Informing Teaching and Learning through Community Engagement

All forms of cheating and dishonest practice are taken seriously and penalties will result. Students should refer to Regulation J of the General Course and Examination Regulations. Work submitted may be analysed by the software Turnitin, to check for plagiarism. Where there is evidence that cheating or plagiarism has occurred students will be awarded an X grade and the matter will be referred to the year level coordinator, and/or the Head of the School of Teacher Education.

Assessment procedures will follow the established policies of the Te Kaupeka Ako | Faculty of Education Assessment Guidelines.

Grading Scale
Grade    GPA      Marks
A+          9      90 – 100
A            8      85 – 89.99
A-           7      80 – 84.99
B+          6      75 – 79.99
B            5      70 – 74.99
B-           4      65 – 69.99
C+          3      60 – 64.99
C            2      55 – 59.99
C-           1      50 – 54.99
D            0      40 – 49.99
E           -1       0 – 39.99

The score for each assessment item will be aggregated for the final grade. Normally a student will need to pass all assignments in a course. However, at the time of the examiner’s meeting when one of the grades for an assignment is just below the passing grade and the other grades are at a satisfactory level, the examiner may also consider factors such as attendance, engagement and the tertiary literacy standard of the assignment. In consultation, the examiner may decide to award the aggregated scores/grades. Assessment procedures will follow the policies of the Te Kaupeka Ako | Faculty of Education Assessment Guidelines. Final grades will be calculated and reported using the UC Common Grading Scale.

A student seeking credit in any course must attend such lectures, and perform satisfactorily such oral, practical, written and other work as the Head of Department/School concerned may require.’
(University of Canterbury Calendar 2014, p.43)

Students are expected to attend all scheduled course sessions, actively engage with course content and actively participate in course activities in order to meet the learning outcomes of the course. Students are expected to notify lecturers prior to their absence with an explanation. Extended absences must be accompanied by a medical certificate or similar (as for aegrotat provisions).

Students with less than 80% attendance are at-risk of not meeting the criteria for seeking credit in the course. The course lecturer may require evidence that they have actively engaged with the content and activities of the missed sessions.

Attendance evidence
FLO students – attendance and active participation at On-site Intensives and Zoom (webinar) sessions, accessing of ECHO360 lecture recordings (if activated), completion of forum tasks, participation in educational setting/school visits and other requirements specified by the course coordinator.

On Campus students –attendance and active participation at lectures, workshops, labs and/or Zoom (webinar) sessions, accessing of ECHO360 recordings (if activated), completion of forum tasks, participation in educational setting/school visits and other requirements specified by the course coordinator.

Formal and informal evaluation will take place in accordance with the University of Canterbury (UC) Course Evaluation Policy, to provide feedback to course staff about the relevance and validity of the intended learning outcomes, what has been learned and the quality of course organisation and delivery.

Teaching and courses will be assessed through the regular use of UC evaluative instruments.

In addition, the course will be subject to the internal and external moderation and evaluation processes of the Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (BTchLn).

A review will be undertaken for the programme, in accordance with UC policy.

As this course is part of an initial teacher education qualification, it will also be subject to the monitoring and moderation processes of the Education Council New Zealand.

The courses will be internally moderated in accordance with the processes adopted by the Te Kaupeka Ako | Faculty of Education. An examiners’ meeting will be held at the end of the course to determine the final grades and to ensure fairness and consistency.

All assignments must be submitted on or before the due date. If an assignment is late (without a prior arranged extension) then it will normally not be marked. However, if the course lecturer is notified within 24 hours of the due date and there is a genuine issue, for which evidence must be given, it may be considered but the assignment grade is usually restricted to a minimum passing grade (50%) for that assessment. If the assessment is late it is automatically excluded from a resubmission opportunity unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Tertiary literacy standard
Assignments that do not meet a tertiary literacy standard will be marked but that mark will be sanctioned. The student will be given one opportunity to correct the assignment so that it demonstrates tertiary technical writing skills. These skills include the correct use of spelling (including the appropriate use of macrons when spelling Māori words), sentence structure, punctuation, paragraphing and the appropriate use of APA referencing. The corrected work must be resubmitted within seven calendar days.
Once the work is at an appropriate tertiary literacy standard the sanction on the mark will be removed.

Extensions are reserved for exceptional circumstances only and are not granted automatically. The Course Co-ordinator responsible for the assessment must be contacted by email a minimum of two working days before the due date, and the application must be supported by relevant evidence (e.g. medical certificate, letter from counsellor). If an extension is granted there will normally be no resubmit given for that assignment. An extension will normally be for no more than two weeks and the date of the extension must be provided to the student in writing.

Extensions will not be granted because of pressure of university study, e.g. several pieces of work being due around the same time. The procedure for extensions is fully outlined in the Te Kaupeka Ako | Faculty of Education Assessment Guidelines.

Where for reasons beyond their control, students are prevented from completing an assessment or suffer significant impairment, they may apply for what is known as “special consideration”. University of Canterbury Special Consideration provisions may apply to impaired performance, non-completion of assessment items, and to late discontinuation (withdrawal) from a course.

A detailed description of special consideration and materials to support the applications process are available at: Special Considerations Process.  


Generally speaking, applications for special considerations should be lodged within five working days of the due date of that assessment item. For more details on this, please refer to the Special Considerations Regulations.



This information replaces any previous references to special consideration, Aegrotat or Backdated (Late) Withdrawal in the Course Information System, Learn or Course Outlines. If you are unclear about the implications or process please discuss with your Course Coordinator or contact the Student Advice team for assistance.

As well as attending classes, it is essential that all students regularly access the course Learn site. All course information such as the course kaupapa, notices, assessment information, required and recommended readings, audio recordings of some lectures, and other teaching resources etc. will be available on this site

Students will be required to submit their course assignments electronically, within an assignment drop-box on the Learn course site. Assessment results will be returned to students via the same delivery method. Students may also be required to submit some assignments in hard copy.

Turnitin will be used to check for plagiarism. Where this applies, students will be informed in the Assignment Description and Requirements on the course Learn site.

It is the responsibility of the students to check their internet access and ability to submit their work via the online system.  Any technical difficulties should be dealt with well ahead of the due date. For ICT help call our free call number 0508 UC IT HELP (0508 824 843) or on 03 369 5000.  Monday to  Friday, 8am to 5pm (excluding public and university holidays).