Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3172: Political Participation

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

  • Introduction
  • Classical and Contemporary Theories of Political Participation
  • Voter Turnout
  • Political Knowledge
  • Information and Participation
  • Socio-economic status and participation
  • Identity and Participation
  • Religion and Participation
  • Social Networks
  • The Internet and Social Media
  • Downsides of participation

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x 2 hr seminars. Teaching is conducted through introductory lectures, followed by student-led seminars. The main emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations, for which all students are expected to read background materials to make possible their active participation in discussion
Guided Independent Study80Reading, preparation for seminars and class presentation, writing weekly summaries
Guided Independent Study48Writing 1 essay applying concepts in the course to current or historical examples

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
5 weekly reading summaries (lowest of 10 marks)200 words each1-12Written
Essay plan500 words1-12Written

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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
90010

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay502,000 words1-12Written
5 weekly reading summaries (highest of 10 marks)40200 words each1-12Written
Seminar presentation1010 minutes1-12Oral (in class) and written

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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (3,000 words)1-12August/September reassessment period
PresentationRecorded presentation (10 minutes)1-12August/September reassessment period

Re-assessment notes

Essay is 90% of mark and presentation score is 10%.