Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3257: Understanding Terrorism and Counterterrorism

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

Module Aims

The overarching objective of the class is for you to develop interdisciplinary and scientific skills critical for understanding the complexity of terrorism as a form of political violence, radicalisation and its relationship with the media. Through a combination of critical discussions, watching documentaries & media analysis, lectures, analysis of current events, and participatory exercises (e.g. games, pub quizzes, group work and presentations), you will develop a core base of knowledge about terrorism.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of terrorism as a form of political violence, radicalisation and counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies. 2. Appreciate historical trends in terrorism and the link between terrorism and various forms of media.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Appreciate the complexities of the topic and the interlinkages between politics, sociology, economics and legal perspectives aimed at providing a holistic understanding of terrorism. 4. Acquire and display a range of conceptual frameworks and theories from various relevant fields.
Personal and Key Skills	5. Demonstrate empathic appreciation of policy decisions. 6. Demonstrate awareness of contingency in decision-making processes. 7. Work independently, within a limited timeframe, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. 8. Communicate effectively in speech and writing. 9. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through tutorial discussions and module assessments. 10. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases and other IT resources for the purposes of tutorial and assessment preparation. 11. Demonstrate effective applied writing.

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 outline	500 words	1-11	Peer-assessed

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
90	0	10

...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 1	40	2000 words	1-11	Written
Individual Presentation	10	15 minutes	1-11	Oral
Essay 2	50	3000 words	1-11	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 assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay 1	Essay (2000 words)	1-11	August/September reassessment period
Individual Presentation	Individual presentation (15 minutes)	1-11	August/September reassessment period
Essay 2	Essay (3000 words)	1-11	August/September reassessment period