Module POLM150 for 2017/8
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM150: Text as Data
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Although the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:
- Programming in Python
- Collecting textual information online
- Preprocessing text for analysis and “feature selection”
- Dictionary-based methods for text classification
- Supervised and unsupervised learning for text classification
- Ideological scaling
- Using text-based measures in regression models
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Activities to familiarize you with the Python programming language |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Reading and preparing for lectures |
| Guided independent study | 58 | Research and analysis for final essay and presentation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- Learn Python interactively online using Code School’s free Python course: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/python
Other Learning Resources
- For more information on downloading and installing Python: https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Download
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practicals | 4 short assignments to reinforce programming skills. | 1-5,8-10 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 10 | 800 words | 2-7, 9-10 | Written |
| Research essay | 75 | 4,000 words | 1-10 | Written |
| Presentation (individual) | 15 | 10 minutes | 1-10 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 1-2 pages proposal | 2-7,9-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| Research Essay | 4,000 words essay | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| Presentation (individual) | 10 minutes presentation | 1-10 | Spring team |
