Faculty of Arts
Course Assessment
Course assessment will be determined by students’ participation in tutorials, a book review, the presentation of a seminar paper, and writing a research essay. There is no end-of-semester examination.
Seminar participation 10%
Book review 20%
Seminar essay 30%
Research essay 40%
Total coursework 100%
Seminar Participation:
Students will actively engage in discussions during seminars and will be expected to take turns leading the seminar debate questions during weeks 3-6 (see Seminar Topics section below) and to participate fully in the seminar related discussions from Weeks 7-12.
Book review:
Students are required to write a review of the readings set for one week between Weeks 2-6 of approximately 1,500 words contrasting and comparing them critically for their content, argument, approach and bias.
Seminar essay:
Students will also be expected to write and present a seminar during the course of the semester between Weeks 7-12 based on the focus question for that week. Seminar presentations should be between 15-20 minutes in length and a type written version of about 1,500 words should be submitted for assessment by the end of the following week.
Please note. Seminar papers should not be in note form but must be written out in full and be academically referenced.
Research essay
The major assessment for this paper is a research essay of about 3,000 words in length to be submitted by Friday 14 October. This essay is designed to facilitate your research skills and to allow you the opportunity to pursue individual interests and study. Consequently, there are no set essay titles for this assignment but students choose their own research topic in consultation with the Course Co-ordinator.
Please note that a topic must be approved by the Course Co-ordinator before the student commences work on this assignment.
All essay scripts should be academically referenced according to the system of citation as explained in the Undergraduate History Handbook or an equivalent publication from the School of Asian Studies. A Guide to Essay Writing is also included in this outline for your benefit. You will find it helpful to read through this section before attempting to write your assignments.
Policy on extensions and late work:
An extension for work beyond the due date may be given on medical grounds or in exceptional personal circumstances at the discretion of the Course Co-ordinator but always at least three days in advance of the submission date.
Late work will always be penalised by having a percentage of marks deducted and being dropped at least one whole grade.
Guide to Essay Writing*
Writing an essay is a craft that has to be learnt like any other and having the ability to present information and arguments persuasively and professionally on paper is one of the most important skills that you will learn at university.
Step 1: defining the topic
An essay has a set topic, so it is really important that you understand exactly what the question is asking you to do; that you define the topic. First, you have to work out what the question means, and to do this you may have to check the meaning of words or expressions. Second, you have to think what kind of answer the question might generate and be aware that people are likely to have opposing views on the subject. A good essay will respond to arguments that might contradict your answer.
Step 2: research
An essay is an informed argument. To inform others, you first have to inform yourself.
A good way of doing this is to assemble a reading list of material relevant to the essay topic. This can be done in a number of ways: checking the reference sections at the end of each chapter in recommended texts and required readings, or consulting a specialist bibliography in a library.
You must make notes on the material you are reading. Whatever notation system you prefer, make sure you keep a full record of the source of the information you are recording. Keep thinking about the topic as you work and you will find that you begin to sort the information mentally into different sections ready for assembling later into an argument.
Step 3: writing
Unless you feel at ease writing, it is usually better to keep your sentences short and sharp rather than long and florid. Whatever your writing style (and everybody's is different), bear in mind that you will make a better impression on your reader if your argument is clearly developed and consistently supported by mutually reinforcing evidence that is properly referenced.
Plagiarism means presenting somebody else's words as your own without due acknowledgement. Plagiarism can be grounds for disciplinary action and for failing a paper. If you have any concerns as to what constitutes plagiarism, please contact the course coordinator.
Step 4: presentation
A few general points about presentation should be borne in mind. It helps to write in paragraphs: each paragraph should present a coherent set of ideas and should play a clear role in the development of your argument. Short paragraphs tend to disrupt your argument; long paragraphs tend to ramble. Please take care to punctuate correctly. Punctuation not only affects an essay's 'readability' but can also effect a sentence's meaning as well. Finally, remember to proof-read your work carefully before submission.
Step 5: referencing
You should take particular care to reference your essay properly by attributing facts and opinions to the source from which you acquired them. If these technical aspects are neglected, you will be asked to resubmit your paper.
* this section is a liberal adaptation of a Guide to Writing Essays compiled by Dr Robert Cribb at the University of Queensland and reproduced with his permission.
On-line Guide to Writing and Locating Sources
Critical Writing:
Dan Kurland, Reading and Writing Ideas As Well As Words.
http://www.criticalreading.com/
Locating Sources:
Diana Hacker, Research and Documentation Online.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/resdoc/
