deakin late assignment submission penalty

• Bulletin Board
• Discussion Board
• Legislation
• Current Version
• Status and Details
• Associated Information
• Historic Versions
• Future Versions

Assessment (Higher Education Courses) procedure

Section 1 - preamble, section 2 - purpose, section 3 - scope, section 4 - policy, section 5 - procedure, assessment panels, unit assessment task requirements, hurdle requirements, communication and feedback to students, examinations, assessing student work, re-marking of failed assessment tasks, alternative assessment arrangements for students with a disability or health condition, rescheduling of assessment tasks other than examinations, penalties for late submission of assessment tasks (other than examinations), special consideration, final unit to complete, pass conceded, supplementary assessment, finalisation of results, cross-institutional results, student requests for a review of results, publication of results, storage, security and records management, breach of academic integrity, quality assurance, section 6 - definitions.

(1) This Procedure is effective from 24 November 2021.

(2) This Procedure is pursuant to the Academic Board Regulations and includes the following schedules:

• Schedule A2: Grading Schema for Assessment in Higher Education Courses and Calculation of Weighted Average Mark (APPLIES FOR ALL STUDY PERIODS THAT COMMENCE ON OR AFTER 1 JANUARY 2021 – applies to all grading of assessment in higher education courses for study periods that commence on or after 1 January 2021)
• Schedule B: Approved Methods for Ensuring Comparability of Assessment
• Schedule C: Standards for Administering Unsupervised Online Tests which are Automatically Computer-Marked .

(3) This Procedure governs assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate award courses other than higher degree by research theses.

(4) This Procedure applies to undergraduate and postgraduate award courses other than higher degree by research theses (see Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Assessment procedure ).

(5) This Procedure is pursuant to the Higher Education Courses policy .

(6) Assessment tasks:

• are designed in accordance with the principles specified in the Deakin Curriculum Framework (in the Higher Education Courses policy )
• may be set for courses, units or in combination
• progressively build students' knowledge and skills
• provide opportunities for feedback, and
• confirm that learning outcomes specified for each course are achieved at the appropriate standard.

(7) Assessment design:

• includes the types and weighting of assessment tasks, mode of delivery and any hurdle requirements
• is recommended by assessment panels (for assessment in units) or course teams (for course-level assessment), and
• is approved by Faculty Boards.

(8) Changes to the types and weighting of assessment may only be made part way through a study period in exceptional circumstances with the approval of the Faculty Board or Executive Dean.

(9) As part of the continuous quality improvement process, the means of assessment for courses and units are reviewed during major course reviews in accordance with the Higher Education Courses Approval and Review procedure .

(10) Assessment panels are appointed by Faculty Boards for each unit offered in a study period to:

• ensure that assessment in the unit is at the appropriate standard (in consultation with unit teaching teams and course teams as appropriate), and
• carry out the specific responsibilities set out in this Procedure.

(11) Assessment panels comprise at least two continuing or fixed-term (at least three years) academic staff members, including the Unit Chair who chairs the assessment panel.

(12) Every unit is assessed by thesis, portfolio or has at least two summative assessment tasks that occur during the study period.

(13) The following weighting patterns for summative assessment apply to all units unless exemptions are approved by the Faculty Board:

• with the exception of theses, portfolios (as specified in (d)) and units worth two or more credit points, the maximum weighting of any assessment task, including examinations, is 60% of the mark for the unit
• the maximum weighting for the collective component of a group assessment is 50% of the mark for the unit
• the total maximum weighting of any unsupervised tests which are administered online and automatically computer-marked is 20% of the mark for the unit unless unit-specific variations to the maximum weighting has been approved by Faculty Board or nominee in accordance with variation criteria; variation criteria and administration to those tests is set out in accordance with the standards in Schedule C: Standards for Administering Unsupervised Online Tests which are Automatically Computer-Marked .
• assessment of a significant body of work presented as a portfolio may be weighted up to 100% of the mark for the unit providing the students are required to submit elements of the portfolio progressively for which they receive detailed formative feedback to promote learning, and they have the opportunity to incorporate this feedback into work that is included in the portfolio.

(14) Assessment tasks, including examinations, must not be repeated in subsequent offerings of a unit in a way that compromises academic integrity.

(15) When an assessment task allows students to choose from alternative questions or topics, the standard and degree of difficulty of the options must be the same as far as is reasonably practicable.

(16) Any hurdle requirements are clearly linked with the course learning outcomes and standards.

(17) Students who fail a hurdle requirement are ineligible for a pass conceded grade for that unit and will receive a result of no more than 44% for that unit, unless the hurdle requirement is waived in accordance with clause 55.

(18) To ensure that feedback to students is meaningful and formative, it must be clearly linked to the assessment criteria and must be aimed at assisting learning, rewarding achievement, providing encouragement, explaining results and enabling students to improve their understanding and performance.

(19) Unit Chairs ensure that the purposes, processes, requirements and standards of assessment in a unit are clearly communicated to students at the beginning of and throughout each study period. Information about assessment is included in the University Handbook and unit guides as specified in the Course Design and Delivery procedure .

(20) Students should receive feedback on assessment tasks in time to benefit them in preparing for the next assessment task. Students who submit their work by the original due date should normally be provided with feedback within 15 working days.

(21) Students may request feedback from the Unit Chair on their performance in an examination within four weeks of the examination.

(22) Students must be notified of any change to the means of assessment made after the publication of the University Handbook within ten working days of the commencement of the study period in which the Unit is offered.

(23) Examinations are designed as assessment tasks which aim to authenticate the student’s sole contribution to the task through invigilation or other means. Examinations may be written, computer-based, oral, practical or by performance. They may be conducted in person or online.

(24) Examinations will be a minimum of one and a half hours and a maximum of two hours in duration, except where professional accreditation requirements specify otherwise.

(25) Where the assessment task for a unit includes an examination, two versions of exam questions for each examination, or an equivalent bank of questions if using randomized questions in online exams, are prepared for use during the examination period to minimise the risk to exam security. One exam is randomly allocated for use in Australia and the other for use in other time zones, or questions randomized in an online exam. An additional exam may be required to ensure examination security as determined by the Academic Registrar. For the purposes of special or supplementary examinations an additional version of exam questions is required where the learning outcomes or teaching materials are different between the current trimester and the trimester from which the special or supplementary exam was granted.

(26) Statutory declarations stating that a student will not reveal the contents of an examination must not be used as an alternative to the above.

(27) Each different examination is at least 75% different from each of the other examinations set in any one study period.

(28) The Division of Student Administration administers examinations and schedules examinations to ensure wherever possible that examinations within each time zone will commence at the same time or in overlapping periods of time.

(29) To facilitate anonymous marking, examination instructions specify that students must not provide their name on their examination documentation. The examination supervisors will verify, at the time of an examination, the accuracy of the student identity information entered by students on their relevant examination documentation.

(30) Students are not permitted to remove examination materials from the examination venue, or use devices to photograph, record, video or otherwise document/copy examination materials.

(31) Past examinations may be made available at the Unit Chair's discretion.

(32) Student performance is assessed by an assessor or group of assessors against predetermined standards and criteria, not against the performance of other students.

(33) For each assessment task in a unit, the assessment panel selects one of the approved methods for ensuring comparability of assessment in Schedule B: Approved Methods for Ensuring Comparability of Assessment . Other methods for ensuring comparability of assessment may only be used with the prior approval of the University Teaching and Learning Committee. The assessment panel informs all relevant staff members of the method the panel has selected.

(34) The assessment panel develops a marking rubric for each assessable task where the marking involves an exercise of academic judgement.

(35) To facilitate reliable and consistent judgments about student performance, all staff who assess student work must use the assessment panel's marking rubric and the approved method for ensuring comparability of assessment.

(36) A student may request the Unit Chair to check that their mark for an individual assessment task is correct, or to provide additional feedback on their performance. Students may also apply in writing to the Unit Chair to have work re-marked, where they can demonstrate that it was not initially marked in accordance with the marking criteria.

(37) Where there are academic grounds for re-marking the work, the Unit Chair is responsible for arranging the re-marking and for finalising the student's mark using the same mechanisms as outlined in clause 38c to 38f.

(38) Before recommending that a student be awarded an overall unit mark between 44% and 49%, assessment panels must ensure that the following process has been undertaken:

• All assessment tasks, including examinations, for which that student received a mark of 49% or less must have been marked by a second marker, except as set out in clause 39 below.
• One of the two markers must be a member of the assessment panel.
• Where the original and second marks differ by 10 percentage points or fewer of the available marks, the final mark received by the student for the assessment task will be the average of the two marks.
• Where the original and second marks differ by more than 10 percentage points of the available marks, the assessment task will be marked by a third marker. The final mark for the assessment task will be the median of the three marks, except where the assessment panel determines that one of the markers was not marking according to the agreed standards, in which case the final mark will be the average of the other two marks.
• Where one marker was not marking according to the agreed standards, the assessment panel will review the marks that the marker has awarded to other students and arrange any necessary re-marking or mark adjustments.
• The same markers must be used for second and third marking in any one assessment task where practicable.

(39) The above process, set out in clause 38, does not have to be undertaken for assessment tasks that:

• consisted of a performance, presentation, exhibition or other event where the student's work was transient, OR
• the student failed due to the imposition of a late penalty, in which case the calculation of the penalty must be verified by a member of the assessment panel, OR
• the student failed due to failure to meet a hurdle requirement, in which case the failure to meet the hurdle must be verified by a member of the assessment panel.

(40) To ensure that all students have a consistent and fair opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of learning outcomes, alternative assessment arrangements may be provided for students with a disability or health condition. In accordance with regulation 29 of the Academic Board Regulations , the Disability Resource Centre liaises with the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) to prepare an Access Plan for the student and to ensure that the assessment is equivalent in academic standard to assessment provided for other students enrolled in the unit. The Division of Student Administration will also be consulted where the Access Plan involves a change to examination arrangements (including the provision of extra time, changes to the physical environment or alternative examination materials).

(41) Students must write to the Unit Chair as soon as possible (and no later than the assessment due date) where unexpected circumstances will prevent them from undertaking or completing an assessment task (other than an examination) as scheduled. Where an application is based on circumstances resulting from a personal trauma experienced by the student, including sexual harm, the application may be made on the student’s behalf by the relevant university support service.

(42) Where appropriate, the Unit Chair may grant an extension of up to two weeks or may arrange for the student to undertake the task at a different time.

(43) Extensions will normally only be approved when students apply no later than the assessment due date.

(44) The Unit Chair may require evidence of the work completed so far and/or appropriate supporting documentation for the extension request.

(45) Where rescheduling is impractical or the student requests more time than the Unit Chair grants, the student may apply for special consideration.

(46) A due date and time will be set for the submission of each summative assessment task. A marking penalty will be applied where the assessment task is submitted after the due date without an approved extension as follows:

• 5% will be deducted from available marks for each day up to five days
• where work is submitted more than five days after the due date, the task will not be marked and the student will receive 0% for the task.

(47) The Unit Chair may refuse to accept a late submission where it is unreasonable or impracticable to assess the task after the due date.

(48) Where circumstances outside a student’s control prevent the student from attempting or completing an assessment task or end-of-unit examination at the scheduled time, or meant that their performance was significantly affected, the student may apply for special consideration. If granted, special consideration provides an opportunity for a student to take additional time to complete an assessment task or to attempt the same or equivalent task at another time.

(49) Applications for special consideration may only be made under clause 48 on one or more of the following grounds:

• a medical condition
• compassionate reasons (such as: the recent death of a close family member; family breakdown; unavoidable personal obligations)
• hardship/trauma (such as severe disruption to domestic arrangements; impact of crime; natural disasters; major transport failure; unexpected technology failure)
• unexpected employment or carer demands
• a requirement related to a student’s obligations as an elite athlete
• military, jury, or emergency service obligations
• obligatory religious or faith-based commitments
• obligatory cultural commitments of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders
• an exacerbation of a condition covered by a Learning Access Plan outlined under clause 40.

(50) Circumstances within a student's control (such as misreading timetables, exam stress or holidays, lack of preparation, failure to follow instructions) and minor ailments (such as colds or sleeplessness) will not be accepted as grounds for special consideration.

(51) Applications for special consideration must be submitted via the special consideration website no later than three working days after the due date of the assessment task or the date of the examination. Late applications will only be considered where the student can demonstrate to the Faculty Committee and/or the Division of Student Administration that extenuating circumstances prevented them from lodging the application any earlier. Where an application is based on circumstances resulting from a personal trauma experienced by the student, including sexual harassment or assault, the application may be made on the student’s behalf by the relevant university support service.

(52) Current and relevant documentary evidence (such as a verifiable statement from a recognised authority, relevant university support service or a treating practitioner registered with a professional body) must accompany the application. This evidence must confirm that the student was unable to attempt or complete the assessment task at the required time, or that their performance of the assessment task was significantly affected. Documentary evidence in support of applications on medical grounds will normally not be accepted where it is:

• based only on information provided by the student and/or
• obtained by methods other than a face-to-face consultation with a treating practitioner. An exception may be made where a student’s circumstances prevent them from arranging a face-to-face consultation.

(53) Where the documentary evidence is inadequate, faculties and/or the Division of Student Administration may require students to supply additional information and/or original copies within five working days.

(54) In consultation with the Unit Chair, the Division of Student Administration assesses applications for special examinations and the Faculty Committee or nominee assesses all other applications.

(55) Where a student applies for and is granted special consideration, the Faculty Committee may approve the waiving of a hurdle requirement in exceptional circumstances based on the recommendation of the assessment panel.

(56) There are four possible outcomes of an application for special consideration:

• outcome 1: special consideration not granted
• outcome 2 (for tasks scheduled while teaching is under way): special consideration granted - the student should contact the Unit Chair within two working days to arrange a new due date for the assessment task
• outcome 3: special consideration granted - a special examination, administered by the Division of Student Administration, is provided for the student normally during the next scheduled special examination period (RIE grade - see clause 56e).
• outcome 4: special consideration granted - a special assessment task, administered by the Faculty, is provided for the student (RIA grade – see clause 56e)
• Trimester 3, 2020 see Schedule A1: Special Trimester 2/Semester 2 and Trimester 3, 2020 Grading Schema
• teaching periods that commence on or after 1 January 2021, see Schedule A2: Grading Schema for Assessment in Higher Education Courses and Calculation of Weighted Average Mark .

(57) Where a student applies for special consideration and is granted an outcome 3 or 4 after attempting the initial assessment task, the initial task will not be marked. The student's unit result will be recorded as an RIE (outcome 3) or RIA (outcome 4) until the final result is released following the marking of their special assessment task or special examination.

(58) Additional special consideration is only available where the initial application results in outcome 3 (special examination) or 4 (special assessment task) and will only be granted once, where extraordinary circumstances (such as hospitalisation) prevent a student from attempting the relevant task. Additional special consideration is not available where the application results in outcome 2 (for tasks scheduled while teaching is underway). Written applications, including verifiable supporting documentation, must be submitted normally no later than three working days after the initial special task was due to be completed. The Chair of the Faculty Committee and/or Division of Student Administration may consider the student’s progress to date and previous requests for special consideration when determining the outcome.

(59) Incomplete results must be finalised as soon as possible and normally no later than the end of the next assessment cycle.

(60) A student who meets the criteria set out below may be awarded a pass conceded or supplementary assessment where a single failed unit is preventing them from completing their course.

(61) Applications for pass conceded grades and supplementary assessment must be made on the appropriate form and lodged with the Faculty Committee within five working days of the release of results.

(62) The Faculty Committee may award a pass conceded grade in a unit where all of the following conditions are met:

• the student is one credit point short of completing their course
• the student has been awarded a mark between 45% and 49% (inclusive) for the unit for which the pass conceded grade is being considered
• the student has not failed any hurdle requirement for that unit
• the student has not been awarded a pass conceded grade for any other unit in the course or articulated suite of courses
• the student has received a fail grade for no more than the number of units specified below for each course type:
• two-year undergraduate course: a fail in no more than two other units
• three-year undergraduate course: a fail grade in no more than three other units
• four- or five-year undergraduate course: a fail grade in no more than four other units
• combined courses: a fail grade in no more than two other units in the relevant course - a student is eligible to be considered for a pass conceded grade in each of the component courses
• graduate certificate or graduate diploma: a fail grade in no more than one other unit
• masters by coursework: a fail grade in no more than two other units.

(63) The Faculty Committee or delegated subcommittee will consider the recommendations of the Course Director when deciding whether to award a pass conceded grade.

(64) The Faculty Committee may determine that a student undertake supplementary assessment for a unit where:

• the conditions for awarding a pass conceded have been met, but a pass conceded cannot be awarded due to professional registration or accreditation requirements
• the conditions for awarding a pass conceded have not been met, but the student is one credit point short of completing their course and was awarded a mark between 40 and 49% (inclusive) for a unit that they attempted in the last 12 months. Consideration will only be given to the student's most recent unit attempt. Previous unit attempts will be disregarded.

(65) The Faculty Committee may also award supplementary assessment as an outcome of a review of results or where there is other cause for genuine doubt about a student's academic performance in a unit.

(66) Where supplementary assessment is awarded under clause 64, a mark of no more than 50% will be given for the unit.

(67) The Unit Chair, on the advice of the assessment panel, recommends a result for each student enrolled in the unit and submits the results to the Division of Student Administration via the student management system. The results submitted are normally determined by accumulating the marks for individual assessment tasks and can only be adjusted by assessment panels with the approval of the Faculty Committee as set out in clause 69. Where other methods of calculating results are used they must be described in the unit guide in language understandable by students.

(68) Faculty Committees review reports generated by the Division of Student Administration consisting of compilations of data on the results for each unit, and consider result distributions, any adjustments made by the assessment panel and other relevant information. Where the results reports show that marking criteria have not been appropriately set or applied, Faculty Committees may adjust the results, before approving them for release, in one of the following ways:

• increasing or decreasing the marks of one or more students or groups of students for one or more assessment tasks
• requiring one or more assessment tasks or components of assessment tasks to be re-marked for one or more students or groups of students according to an appropriate standard agreed to by the assessment panel
• requiring that an additional assessment task be submitted and marked according to an appropriate standard agreed to by the assessment panel, and replacing that mark for one or more of the original assessment tasks.

(69) Any amendments to results must be submitted to the Division of Student Administration on an amendment to result form, with the approval of the Chair, Faculty Committee or nominee and one of the following staff members recorded:

• member of the assessment panel
• Executive Dean or nominee.

(70) Where the Unit Chair is not one of the approvers of the amendment to result form, the Faculty Committee sends the Unit Chair notification of the amendment. The Faculty Committee must retain the original copy of the amendment to result form, including the approval and any other supporting documentation.

(71) After the date for the official release of results has passed, the approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education must be obtained before submitting late results for a whole unit cohort.

(72) In circumstances where students have been awarded a special or supplementary assessment, results should be resolved and submitted to the Division of Student Administration within 10 working days after the completion of the special examination cycle to which the unit relates.

(73) The date for the finalisation of a student's results may be varied:

• pending the outcome of a discipline hearing
• pending the outcome of an appeal hearing
• for fieldwork, professional experience, practicums and clinical placements which must be scheduled after the completion of the University teaching period.

(74) The Faculty must notify the Division of Student Administration that results have been authorised for release on the specified date.

(75) Results must be consistent with the grading schema for the relevant study period as set out below. For

(76) Students who have completed a unit at another institution under an approved cross-institutional enrolment must provide an official academic transcript for that unit to the Division of Student Administration, for recording in the student management system, within two weeks of the result being released by the institution.

(77) Following the release of results, students may apply to the Faculty Committee for a review of their overall result for a unit, including assessment in any part of the unit.

(78) The Faculty Committee will normally only approve an application for a review where the student provides evidence that their work was not marked in accordance with the marking criteria or that there was a misapplication of other relevant University policies or procedures.

(79) Applications must be made within five working days after the official release and publication of the student's results (unless the student can show the Faculty Committee that exceptional circumstances beyond their control have prevented them from lodging the application in time).

(80) The Faculty Committee considers each request for review in consultation with the Unit Chair and determines whether a review of a result is warranted.

(81) Where an application is rejected, the Faculty Committee notifies the student of the outcome and explains the reasons for the decision.

(82) If the Faculty Committee determines that there will be a review of a result, the Committee will be responsible for:

• if necessary, appointing an independent marker to assess the student's work, ensuring that, where practicable, a clean copy of the work is provided to the independent marker and the student's name is withheld
• determining the final outcome through the process described for the re-marking and verification of fail grades in clause 38 c) to 38 f) approving a variation as required, or requiring the student to undertake supplementary assessment
• informing the student in writing of the outcome of the review, including the reasons for the decision, and updating the appropriate records.

(83) In the case of group assessment tasks, all students' results will be reviewed, and, where appropriate students' results will be reviewed individually.

(84) If, in the process of reviewing a result, it is determined that a systematic error has occurred that has affected the results for multiple students in a unit, the Faculty Committee will take appropriate action to rectify this.

(85) Where the Committee has reviewed the result, the Committee's decision is final.

(86) Results are published at the end of each study period on the dates specified in the University Handbook . Information about accessing results is available on the current students (results) website. In accordance with the Academic Board Regulations , the Academic Registrar and Executive Director Student Administration under the general direction of the Academic Board, will decide the form in which, and the dates on which, results are to be published.

(87) Final unit results are not made available to students prior to the official publication of results. All marks for individual assessment tasks are provisional until the final unit results have been approved for release by the Faculty Committee.

(88) Faculties and Division of Student Administration staff members are jointly responsible for the security of documentation relating to examinations and other types of assessment tasks.

(89) Faculties ensure that records are retained in accordance with the Information and Records Management policy , including any supporting documentation for decisions about special consideration applications, mark adjustments made to individual assessment items, amendments to final results and supplementary assessment.

(90) The identity of students completing summative assessment tasks is verified. The means of verification must be communicated to students and the University may refuse to enable access to or mark the assessment where the identity of the student has not been confirmed.

(91) Unit Chairs provide students with information on what constitutes a breach of academic integrity at the beginning of a unit.

(92) Students are required to make a declaration when submitting assignments to confirm that the work submitted is their own and that the work has not been submitted for assessment in any other unit or course (at the University or another institution) without the approval of the Unit Chair. In the case of group assessment tasks, each member of the group must make a declaration.

(93) Breaches of academic integrity by students will be dealt with in accordance with Part 10 – Academic and Research Integrity of the Academic Board Regulations .

(94) Assessment is regularly reviewed as an integral and central part of quality assurance processes for courses and units. Faculty Boards, Faculty Committees and assessment panels ensure quality assurance and continuous quality improvement within each Faculty.

(95) The University monitors assessment practices and compliance with relevant procedures in accordance with processes approved by the Academic Board.

(96) For the purpose of this Procedure:

• academic integrity: acting in accordance with the values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in academic settings.
• formative assessment: assessment that provides feedback on student learning and the effectiveness of teaching,
• summative assessment: assessment used to measure the level of a student's success in achieving learning outcomes, which contributes to a student's final grade and/or mark for a unit of study.
• comparability of assessment: performance by students enrolled within a unit is assessed to the same standard. Approved methods for ensuring comparability of assessment are included in Schedule B: Approved Methods for Ensuring Comparability of Assessment .
• examination: means a centrally organised, formal, supervised, time-limited, summative assessment task conducted during the official examination period.
• faculty: means an academic organisational unit established as a faculty by Council in accordance with regulation 16 of the  Council Regulations . For the purposes of this Procedure, faculty includes any institute that is approved to offer courses.
• Faculty Board: includes any institute board of studies where the institute is established by Council in accordance with regulation 17 of the  Council Regulations and approved to offer courses.
• Faculty Committee: the relevant committee appointed by each Faculty Board to deal with assessment and academic progress matters referred to it under  Vice-Chancellor Regulations and Academic Board Regulations .
• grade: a descriptive indicator of a student's achievement in an assessment task or a unit, awarded as part of a marking process.
• hurdle requirement: a condition, other than the overall mark, that must be met in order for students to be able to pass a unit.
• learning access plan: a document that outlines strategies and adjustments to enable a student with a health condition or disability to work towards achieving the unit learning outcomes.
• mark: a numerical indicator of a student's achievement in an assessment task or a unit, awarded as part of a marking process.
• marking rubric: a description of expected levels of performance in the essential criteria associated with an assessment task.
• result: the final grade/mark in a unit awarded to a student based on the assessment for that unit.
• special assessment: an assessment task undertaken by a student where special consideration has been granted to the student.
• special consideration: means the process available to students whose performance is temporarily and adversely affected by circumstances outside their control, by which they may apply for approval to take additional time to complete an assessment task or to complete the assessment task at a later time.
• study period: a defined teaching and study period specified by a Faculty for the completion of units for a particular course.
• supervised: means observed during completion of an examination by invigilator, online proctor or automated video recorded supervision.
• supplementary assessment: additional assessment tasks undertaken by a student in order to make a determination of result, and required of students where there is genuine doubt about their academic performance in a specific unit.
• Unit Chair: the person appointed under the Course Design and Delivery procedure to be responsible for coordinating the curriculum, teaching and assessment in a unit.
• University Handbook : the official University publication in print, electronic or other form, containing details of courses and related information.

� Copyright Deakin University 2016 – 2024. All rights reserved. CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B

• My Playlists

• Advancement only
• Campus Services only
• Deakin International only
• Deakin Learning Futures only
• Deakin Research only
• Digital Services only
• Cybersecurity
• Digital Workplace
• Diversity and Inclusion only
• Finance only
• Governance Services only
• Graduate Employment only
• Human Resources Division only
• Infrastructure and Property Group only
• Internal Audit Unit only
• Marketing Division only
• Planning and Integrity only
• Risk and Compliance Unit only
• Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit only
• Student Services only
• University Solicitor's Office only
• Faculty of Arts and Education only
• School of Communication and Creative Arts only
• School of Education only
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences only
• Deakin Business School only
• Deakin Law School only
• Faculty of Business and Law only
• Faculty of Health only
• School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences only
• School of Health and Social Development only
• School of Medicine only
• School of Nursing and Midwifery only
• School of Psychology only
• Faculty of Science Engineering and the Built Environment only
• School of Architecture and Built Environment only
• School of Engineering only
• School of Information Technology only
• School of Life and Environmental Sciences only
• CloudDeakin

Assessment Tasks: Changes to Late Penalties

• Faculty of Health  
•   Educational Development Unit   (HEDU)   

Home  >  CloudDeakin  >  Assessment  >  Assignment Folders

Managing Assignment Folders and Submissions

These guides are intended for Unit Chairs and Lecturers to manage and administer Assignment Folders and submissions.

Please contact Health EDU if you wish to alter the overall due date and/or end date for an Assignment Folder.

Please note the following first:

• A DUE date and an END date should be set for an Assignment Folder.
• The end date of a folder is set to the last day of the exam period for the Trimester/Semester - this will allow for Turnitin to work correctly.
• Any submission made after the due date/time is automatically flagged as late by the system. Penalties (if chosen to be applied) can be subtracted manually per student after assessment has taken place.
• Submissions cannot be made after the end date/time.
• Students with approved extensions should be given Special Access to the Assignment Folder - refer guide below for steps.

Click here for the guide to add special access

It is possible to view deletion and restoration logs of Assignment Folder files.

There are a couple of places where you can access the submission log - we have only included one below.

• Click on Assessments and then Assignments in the top navigation bar.
• Click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the individual Assignment Folder name and select Submission Log .

• You can see if a user has deleted a file. Deleted files can also be restored from this view. These can be filtered by 'event' if you need a more granular view. Both staff and students are listed with their actions.
• Do not rely on the 'Started' event logs - contact Health EDU  for more information.

• Student ARCHIBALD MADRID submitted a file
• Staff member Jane Citizen deleted a submission made by student NANCY SINATRA. This submission can be restored and the action will be logged as well.

Occasionally a student will submit a file that cannot be opened for marking. The issue may be caused by the student submitting the wrong file type or incorrect file name both of which can also cause an error in the return of a Feedback Studio (Turnitin) Originality Report, meaning that GradeMark cannot be used.

In these cases the student should be asked to re-submit the file. You can use this sample message to explain to them what is required. Just copy and alter the text as needed.

For further information refer to Turnitin Requirements .

Sample Message

Dear [Name of Student]

We've been checking through the online submissions for [INSERT UNIT CODE + ASSIGNMENT FOLDER NAME] and noticed that you have submitted an incorrect file type and/or file name which means we are not able to mark you assignment.

Could you please resubmit your assignment to the CloudDeakin Assignment Folder as soon as possible in the correct file type.

File requirements:

• files MUST include a file extension of .pdf or .docx (but NOT .doc produced by older versions of MS Word).
• files must NOT be scanned text, images, Excel, Portfolio items/
• files MUST be less than 20mb in size.
• file titles must NOT include special characters e.g: ,:;~/!@#$%^&*+|(){}[] etc...
• file titles should NOT be too lengthy e.g: Try keeping the file title meaningful but under 30 characters
• file titles SHOULD include in this order - your name, the assessment task (AT) number and unit code e.g: JaneCitizen-AT1-HBS123.doc
• if you are using a Mac, do NOT submit .pages file types.
• if you are using a Mac, the file MUST be saved with the extension showing.

We will compare this to the first piece you submitted and if identical, a penalty will not be applied for lateness.

If you have any queries please contact us as soon as possible.

Regards [Your Name]

Accidentally published feedback and grades during marking?

In the event that feedback has been published inadvertently for a large number of submissions or for an individual student, you can quickly hide the Assignment folder and Retract feedback and grades .

CloudDeakin guides

The Assignments tool can help you streamline all of the administration around assignment submission, eliminating the need to receive and track assignments by mail, fax, or email. Students can submit, check and resubmit their assignments online.

Once assignments are submitted, you can do all the following from within the Assignments tool:

• check submission times
• grade assignments
• leave feedback
• return submissions with comments
• download assignments as zip files
• sort assignments by students.

To access the Assignments tool, click on Assessments and then click on the Assignments link on your unit navigation bar.

Create an assignment

You can organise your assignments into categories to make it easier for students to navigate. For example, you can create separate categories for each module or week or for different types of assignments.

Assignments are where students submit assignments. You can set up assignments for each of your assignments and set start dates, end dates and other release conditions, if desired. You can also set up special access and associate folders with competency activities.

• Click on Assessments and then click on Assignments link in the Navigation bar.
• Click New Assignment Folder. Enter the Name for the assignment.
• Enter a Grade Out Of . The grade item is automatically added to your Gradebook.
• Select a Due Date. This is to set the actual due date of the assignment.
• Add Instructions that you wish to provide to students.
• Add any attachments, audio, or video notes.
• Expand Availability Dates & Conditions .
• Select a Start Date: use this option if you do not want students to access a folder before the specified date.
• Select an End Date : use this option if you want to stop students from submitting assignments after a due date.
• If you have any Release Conditions and Special Access , add them here.
• Expand Submission & Completion .
• For the Assignment Type, specify if this is an Individual Assignment or Group Assignment .
• Select a category if you wish to organise the assignment in a category. You can use New category to create a new one.
• For File submissions , set the number of Files Allowed Per Submission and the Submissions rules.
• For Text submissions , set the Submission rules.
• For On paper submissions , set Marked as completed to one of the available options: Manually by learners, Automatically on evaluation, or Automatically on due date.
• For Observed in person assignments, set Marked as completed to one of the available options: Manually by learners, Automatically on evaluation, or Automatically on due date.
• Under Files allowed per submission , you can choose either the unlimited or one file per submission.
• The Allowable File Extensions field provides options for the types of files that students can submit for the assignment.
• Select a Submissions option (Keep all submissions, Overwrite submissions, Only one submission allowed).
• To receive email notifications when an assignment is submitted, under Notification Email , enter an email address or multiple email addresses separated by a comma.
• Expand Evaluation & Feedback .
• Click Add rubric and either create and attach a new rubric or add an existing one.
• To display annotation tools in the document viewer, under Annotation Tools , select the Make annotation tools available for assessment check box.
• Click Save and Close to complete the process.

Create assignment categories (optional)

• From the Assignment page, click the Edit Categories link.
• Click on Add Category .
• Enter a title
• Click Create .

Edit assignments

Set visibility.

When the assignment is ready to release to students, from the Assignments page, click on Make Visible to Users from the context menu of the assignment you wish to set visibility.

Edit an assignment

• From the Assignments page, click Edit Assignment from the context menu of the assignment you wish to edit.
• Update the assignment details as desired.
• Click Save .

Edit multiple assignments

• From the Assignments page, select the assignments you want to edit.
• Click the Bulk Edit button at the top or bottom of the page.
• Update the appropriate fields.

Add special access permissions

Special access permissions allow you to develop learning engagement strategies, particularly when dealing with students with special consideration circumstances. You can set different availability dates and times for special cases. For example, you could extend the deadline for users who require additional assistance or who are submitting work beyond the original scope of the assignment. You can also add special access after a folder’s end date has passed for students who have a legitimate reason for missing the deadline or for students that may need to submit additional material, such as planning notes or a bibliography.

• Click on Manage Special Access .
• Select either: – Allow users with special access to submit outside the normal availability dates for this folder – Allow only users with special access to see this folder.
• Click the Add Users to Special Access button.
• Select Date Availability you want for the special access students.
• Use the View By and Search For options to locate the students you want to give special access.
• Select the boxes beside the appropriate students’ names in the grid.
• Once you have added special access permissions for students they are listed. You can edit or delete students’ special access by clicking the Edit or Delete icons beside their names.
• Click Save and Close .

Grading assignments

View submitted files.

The Assignments page provides a summary of the Total Files, Unread Files, and Flagged Files within each folder. To view the files, including when they were submitted, use the Submissions page.

• To view files from the Assignments page, click the title of the assignment you want to view submissions for.
• Select either the Users tab or Submissions tab depending on whether you want to view and search submissions by user or file name.
• Enter search criteria in the Search For field to narrow the list of submissions.
• Click Show Search Options to refine your search.

Track submissions

• From the Assignments page, click on the title of the assignment.
• Click on Submission Log.

The Submission Log can be filtered to determine if and when a student submitted a file, and whether the Unit Chair deleted the submission. If a submission was accidentally deleted, the Unit Chair can restore it from this view.

Email students who have not submitted

• Click Email Users Without Submissions or Email Groups Without Submissions on the action bar.
• Type your message in the Compose New Message pop-up. The email addresses of the selected students populate automatically in the BCC field of the message. (This ensures that each student does not know which other students may be receiving the reminder message.)
• Click Send. Note: If any member of a group submits an assignment to a group assignment folder, no one in that group is emailed when Email Groups Without Submissions is selected.

Download student submissions

• From the Assignment page, click on the title of the assignment.
• Do one of the following: On the Users tab, select the students or groups you want to download assignments for. On the Submissions tab, select the files you want to download.
• Click the Download icon.
• Click the name of the zip file that is created.
• Use your browser’s save dialog to save the file to the appropriate location. Note : Files are renamed to include the student’s or group’s name and submission time when you download them. Downloading assignments changes their status to read.

Set submissions as read or unread

• From the Assignments page, click on the title of assignment you would like to set.
• Select the files you want to mark as read or unread, and click the Mark as Unread for selected students as unread or Mark as Read for selected students as read icons at the top or bottom of the list.

Note: When you open or download a file it is automatically marked as read.

Leave feedback and grading submissions

The Leave Feedback page allows you to leave students’ feedback on their assignments and or learning engagement. You can also input a grade for assignments linked to a grade item and select a rubric level for assignments linked to an activity. Text you enter into the text box will also appear in the students’ view of the grades.

• From the Assignments page, click on the title of assignment you would like to grade.
• Click the Go to Evaluation link beside the name of the student you want to leave feedback for.
• Carefully read through the student’s work.
• If applicable, click on the Rubrics title to mark assignments using rubrics.
• Select the rubric levels.
• Enter the student’s score on the assignment, if applicable. Note: The grade score and comments will transfer to the Grades tool, providing there is a grade item associated to the assignment.
• Enter Feedback in the textbox.
• You can also attach any files you want to associate with the feedback. Note: If you want to put feedback directly on the student’s file, download it, add the feedback and save it. Then, attach the copy of a student’s assignment with the feedback for the student to review.
• You can also record your feedback using Record Audio or Record Video , see below steps.
• Click either Save Draft to release results to students in the future or Publish to release the results instantly. See below on how to publish feedback to students at once. Note: If you accidentally click Publish rather than Save Draft , click on Retract to revert to draft.

Audio recording

• To record audio, click on Record Audio .
• Click Allow to allow they system to access your microphone.
• Click on New Recording to record your audio. You can record up to 3 minutes of audio.
• Click Stop Recording when you finish recording.
• The system will playback your audio.
• If you want to re-record, click New Recording.
• If you are satisfied with your recording, click Add.
• You will be prompted to enter a Title and a Description.
• Click on Add.

Video recording

• To record video, click on Record Video.
• Click Allow to allow the system to access your camera and microphone.
• Click on New Recording to record your video. You can record up to 3 minutes of video.
• The system will playback your video.

Release grades to students

The Publish Feedback button allow you to release assignment grades and feedback to students at once.

• From the Assignments page, click on the title of assignment you would like to release grade.
• Tick the box of Select all rows or individually select all the students whose results you wish to release.
• Click on Publish Feedback. Note: Ensure that the Grade Item of the assignment is visible to students from Grades

Connect with us: @dulearnfutures  | Tales4Teaching podcast | Contact us

Unit guides

• Visit Deakin home

Deakin University Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment

• WELCOME  
• Unit chair: leads the teaching team and is responsible for overall delivery of this unit  
• Unit chair details  
• Other members of the team and how to contact them  
• Administrative queries  
• Unit development in response to student feedback  
• Your Unit Learning Outcomes  
• Assessing your achievement of the unit learning outcomes  
• Hurdle requirements  
• - Summative assessment task 1  
• Your learning experiences in this Unit - and your expected commitment  
• Scheduled learning activities - campus  
• Scheduled learning activities - online  
• Essential learning resources  
• Recommended learning resources  
• KEY DATES FOR THIS TRIMESTER  
• Read all materials in preparation for your classes or seminars, and follow up each with further study and research on the topic;
• Start your assessment tasks well ahead of the due date;
• Read or listen to all feedback carefully, and use it in your future work;
• Attend and engage in all timetabled learning experiences.

• Check-out the 'SEBE Student Hub' section on your Unit site
• Contact your Unit Chair or Campus Leader
• Drop in or contact Student Central to speak with a Student Adviser
• Assignments were very good
• Learning resources were very useful.
• Added data wrangling in week 2
• Added weekly quizzes for the Pass tasks
• Transferred the assessment marking from CloudDeakin to OnTrack.

• The elements of statistical learning . Friedman, Jerome, Trevor Hastie, and Robert Tibshirani. Vol. 1. Springer, Berlin: Springer series in statistics, 2009.
• Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning . Bishop, Christopher M. Springer, 2006.
• Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning . Yang, Xin-She. Elsevier Science & Technology, 2019 . ISBN number:9780128172162. 
• Machine Learning and Its Applications. Wlodarczak, Peter. Taylor & Francis Group, 2020 . ISBN number:9781138328228.  
• Practical Machine Learning for Data Analysis Using Python. Subasi, Abdulhamit. Elsevier Science & Technology, 2020 . ISBN number:9780128213797. 
• Applied Machine Learning for Smart Data Analysis. Dey, Nilanjan; Wagh, Sanjeev. Taylor & Francis Group, 2019 . ISBN number:9781138339798, SERIES: Computational Intelligence in Engineering Problem Solving Ser.

4 August 2022

Simple ways you can make your assignments shine

At this point in the trimester, you’ll likely have simultaneous assignment deadlines approaching.

Fear not! We’ve compiled a checklist of simple methods and Deakin resources you can use to improve your assignment preparation, research, and writing skills.

Whether you feel you are in need of specific help to complete an assignment, or you just want to refine your study process and get higher marks, the following resources can help you reach your assignment goals and help you reflect on how to best approach your future assignments.

Remember to also check Deakin’s  Assignments webpage  for general information about submitting your assignments, which includes details about Deakin’s universal submission time, penalties for late submissions, extensions and special consideration.

1. Plan ahead

Getting your time management right is an important first step in achieving a good mark on an assignment. Every assignment is a little bit different, and will demand different skills and levels of planning, time, focus, and research.

Planning early will help you manage the various deadlines across units and will give you a clear idea of what resources you’ll need before you start. Planning also gives you extra time to understand challenging readings and complex tasks.

Luckily, you have the  Deakin Assignment Planner  to help you get organised! This online tool will help you plan your assignments and keep to a schedule.

2. Seek help early

Now that you’ve got your schedule in place, it’s time to get active.

If you’re unsure of how to start a particular assignment, the best way is to seek help early so you get the advice you need well before your deadline. Contact the teaching staff within your unit for specific instructions, and check the discussion boards to see what your classmates have asked.

You can also ask Deakin’s Language and Learning Advisers are teachers who are available to help you over the phone or via an online appointment – so have a look at the  times available  based on your needs. 

3. Find better sources with more refined searches

Finding appropriate information to use in your assignments can take a lot of time. Use the  library’s online tutorials  to help you quickly find useful information.

These tutorials cover how you can best judge what are reliable and relevant sources for your assignments, plus much more. If you are in need of further advice, you could also  contact a librarian .

4. Group assignments

Group assignments can be challenging, particularly while studying partially online, but you can avoid some of the difficulties by planning ahead. Learn more about the  benefits of group work and tips on managing group assignments , and use the  Learning online  resource to help you solve any challenges.  

5. Improve your writing skills

We all have skills we could improve. What’s yours?

• Perhaps you need some tips on note-taking, or your writing skills could use some work.
• Are you struggling to get yourself motivated, or perhaps you need to set some study strategies?
• Do you have questions about referencing?
• Want some tips for studying online?

Watch a Study Support session (on  UniStart  if you’re an undergraduate student or  Preparing to Succeed  if you’re postgraduate), where we cover these topics and more, and bookmark the  Deakin guide to referencing.

Need help outside of regular hours?

If you’re stuck, try Smarthinking – Deakin’s online tutoring service that allows you to reach out for assistance at any time that is convenient for you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Smarthinking allows you to work online in real-time – from any location, at any time of the day – with tutors specialising in a range of disciplines.

Visit Smarthinking now  to explore the platform or book a session.

Share this:

Get the Reddit app

r/deakin is an unofficial community for Deakin University students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Has anyone missed a deadline on onTrack?

Unit: SIT720 Machine Learning

So I submitted my task a day late, however I do not understand this feedback. Does this mean I wont receive feedback before my last portfolio submission or is this task aint getting marked and I am doomed!!! I have weekly pass task, there are total 13 tasks, I probably wont fail a unit just because I submitted 1 task a day late. I mean where is the 5% penalty rule?

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue