Module POL3223 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3223: Political and Civic Engagement in an Age of Political Disaffection
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
The examine the changing nature, and extent, of political and civic participation in contemporary society
To introduce you to the extent of, and reasons behind, disenchantment with formal politics and political institutions;
To examine alternative and newer forms of civic and political participation including democratic innovations and non-traditional forms of political action;
To encourage you to engage with theories which address the motivations behind people’s voluntary contribution to the collective public good and to help develop students’ abilities to evaluate these theories on the basis of empirical evidence;
To develop your knowledge of different approaches and methods for enhancing civic participation used by governments and NGOs;
To help you see things from the perspective of a public or non-profit body through collaborative working, and to equip students with report writing skills similar to those used in a policy or practice setting.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge of forms of, and recent trends in, civic engagement, including political participation 2. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of key factors affecting and motivating civic engagement, including political participation 3. Critically assess competing explanations for political disaffection 4. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a range of theoretical perspectives relating to prosocial behaviour 5. Show appreciation of the practical challenges in enhancing civic participation, and demonstrate creativity in devising methods for achieving it |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 6. Translate insights from theory and research into viable, practical policy interventions 7. Evaluate and distil theory and evidence to arrive at original conclusions supported by relevant arguments |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. Work independently and manage time efficiently 9. Communicate complex ideas and concepts coherently, both verbally and in writing 10. Interact effectively and proactively within a team/ learning group, to share information and ideas, and to manage conflict 11. Produce an implementation strategy with real world value to a practice or policy setting |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation plan | Oral during office hours | 1-4, 7-9 | Oral feedback |
| Consultancy Report 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Reading Summaries | 35 | 2500 (10 x 250 words) | 1-4, 7-9 | Written and oral feedback |
| Consultancy Report | 50 | 4000 words | 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) 50% of mark awarded is an individual component; 50% is a group component | 15 | 10 mins presentation time per person | 7, 9-10 | Oral feedback at end of presentation; written feedback |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical reading summaries (10 x250 words) | Critical reading summaries (10x250 words) | 1-4, 7-9 | August / September re-assessment period |
| Consultancy Report (4000 words) | Consultancy Report (4000 words) | 2, 4-7, 11-12 | August/ September re-assessment period |
| Group presentation | Written case study (1500 words) | 7, 9-10 | August/ September re-assessment period |
