Guide to assessment items

Guidelines for preparing the assessment tasks as well as assessment criteria are available on iLearn. The assessment tasks are compulsory in this unit. Each assessment task has a due date and students are expected to submit their work on time.

Assessment Task 1: Source Analysis

Topics for discussion are set out under each week on the unit's iLearn site. You must select ONE topic only and develop a written analysis of approximately 1000 words (plus or minus 10%) to be submitted via Turnitin on the SUNDAY after the relevant tutorial by 11.55 pm. Your analysis must be based on a direct examination of the ancient sources in translation. This task will count for 20% of the final mark. Your analysis must be based on a direct examination of the ancient sources in translation.

A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which are more then 10% over or under the word count. Please note that footnotes and bibliography do not count in the word length for this unit. A marking rubric will be provided on the iLearn site.

NB: The topic that you choose should not overlap in any way with the subject chosen for your PODCAST or BLOG.

Assessment Task 2: Podcast

Topics for the Podcast are set out on the unit's iLearn site. You must design and record a podcast for a general and interested audience of 5 minutes to 7 minutes (absolute maximum). A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which go over or under this limit. It is recommended that you use Adobe Express or another open source Podcast programme (e.g., Audacity) to record the audio. The MP3 file of your podcast should be uploaded no later than SUNDAY of Week 8 by 11.55pm. You must also submit a verbatim script of your podcast with references to Turnitin by the same due date and time. Marking rubrics and guidelines for podcasting will be provided on the iLearn site.

NB: The topic that you choose should not overlap in any way with the subject chosen for your SOURCE ANALYSIS or BLOG.

Assessment Task 3: Blog

Topics for the Blog are set out on the unit's iLearn site. You must design and create a blog (1500 words, +/- 10%) for a contemporary public audience. A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which go over or under this limit. It is recommended that you use Adobe Express but other blogging platforms (e.g., Google Sites) are also acceptable. The link to your blog should be uploaded no later than Sunday of Week 13 by 11.55pm. You must also submit a verbatim script of your blog with references to Turnitin by the same due date and time. Marking rubrics and guidelines for designing a blog will be provided on the iLearn site.

NB: The topic that you choose should not overlap in any way with the subject chosen for your SOURCE ANALYSIS or PODCAST.

Special Consideration

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 5 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Extensions for the submission for assessed work need to be submitted online (convenors and tutors are not permitted to grant you an extension). The link to locate relevant information and to request Special Consideration can be found via this link Special Consideration - Eligibility | MQ Sydney. 

Word Limit Penalty

As noted under each assessment description above, a penalty of 5% will be applied to written and recorded assessment submissions that are under or over the stated length by more than 10%.

Unit Requirements and Expectations

Classes

For lecture/tutorial times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes. For any variations on this information, please consult the AHIS3201 iLearn website (which is accessible at the commencement of teaching session).

1. Lectures: There are two hours per week of recorded lectures for 12 weeks of the session. It is expected that all students will audit all of the lectures (labelled REQUIRED) over the session. We shall expect you to discuss these topics in the podcast and blog.
2. Tutorials and Discussion Forum: There is a tutorial (for Internal Students) and a Discussion Forum (for External Students) for 12 weeks of the session. It is expected that all students will participate actively.

Each student will have undertaken the reading for each week’s tutorial and will contribute to the best of their ability to the discussion. A unit like this, drawing on such a broad range of material and different perspectives, works best when everyone brings their thoughts to the table. Participation in tutorials is considered a vital and rewarding part of the unit.

Required and Recommended Texts

The areas covered in this unit are too broad for a single set text. Students will, however, be asked to readings (including translations of ancient primary sources) through Leganto which will be used for specific tutorials, in lectures and in assessment preparation. It will be made available electronically on the iLearn site.

In this unit emphasis is placed upon the direct examination of the ancient sources and evidence in translation. Students are expected to base all their work on a personal examination of these sources. It will not be sufficient simply to read modern studies on any topic; however sound and highly recommended these are: it will be essential to look first at the ancient sources on which all modern studies are necessarily based. 

The work which marked a major change in the academic landscape, Sarah B. Pomeroy's Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves. Women in Classical Antiquity (New York 1975) treats many of the periods covered by this unit. An electronic copy of Pomeroy is available via Leganto in the Macquarie University Library. A useful sourcebook which is available online via the Macquarie University Library is Marguerite Johnson's, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Literature and Society: A Sourcebook (London 2005).  Other recent general coverages include: Brook Holmes, Gender. Antiquity and its Legacy (London 2012); Sharon L. James and Sheila Dillon (eds), A Companion to Women in the Ancient World (Chichester 2012); Janet H. Tulloch (ed.), A Cultural History of Women in Antiquity (London 2013); Mark Masterson, Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz and James Robson (eds), Sex in Antiquity: Exploring Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World. Rewriting Antiquity (London; New York 2015); and S.L. Budin and J. MacIntosh Turfa (eds), Women in Antiquity: Real Women Across the Ancient World (London 2016).

Technology Used and Required

The unit has an iLearn page which can be accessed via your iLearn login. PC and internet access are therefore required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. You should also familiarise yourself with Adobe Express which is free and available to all students. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements. Technical issues will not be accepted as a ground for Special Consideration applications. If your device is not compatible with Adobe Express, you can use other open source software (e.g., Audacity for the podcast and Google Sites for the blog).

Available on iLearn one week before tutorials commence in Session 1.

This unit is intended for all students, including those with mental or physical disabilities, illness, injuries, impairments, or any other condition that tends to negatively affect one’s equal access to education. If, at any point in the session, you find yourself not able to fully access the space, content, and experience of this course, you are welcome (but not required) to contact the unit convener. It is never too late to request accommodations.

For students with accessibility requirements, you are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services to ensure that we, as an institution, are supporting your learning. By making a plan through Accessibility Services, you can ensure accommodation without disclosing any information to your course convenors.

There are also a range of resources on campus that serve to support and improve student learning and wellbeing, including the Learning Skills Unit, Peer Support programs, resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, English Language support, and Student Wellbeing support and resources. Please reach out to these programs or contact the unit convener directly for further information.