meetings, group communications, appendices, etc. The One Drive folder must include sub-folders labelled with group member names, which include the member own contributions and exchanged communications throughout the term for scrutiny by the faculty. The group must conduct and record at least three group meetings via ZOOM and include the recording files in the master folder.

The assessment consists of:

Assessment 3A- 20 marks: Final Research Proposal & Comprehensive Artefact Submission, due by the end of week 10.

Assessment 3B- 20 marks: Group presentations in weeks 11 & 12.

Important Notes:

1. OneDrive folder: The Artefact submission must include subfolders labelled with student names and includes all artefacts contributed by each student, including WORD drafts and PDF files.
2. Faculty-student Interviews: Before concluding the grades of the group assessment, The faculty may choose some groups to participate in an online interview with the faculty. The interview will be an opportunity for you to reflect on your contribution to the group project and discuss your understanding of all aspects of the research proposal. The interview will also be an opportunity for the faculty to ask questions about the group's process of developing the submission, and to gain insights into each group member's contribution and understanding. The group must showcase their process of conducting the assessment and present evidence of their genuine engagement towards completing the assessment.

Assessment Tasks:

Assessment 3A: Group Research Proposal & Comprehensive Artefacts Submission (20 marks):

By the end of week 10, each group must submit a copy of the group detailed research proposal in Moodle. You should think of your detailed proposal as a document that should be detailed enough so that anyone else can use your plan to execute the project within a maximum of six months after the submission of the proposals. This duration must be respected when you prepare your project management plan & documentation accordingly. Your ultimate task is to develop a research plan report on a promising topic relating to your discipline. In developing your detailed proposal, you must adopt the supplied research proposal template, which includes sufficient guidelines to complete each section. The sections/components of the proposal should appear in the following order.

• Research topic
• The need and significance of the study
• Research question and objectives
• Summary, and theme tables based on ten annotated PDF sources (annotated PDF files to be included in the shared folder)
• Preliminary literature review with themes subheadings based on the theme matrix.
• Research Methodology, including data collection instrument
• Project management implementation plan including risk register, stakeholder analysis and MS Project Gantt chart.
• Conclusion, limitations and expected outcomes and implications
• Reflective & contribution statement by each group member (300-500 words): explain your contribution to the group work and evaluate group dynamics and summarise experiences, feelings, and reactions in completing this unit and approaches to deal with incurred risks or delays and comment on the resources or feedback you found to be helpful or unhelpful in completing the assessment tasks.
• A hyperlink to the OneDrive shared folder with screenshots of the content of the main folder and group members sub-folders.
• References

For guidance, the proposal should be a minimum of 4,000 words in length, excluding references and appendices.

Along with the research proposal, each group must provide a shared link to the OneDrive folder, where all their research artefacts are stored. The folder must include all relevant materials, such as research data, annotated cited articles, earlier drafts, communications with stakeholders, status reports, minutes of meetings, presentation materials, and any other relevant materials or resources created or used in the development of the research proposal. In addition to the master folder, the One Drive folder must also include sub-folders labelled with group member names, which include the member artefacts, own contributions and exchanged communications throughout the term for scrutiny by the faculty. The group must conduct and record at least three recorded formal meetings via ZOOM and include the recording files in the master folder.

The assessment will involve "Group Peer Evaluation". The assessment will involve "Group Peer Evaluation". Evaluation of group members is an important deliverable of the final assessment, which aims to evaluate the process of undertaking the final assessment and ensure that each group member will receive a mark reflecting the quality and quantity of their contribution. Each group member will receive an email from the unit coordinator inviting them to respond to a compulsory survey. The survey aims to evaluate the performance of each group member. Completion of assessment 3 requires the compulsory completion of this evaluation; without it, assessment 3 will be considered incomplete. Mind that this activity is non-graded and does not affect any of the students' marks"

Assessment 3B: Group Presentations (20 marks):

As a group, you will be required to prepare a 15-minute oral presentation of your research proposal and submit accompanying slides in Moodle at the beginning of week 11. During class timing in W11 and W12, each group should plan its presentation  such that all group members present a specific part of the presentation. Your presentation should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the research process, and an ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. Any student failing to present, or show adequate preparation will receive zero marks for this part. Your presentation should provide a clear and concise overview of your research proposal, including rationale, research questions, the process of developing literature review, summary of literature review, research design, and project management. The presentation must also explain, with the aid of screenshots, the contents of the shared folder where all project artefacts were organised and stored.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Assessment 3A: Detailed Research Proposal (20 marks)

The following rubric will be used for marking 3A, however, this part will be marked concurrently with 3B and the final marks of 3A will be further moderated based on the results of 3B.

For group peer evaluation, the students will fill-in a survey that measures performance in terms of:

• Attendance and Punctuality: Evaluate how consistently the team member attends meetings and submits work on time.
• Contribution to Group Goals: Assess the extent to which the team member actively contributes to achieving the group's objectives and goals.
• Communication Skills: Evaluate the clarity, effectiveness, and responsiveness of the team member's communication within the group.
• Cooperation and Collaboration: Consider the team member's willingness and ability to work with others, share ideas, and collaborate effectively.
• Leadership and Initiative: Assess the extent to which the team member demonstrates leadership qualities, takes initiative, and motivates others within the group.
• Quality of Work: Evaluate the quality, accuracy, and thoroughness of the team member's contributions to group projects and assignments.
• Problem-solving Skills: Assess the team member's ability to identify and address challenges or problems that arise within the group's work.
• Responsibility and Accountability: Evaluate how accountable the team member is for their assigned tasks and responsibilities within the group.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Consider how well the team member adapts to changes, feedback, and new circumstances within the group's work.
• Professionalism and Respect: Evaluate the team member's professionalism, respectfulness towards others, and adherence to group norms and standards.

Assessment 3B Group Presentations (20 marks)

• Technical Content (8 marks): Thorough coverage of main components, sound knowledge and understanding of the research process, logical alignment between all aspects of the proposal.
• Delivery of Presentation (6 marks): Confident and clear delivery, excellent speaking skills, well-organised material, logical content ordering, appropriate communication style, effective argument construction, evidence integration, time management, and use of visual aids.
• Handling of Questions and Discussion (6 marks): Ability to provide insightful answers, demonstrate original and sharp thinking, and stimulate discussion.

A group member will receive Zero marks on this part in the case of the following incidents:

1. the group member failed to present;
2. the group member did not attend the full session(s); or
3. the group member failed to demonstrate a basic understanding of the entire group project.