Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Paul McKechnie
Contact via paul.mckechnie@mq.edu.au
by appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
39cp at 100 level or above including 21cp in AHIS or AHST units
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
6cps in AHIS or AHST units at 300 level
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will be offered in the form of a publication project on an approved linguistic topic relevant to ancient history. Students collect, assess, analyse and interpret relevant evidence in the light of current linguistic and historical thinking. In addition to seminar participation (regular discussion, a bibliographical portfolio, a learning journal, and a brief work-in-progress interview and outline), the unit culminates in a coherent paper, 5000 words in length, which conforms to the standards of research and writing guidelines expected in peer-reviewed scholarly publications in the field of ancient world studies
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
All the assessment tasks are compulsory components of this unit and must be submitted on time.
Guidelines on the tasks, assessment criteria and standards for grading each of the assessment tasks (Seminar Forum, Work-in-Progress Report, and Parts A and B of the Portfolio and indicative examples of assessment tasks are provided and available on iLearn. Students communicate regularly with each other and the unit convenor online. Students post and contribute each week by the Friday due date to the week's topic in the online Seminar Forum. A staff-student interview in Week 7 assists students in preparing their Work-in-Progress-Report. By the due dates outlined students submit the Work-in-Progress Report and Parts A and B of the Portfolio to Turnitin within the iLearn site for AHIS389.
To successfully complete the unit, students are required to reach a minimum of 50% (Pass) in each of the assessable tasks outlined above (Seminar Forum, Work-in-Progress Report, and Parts A and B of the Portfolio).
How to submit your work
Written work must be submitted through Turnitin in the iLearn website for the unit.
Extensions
Please submit your work on time.
If you want an extension you must apply for special consideration (https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration).
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
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.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Seminar Participation | 20% | Yes | 5 pm Friday Weeks 2-7 |
Work-in-Progress Report | 20% | Yes | 5 pm Friday Week 8 |
Portfolio Part A: Report | 20% | Yes | midnight Friday Week 11 |
Portfolio Part B: Commentary | 40% | Yes | 11 pm Wednesday Week 13 |
Due: 5 pm Friday Weeks 2-7
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
The purpose of this assessment task is to apply the graduate capabilities you have acquired during the Ancient Languages major in relation to a series of six Seminar topics (to be outlined on the unit’s iLearn site). These Seminars will run in Weeks 2–7.
Read the introduction to each topic and at least 3 of the recommended readings prescribed for each week, including one on a language you have not studied directly to test whether the concepts/methodologies presented can be applied to the language(s) you have studied). Also find at least one additional reading relevant to the topic that is not included in the bibliography provided. Then reflect and post brief responses in the Seminar Forum (on the iLearn site) to the questions set for consideration. You should take the introduction to each week’s topic and the recommended readings as a starting point only. Ensure that your discussion posts develop further the seminar outline, considering issues which you have encountered personally in your studies at Macquarie. You should exchange ideas with your fellow students, and not feel limited to a single post. The minimum total length of your weekly correspondence is 200 words.
Due: 5 pm Friday Week 8
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
Your Work-in-Progress (WIP) Report will consist of:
• a 100-word abstract of your Linguistic Commentary topic
• a 250-word outline of methodological issues relating to your topic
• a 250-word outline of theoretical issues relating to your topic
The Report will be presented and discussed in a staff-student interview in Week 7 (details of the schedule will be provided on the unit’s iLearn site) and the final version to be submitted via Turnitin in Week 8.
Due: midnight Friday Week 11
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
The purpose of the two part portfolio assessment is to showcase and learn to communicate the extent of your language learning as part of the Ancient Languages major. A portfolio typically contains indicative examples of your work and for the purposes of this capstone unit will comprise two parts: a self-assessment and reflection report (described below) and an example of your technical skills (see Portfolio Part B: Linguistic Commentary below).
The Self-Assessment and Reflection Report (no more than 1000 words) is designed to help you to reflect on and communicate the linguistic knowledge and skills you have acquired in the course of the Ancient Languages major. It is intended to form the basis of both written and verbal communication about your language training (e.g. as part of self-presentation in relevant social media, in job interviews, at conferences).
The Self-Assessment and Reflection Report should contain the following components:
• a description of the languages, scripts, and types of text you have studied
• a discussion of key resources you have used (e.g. key grammars, dictionaries, digital resources)
• a summary of fundamental skills you have acquired, including any areas in which you feel you have particularly excelled, and any difficulties you have overcome
• a discussion of your perception of the significance of languages for the study of relevant ancient cultures
The report should be presented primarily in connected prose but some sections (e.g. description of languages, scripts, and types of texts) may be in point form. It should be written for non-language specialists and therefore use appropriately accessible language.
You may wish to consult the learning capabilities and outcomes in the unit guides for this unit or earlier language units for relevant key words and concepts. Do make sure you select and adapt these to your specific circumstance and experience. You should provide specific and illustrative examples where appropriate and in so doing reference the capstone seminar participation and linguistic commentary project in your report.
Due: 11 pm Wednesday Week 13
Weighting: 40%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
The purpose of the Linguistic Commentary is to consolidate and synthesise the technical knowledge and skills you have acquired over the course of the major. You will submit an extended linguistic commentary (no more than 3,000 words) on a text or set of related texts written in one of the ancient languages you have studied within the major. The text(s) for analysis should be chosen in consultation with a relevant Departmental expert and the unit convenor.
The chosen text(s) should be translated and the translation included in your assessment submission, but you will be assessed on the commentary alone (the translation will not count toward the 3,000-word limit). The commentary needs to be linguistic in its focus (not e.g. literary or historical), but you will have wide scope to select the type of features you want to analyse. You should draw on the discussion and readings you completed for at least three of the seminar topics in order to enhance your discussion of features of the chosen text(s). The length of the text(s) analysed should not normally exceed 100 lines. The topic and content of your commentary will conform in all respects to the abstract submitted as part of your Work in Progress Report.
This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
Delivery of AHIS389
In preparation for the Work-in-progress Reports (due in Week 8), students will discuss their work in a staff-student interview conducted on campus in Week 7 (as per schedule - details available on iLearn). This applies to all the internal/Day students and external students in the Sydney metropolitan area. For external students outside the Sydney metropolitan area, special arrangements will be made.
Required and recommended sources
See the AHIS389 iLearn site for the Weekly Schedule.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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