Students
PHIL383 – Philosophy Capstone Unit
2017 – S2 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor
Michael Olson
Hearing Hub, Second Floor
By appointment
Lecturer
Jane Johnson
Hearing Hub, Second Floor
By appointment
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(39cp at 100 level or above or admission to GDipArts in Philosophy) and (12cp in PHIL or PHL units)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
6cp in PHL or PHIL units at 300 level
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge acquired in their study of philosophy, to reflect on the development of their skills, and to focus on how their study of philosophy equips them for the next step in their careers. We review the philosophy graduate attributes: the knowledge, skills, methods and values developed in the course of the philosophy degree. With a focus on what these skills and values mean in practice, we examine a range of texts that both illustrate the diversity of philosophical approaches and represent the 'state of the art' in the field. By applying critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills to these texts, as well as philosophical values of intellectual humility and openness to the force of the better argument, students will learn what it is like to engage in live philosophical debate. We also look at the values cultivated through the study of philosophy and we consider how the skills and values acquired through the degree can be taken forward into further study, work, and applied in other areas of life.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Appreciation of the value and legitimacy of a range of philosophical approaches and traditions.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
General Assessment Information
Submission
Assessments are to be submitted through iLearn, as specified below for each assignment. For information about submissions on iLearn and Turnitin, see here (http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm).
Extensions and Penalties
All work must be submitted on time unless an extension has been granted. Requests for extensions must be made in writing (e.g. by email) BEFORE the due date and will only be considered on serious grounds. Extensions will not be given unless good reasons and appropriate evidence (e.g., medical certificates, counsellor's letters) are presented at the earliest opportunity. Please note that work due concurrently in other subjects is NOT an exceptional circumstance and does not constitute a legitimate reason for an extension.
If the assessment is submitted after the due date and an extension has not been granted then the work will be graded normally (out of 100). For each day the work is late 5% will be deducted from the grade. For example, if the work was graded as 70/100 and was handed in 2 days late, the work would receive a mark of 60/100. If the work is not submitted within ten days after the due date then the work will receive a mark of 0 for that assessment item. Weekends, but not public holidays, count in the calculation of late penalties.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 20% | No | Ongoing |
| Reflective portfolio blog | 35% | No | Ongoing, due Week 10 |
| PACE Assignment | 10% | Yes | Week 3 |
| Poster | 35% | No | Weeks 11 and 12 |
Participation
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%
Participation for internal students will be assessed on the basis of attendance and contributions to weekly seminar discussions. Your mark will reflect both attendance and the quality of your contributions.
Participation for external students will be assessed on the basis of weekly contributions to iLearn discussion forums. Your mark will reflect both the quality of your contributions and their timeliness (they should be posted within a week of the relevant seminar).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Appreciation of the value and legitimacy of a range of philosophical approaches and traditions.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Reflective portfolio blog
Due: Ongoing, due Week 10
Weighting: 35%
The reflective portfolio blog is designed to encourage you to reflect each week on 1. the knowledge acquired through the study of philosophy, 2. skills developed through the program of study and how they apply in real world situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity, 3. philosophical values, and 4. different philosophical approaches and methodologies. You are expected to make at least one entry in your reflective portfolio blog for each week in Weeks 2-9 inclusive and to do so within a week of the relevant seminar. Late entries (more than a week after the relevant seminar) will not count. Your entries should include, but are not limited to, creative and critical personal reflections on the unit content of that week, as well as broader reflections on philosophy and philosophical methodologies. Each weekly post should be around 100-200 words (although some weeks may be longer than others). All blog entries posted before the end of Week 10 will together constitute the reflective portfolio and will receive a single overall mark. Your blog posts can only be seen by you and the lecturers.
Submission: blog through iLearn.
For information on how to blog in iLearn see click here (http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/activities.htm#blog).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Appreciation of the value and legitimacy of a range of philosophical approaches and traditions.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
PACE Assignment
Due: Week 3
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
There are a lot of details students will need to arrange in preparation to the lead-up to undertaking their PACE activities. Students that have found their own PACE activities will write a summary of the work they intend to do and an explanation of how it meets the aims of the unit. Students who apply for PACE activities that have been sourced by the PACE office will need to submit a cover letter officially applying for the position along with a current curriculum vitae.
Successfully completing these documents and submitting copies on iLearn (in addition to the copies submitted to the PACE office, where applicable) will earn a student full marks for this assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Poster
Due: Weeks 11 and 12
Weighting: 35%
The poster presentation is a report reflecting on your PACE activity. Posters may examine a specific aspect of the activity, or the whole activity. Posters will be submitted and presented in electronic format, using PowerPoint poster templates or Prezi. Presentation of posters will occur in the final seminars in Weeks 11 and 12. All students must submit their completed posters in Week 11 via iLearn, and the order of presentations will be determined randomly.
At the poster presentation sessions, you will review and comment on each other’s posters. It is anticipated that this public presentation of your work will provide you with an experience of ‘peer’ review and an opportunity to consider the learning of other students. The following suggestions may be helpful in setting up the structure of your poster and presentation: In clear, jargon-free terms, your poster must explain (1) the activity or issue you are focusing on (what is the presentation about?), (2) its significance (why should we care?), (3) how you approached the activity (what was your strategy?), (4) what your activity involved (what did you actually do?), (5) the connection between theory and practice (what did you find?), (6) the conclusions (what do you think it all means?), and, optionally, (7) caveats (and reservations) and/or (8) future prospects (where to from here?). Be brief, and always stay on point. (Adapted from Block, S.M. (1996). Do's and Don'ts of Poster Presentation. Biophysical Journal, 71, pp. 3527-3529.)
Submission: on-line via iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Delivery and Resources
Classes
For internal students there is a Seminar Mondays from 2-4pm. Check the university time table for updated location.
For external students recordings of the Seminar are available through iLearn.
Required and recommended texts and/or materials
All the weekly readings for the unit will be made available through iLearn.
Unit Schedule
Provisional Schedule
(consult iLearn for final details and reading assignments)
Week One: Introductions
Week Two: Continental and Analytic Philosophy
Week Three: Philosophy and Its History
Week Four: Philosophy and Science of the Mind
Week Five: Moral Intuitions
Week Six: Gender and Race in Philosophy
Week Seven: Field Philosophy
Week Eight: PACE Activity
Week Nine: PACE Activity
Week Ten: Employability (with Tania Curry)
Week Eleven: Poster Presentations
Week Twelve: Poster Presentations
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Creative and Innovative
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- Poster
Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- PACE Assignment
- Poster
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- Poster
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Identification of, and critical reflection on, the distinctive attributes acquired and developed during the philosophy degree, and how these relate to Graduate Capabilities.
- Appreciation of the value and legitimacy of a range of philosophical approaches and traditions.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- PACE Assignment
- Poster
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Appreciation of the value and legitimacy of a range of philosophical approaches and traditions.
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- Poster
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- Poster
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Enhanced reasoning and critical thinking skills.
- Enhanced imaginative, creative and reflective abilities.
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems, verbally and in writing.
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- PACE Assignment
- Poster
Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Understanding of how to apply philosophical knowledge and skills to real life situations such as those experienced in the PACE activity.
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Reflective portfolio blog
- Poster