Module POL3205 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3205: Civic Engagement
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction: Citizenship and the Idea of Civic Engagement
- Trends in Political Participation: Declining levels of formal political participation
- Explaining Political Disaffection
- The Critical Citizen? The rise of informal political participation (e.g. Petitions E-Activism, Campaigning, Demonstrating & Protesting, Supporting Boycotts)
- Democratic Innovations from around the world and their applicability to the UK (e.g. citizens assemblies and juries, participatory budgeting)
- Trends in Civic Participation: Volunteering and Community work
- The Social Capital Thesis: Bowling Together or Bowling Alone?
- Civic Engagement as Participation in Public Policy – from Consultation to Coproduction
- Motivations for Prosocial Behaviour: Theory and Evidence
- How Can Policy Makers, Public Managers and Non-Profits increase Political and Civic Participation? Case Studies from Policy and Practice
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 44 | 22 x 2 hour seminars - a mix of lectures, group discussion and student presentations |
| Guided independent study | 110 | Reading and preparing for seminars including taking notes and set readings |
| Guided independent study | 51 | Research and essay writing |
| Guided independent study | 73 | Research and writing of strategy paper, to include liaison with external organisation or internal university units where applicable |
| Guided independent study | 22 | Preparation for presentations |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Relevant URLs, youtube videos, podcasts and clips will be uploaded on the module website
Other Learning Resources
A variety of policy reports, strategy and consultation documents will be available on the module website
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 500 words | 1-4, 7-9 | Written feedback |
| Strategy paper plan | 500 words | 2, 4-7, 11-12 | Written feedback |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | 0 | 15 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 35 | 2500 | 1-4, 7-9 | Written and oral feedback with returned essay |
| Strategy paper | 50 | 4000 | 2, 4-7, 11-12 | Written feedback |
| Group presentation (students work together consider using a variety of formats including debates, simulations, research presentations and case studies) | 15 | 10 mins presentation time per person | 7, 9-10 | Oral feedback at end of presentation; written feedback |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (2500 words) | Essay (2500 words) | 1-4, 7-9 | August / September re-assessment period |
| Strategy Paper (4000 words) | Strategy Paper (4000 words) | 2, 4-7, 11-12 | August/ September re-assessment period |
| Group presentation | Written case study (1500 words) | 7-9 | August/ September re-assessment period |
