Students

CHIN201 – Reading China

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kevin Carrico
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
CHN105 or CHN149
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit is designed to enhance heritage speakers' and advanced learners’ reading and writing skills in Chinese, as well as to enhance their understanding of pressing issues in contemporary Chinese society: social change, college life, dating, human rights, urbanization, and the environment. Readings will consist of news reports, critical academic publications, and literary contributions in Chinese that shed light upon the full complexity of contemporary Chinese society and culture, while also improving learners' reading, writing, and speaking.

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:

  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends
  • Understand and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit, in Chinese language
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

General Assessment Information

Indicative examples of assessment tasks will be available on iLearn.

Late Assessment Penalty

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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Biweekly journal 30% No Weeks 3, 5, 8, 10
Midterm essay 20% No Week 7
Final essay 30% No Week 13
Class participation 20% No Throughout the semester

Biweekly journal

Due: Weeks 3, 5, 8, 10
Weighting: 30%

Students will submit a handwritten 500 character reflective journal on a topic announced the week prior.

These journal entries will be due at the start of class meetings on Weeks 3, 5, 8, and 10.

A scan of the journal will also need to be uploaded via Turnitin.

These journals must be 100% your own original work. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in failure.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

Midterm essay

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%

Students will submit a handwritten 1000 character midterm essay on a topic announced in Week 5.

The essay will be due at the start of class on Week 7.

A scan of the essay will also need to be uploaded via Turnitin.

This essay must be 100% your own original work. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in failure.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

Final essay

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%

Students will submit a handwritten 2000 character final essay on a topic announced in Week 11.

The essay will be due at the start of class on Week 13.

A scan of the essay will also need to be uploaded via Turnitin.

This final essay must be 100% your own original work. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in failure.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

Class participation

Due: Throughout the semester
Weighting: 20%

This is not a simple attendance mark. Marks will in fact not be awarded for attendance, as attendance is mandatory. Students who miss more than 3 classes without evidence of an unforeseen and serious disruption will be excluded from the unit. This means that you will not be permitted to sit the final exam, and automatically receive a Fail grade. See Extensions and Penalties for policies in this regard.

The instructor will look for evidence of student knowledge of and familiarity with set readings; questions expressed in verbal form; ability to complete set tasks; ability and willingness to work with and respond to the views of the instructor and other students in verbal form.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Understand and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit, in Chinese language

Delivery and Resources

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Online Unit

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?: http://help.ilearn.mq.edu.au/unitsonline/ to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

For students attending classes on campus we strongly encourage that you bring along your own laptop computer, ready to work with activities in your online unit. The preferred operating system is Windows 10.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required. If applicable, students are required to download the relevant language package prior to Week 2.

Please contact your course convenor before the end of Week 1 if you do not have a suitable laptop (or tablet) for in-class use.

Unit Schedule

Over the course of the session, we will be completing readings from the Princeton Chinese Program textbook "A New China," along with guided readings from Ba Jin's classic "Family." 

Policies and Procedures

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).

Student Code of Conduct

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

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:

Assessment tasks

  • Biweekly journal
  • Midterm essay
  • Final essay
  • Class participation

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

  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

Assessment task

  • Class participation

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

  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

Assessment tasks

  • Biweekly journal
  • Final essay
  • Class participation

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

  • Demonstrate ability to read and interpret Chinese language commentary on contemporary China
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends
  • Demonstrate ability to express complex thoughts in writing in Chinese

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 outcome

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in reform-era Chinese society and the underlying forces shaping current social trends

Assessment task

  • Final essay

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 outcome

  • Understand and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit, in Chinese language

Assessment tasks

  • Midterm essay
  • Final essay
  • Class participation

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

  • Understand and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit, in Chinese language