Module POL2114 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2114: Issues in Modern British Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to enhance and deepen your understanding of specific issues of most relevance and importance in British politics, which will be selected by you from a wide range of potential issues. Drawing on vast academic literature, you will have an opportunity to decide whether to interrogate generational trends in political engagement (e.g., the phenomenon of a ‘youthquake’ (Prosser et al. 2018), apathy and alienation among the Millenials (Grasso 2014; Fox 2015)), or explore changes in social and political attitudes (e.g., in relation to homosexuality, gender roles, monarchy (Phillips et al 2018)), or consider legacy of multiculturalism in the UK (Heath and Demireva 2014) – among other topics.
The module encourages you to engage with a range of reliable scholarly sources in order to explore each issue from different angles and to engage in a lively, evidence-based, scholarly debate. Hence, the module uses various participatory and interactive techniques to encourage your participation in class and your contribution to each other’s learning.
Finally, it aims to build confidence and proficiency in formulating and conveying a convincing, evidence-based argument respectfully in different debate formats.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. Identify and critically examine scholarly and political debates on the core domestic issues in Britain in the context of wider context of British politics 2. Explain and evaluate the core arguments regarding the main issues in British politics and apply relevant scholarly and political debates to individual case studies |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches for the analysis of the core domestic political issues in Britain and ability to apply them 4. Select, critically engage with and manage relevant learning resources and information and to develop own, evidence-based arguments 5. Collect, synthesise and analyse evidence, and present it in a coherent way to academic and non-academic audiences individually and as a part of a group |
Personal and Key Skills | 6. Select and present in a coherent way, orally and in writing, empirical and theoretical arguments relevant to the issues covered by the module 7. Organise study time, plan and undertake assigned tasks, as well as reflect on and integrate oral and written feedback, individually and in collaboration with peers 8. Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, to academic and non-academic audiences individually and as a part of a group |
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 outline | 1,000 words | 1-8 | Written and oral 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 |
---|---|---|
70 | 0 | 30 |
...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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Small group presentation | 30 | 45 mins | 1-8 | Written and peer-to-peer feedback |
Reflective essay | 10 | 750 words | 1-8 | Written |
Individual research report | 60 | 2000 words | 1-8 | Written |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Small group presentation | Poster presentation (1,000 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Reflective essay | Reflective essay (750 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Individual research report | Research report (2,000 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Individual poster presentation is used as a form of re-assessment of a small group presentation as it evaluates same set of knowledge and skills, i.e. the students ability to formulate an evidence-based, literature-informed argument on the topic of student’s choice (as chosen in the beginning of the module) and communicate it in clearly in a visually appealing and engaging way.