ASSESSMENT 1: Debate Paper Summary

Submission: all essays have to be submitted through turn-it-in, which can be accessed via the CUL399 ilearn site.

The paper will constitute the basic research and written arguments you will be making for your 2nd Assessment task: the oral team debate.

Instructions:

Write 800 words outlining the position you will be taking/making within the context of your team debate. This paper should develop the arguments you will be making for your team (your argument will need to be different from, yet compliment, the arguments made by other members on your team).

In your paper you need to describe your argument, discuss HOW your are going to argue your position, and WHAT research you will be drawing on to make your argument. 

You will need to reference (in-text referencing), and include a Bibliography drawing on all of the essential and some of the further readings.

Further information about this assessment will be discussed in the lectorial, and a more detailed description of the assessment criteria and requirements will be uploaded on the CUL399 iLearn site.

Grading Criteria for this assessment:

You will be graded on the following:

1. The structure of your argument in relation to your team members arguments. For example, you need to develop an argument that is different from your other team members, but that will contribute to your overall team debate, and therefore compliment your team members arguments.

2. The quality of your analysis, argumentation and fluency on the cultural issue or topic you have chosen to write about.

3. The type of research you draw on to form your arguments (unit readings, further readings: scholarly and media).

4. The rigour of your argument: the logic, structure and flow.

5. The academic fluency and the style in which you write your argument. 6. Use of scholarly referencing and bibliography, as well as the presentation of your paper in terms of format, spelling, syntax, grammar and expression.

ASSESSMENT 2: Team Debates (same topic as the debate summary).

Depending on class numbers, you will form teams of 2, 3 or 4, and in lectorials will spend time with your team working on your arguments around one of the lecture topics from Weeks 1-7. 

During the mid-semester break teams will debate each other on your chosen topic. The debate will be formally structured with a designated time keeper and adjudicator, and the team will be given a set time in which to present their arguments.

PLEASE NOTE: That students only have to attend one of the 3 days allocated for the team debates in the mid-semester break.

The days allocated are: Weds 23, Thurs 24, and Fri 25 September. 

Your debate summary (assessment 1) will have contributed to developing your argument. HOWEVER, a debate does not constitute simply reading out your debate summary. For a start, you will have no more than 4 mins to make your point (An 800 word debate paper is approximately 8-10 mins read out).

Therefore you will have to summarise your argument in a way that is clear and effective for your team debate, but which also conveys a depth of understanding of your topic. You will be expected to memorise your argument.

For reasons of fairness and equity, all grades for the debates will be emailed after all the debates are completed.

** Further information about this assessment will be discussed in the lectorial, and a more detailed description of the assessment criteria and requirements will be in iLearn.

Grading Criteria for this assessment

You will be graded on the following:

1. The fluency and lucidity in which you speak and present your arguments.

2. Your ability to convey your understanding (through argument, research and content) of your topic so that you are able to look at the audience and engage their attention.

3. Your ability to be able to use or refer to the other points your team members make in your presentation to reinforce your own arguments (if appropriate).

4. Your ability to rebut the arguments of the other team (either in person, or in collaboration with your team members).

ASSESSMENT 3: Final Essay (2500 words)

Submission: all essays have to be submitted through turn-it-in, which can be accessed via the CUL399 ilearn site. Detailed information about the Final Essay Question will be posted on i-Learn. 

Discussion of the Final Essay will take place in one of the Lectorials.

The Final Essay requires students to build on their topic (already written about and debated).

In the essay, it is required that you either:

1) build on your debate topic by arguing, analysing and evaluating both sides

of the debate. 

In the essay you are to outline both for or against positions that are generally taken in relation to the particular topic of your choice, and you are also to take a position by arguing which side of the debate you find most convincing and why. 

Or,

2) write a critically self-reflective essay on the nuances and complications that arose when arguing for only one side of the topic debate. What problems did you encounter? What were the difficulties of taking a position you might of disagreed with? What did you learn about argumentation? What did you learn about the position of the side you disagreed with but had to argue for? Did you learn to repect the other side of the argument? Or was your own position reinforced further?

(This assessment is a research-based, analytic, evaluative and critically self-reflective assessment that requires you to communicate, by academic scholarly means, your ideas via well- reasoned arguments, while taking into consideration various scholarly viewpoints).

** Further information about this assessment will be discussed in the lectorial, and a more detailed description of the assessment criteria and requirements will be in iLearn.

Grading Criteria for this assessment

Your essay will be graded on a series of criteria including:

1. Conceptual understanding of your topic.

2. Demonstration of analytical and evaluative skills (all of which will have been learnt when preparing for the debates).

3. The quality of your analysis, argumentation and fluency on the cultural issue or topic about which you have chosen to write.

4. The structure of your essay: a clear statement of its aims (in the introduction); clear organisation (in a logical order and with a clearly flowing discussion); distinctive and clear argument, and a well-stated conclusion.

5. The identification of appropriate themes and concepts from the set texts and demonstrate their usefulness in the analysis of your cultural issue or topic.

6. The use of appropriate evidence and theory to support your claims and arguments.

7. The adequate and appropriate citation of your sources.

8. The presentation of format, spelling, syntax, grammar and expression.

9. The use of an appropriate method to reference of all sources you have used, including a properly formatted bibliography.

** Be sure to keep a copy of all your work submitted. Keep copies on disk or USB until the unit is over and you have received your final grade from the University.

The Current Lectorial times and Location for CUL399 is below:

Lectorial Location: C5C 230 - Collaborative Forum

Day: Mondays (from Weeks 1 -7)

Time: 9 -11am

From Week 1-7, the 2 hour lectorials will comprise of interactive lectures with Q&A, problem and enquiry based group work, and debate team work.

IMPORTANT (Please Read):

During the second week of the mid-semester break, 3 days have been put aside for students to present and debate the topic they have chosen.

The days are: Weds 23rd, Thurs 24th and Fri 25th.

These debates will take place in C5C Forum.

PLEASE NOTE: Students do not have to attend all 3 days. You simply need to chose one of the 3 days to attend and present on your debate topic. The day you attend will be allocated in the lectorials in the first few weeks.

Resources:

There is a CUL399 i-learn website, which can be accessed at: http://learn.mq.edu.au/

The i-learn site will contain the following, all of which can be downloaded:  Unit Outline,  Weekly Schedule of Lecture Topics,  Assessment details,  Essay Writing Tips,  Essential and Further Reading Lists.

Also on the i-learn site you will be able to access ECHO360 and Turn-It-In, through which you will submit:

Assessment 1 (Debate Summary),

Assessment 3 (Final Essay),

Assessment 4 (Participation Rubric).

The Team Debates (Assessment 2) you will do during the intensive mode during the break, as mentioned above.

Extensions and Penalities:

You must NOT submit assessments after the due dates. Extensions for the first assessment will not be given unless a student has a medical certificate or equivalent, or where they have discussed the situation with the convenor or tutor BEFORE the assessment is due.

All late assessment (without medical or other certificates or evidence) will receive a penalty of 5% per day until handed in.

The Final Essay is in lieu of examination therefore late essay will not be marked unless you have made a formal application through the Disruption to Studies procedure. 

The Disruption to Studies procedure can be found at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/procedure.html

The Disruption to Studies Notification must be completed by the student and submitted online through www.ask.mq.edu.au

Attendance: There are no tutorials for this unit, there is only a 2 hour lectorial once a week. Lectorials are lively and interactive with Q&A and problem solving group work taking place.

Team debate groups will also be formed and practiced during this time. Not attending class will put you at a disadvantage. Therefore it is strongly recommended that students attend the lectorials unless the student has spoken to the convenor beforehand, or has evidence of sickness or unavoidable disruption. Not attending may affect your group 'Participation-Collaboration' and your team debate assessment. There will be a roll taken in lectures.

CUL399 also requires that students follow the unit on iLearn and stay informed of special announcements and additional information posted there, by regularly checking your student emails.

ALL questions and concerns about CUL399 should be emailed to the convenor Dr. Undine Sellbach, whose email can be e found on i-Learn.

Assignment Submission: There are no hard-copy submissions for CUL399. All written assessments should be uploaded through turn-it-in on the i-learn site.

Please see iLearn for the schedule of topics and reading lists.

This year topics will include: adultery, gay marriage, euthanasia, death penalty, child pornography and art, animal and environment ecologies, the effect of technology on thinking and attention, the mass consumption of eating insects.