In this unit, students are required to actively engage with their peers in order to develop a shared understanding of the key ideas, concepts and debates that we discuss throughout this unit.

Requirements: From week two to week twelve, students are required to participate in the learning activities within the designated time frame. They must participate in two ways:

1. First, students must post a 150-300 word response to the weekly activity.
2. Second, students must also collaborate and encourage peer learning by commenting on at least one other student post in the weekly forum. 

The forum will be opened when the activity is posted each week on Tuesday and then closed the following Monday. 

Weekly posts and comments: As you complete your weekly posts and comments, please remember that these posts should generate discussion. We do not expect you to present a 'correct' or 'perfectly formed' answer; often you will find there isn't a singular 'right' answer. Instead, we're looking for you to draw on what you've learnt in the lecture, book and readings to respond to the activity or question. We'd like you to add your thoughts on the key concepts, ask questions about the readings and share ideas about the topic to the discussion so that we can collaborate and help one another to understand the concepts. If you have any questions about what we're looking for, please consult the marking criteria below and then contact Jillian.

Assessment Criteria: 

1. Completion of weekly post and comment within the designated time frame 
2. Post demonstrates engagement with the relevant lectures, book and required readings 
3. Post demonstrates engagement with the relevant key concepts, debates and discussions 
4. Comment demonstrates active engagement with peers in the learning activities 

Special Consideration: If you cannot complete a weekly activity or discussion due to unavoidable and serious disruption, please email your unit convenor and request Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au. For more information about the Special Consideration process please click here.

For this assessment task, students are required to use the Harvard (author-date) referencing style to compile an annotated bibliography of five scholarly works about cultural studies and popular culture.

Which scholarly works must be included in the annotated bibliography? Students must include five works in their annotated bibliography, two that have been selected by the unit convenor and three of their own choosing. The two compulsory texts are:

1. Sardar, Z & Van Loon, B 2010, Introducing Cultural Studies: A Graphic Guide, Allen & Unwin, Cross Nest, pp. 1-14
2. Hartley, J 2003, 'Introduction - A Philosophy of Plenty' in A Short History of Cultural Studies, Sage, London, pp. 1-14

Students must also select three academic texts relevant to discussions about cultural studies and popular culture in order to perform their annotated bibliography. Advice on identifying relevant and scholarly texts is available in the Assessment Guide on ilearn.

What should be included in an annotated bibliography? For each text, students must provide an annotation that (1) uses the Harvard style to set out the citation details for each publication and then (2) includes a short (approximately 200 word) single paragraph annotation. This paragraph should outline:

• The main purpose of the text
• The author's contribution to the topic (such as the theory developed in the text, their argument and/or findings)
• How useful the text is for future research into the topic (consider the relevance, reliability, significance and limitations of the text)
• Your scholarly reflection on the text (a critical and supported response to the text that outlines whether you consider the text to be useful in further exploring your chosen topic)

The completed annotated bibliography should be 1000 - 1200 words in length. 

Which style of referencing should be used? Students must use the Harvard (Author-Date) style to complete this assessment. For more information on this style and how to use it, please click here.

This assessment task will be marked according to the following assessment criteria: ​​

1. The inclusion of five scholarly texts, including the two compulsory texts, that are relevant to the topic 
2. Demonstrates an awareness of what comprises a scholarly text 
3. Demonstrates the ability to correctly and consistently use academic referencing styles 
4. Demonstrates the ability to identify the aim of the text and outline it with clarity  
5. Demonstrates the ability to identify and outline the key arguments of each text 
6. Demonstrates the ability to come to an informed decision about how useful the text is for future research
7. Demonstrates the ability to engage with the text and offer a reflection 
8. Demonstrates the ability to ensure their work meets the required word count 
9. Demonstrates the ability to effectively use academic writing skills to produce research

Submission: Students will submit this task via the Turnitin link on the unit iLearn Site.

Special Consideration: If you're unable to complete this task by the due date due to an unavoidable and serious disruption, please email your unit convenor and request Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au. For more information about the Special Consideration process please click here.

Late 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.

For this assessment, students are required to select two of their own responses to the weekly activities undertaken in the discussion forms between weeks one to eight. They are required to complete a 400-500 word scholarly reflection task for each post.

In these scholarly reflections, students are required to (a) outline the context of their post on the discussion forum, (b) demonstrate how it enhances their understanding of the key concepts or methods explored in the unit, and (c) discuss how their thoughts have developed since writing their post. Students must use appropriate academic communication methods. Both reflections must be referenced, structured and written in accordance with academic standards. 

Students can find a template for this assessment task in the Assessments and Guides Section on the ilearn page. Each post they include should be 150-300 words in length (about a paragraph). This means you may either use a full post, or an extract. The posts are not included in the word count.

This assessment task will be marked according to the following assessment criteria:

1. Well-selected sample of two of the student’s weekly responses to the activities
2. Demonstrates a clear grasp of relevant key theoretical concepts and their context
3. Demonstrates the ability to identify the significance and implications of relevant key concepts
4. Demonstrates a critical engagement with relevant unit readings, cultural studies scholarship and debates
5. Stages a thoughtful reflection on the process of learning and engaging with cultural studies scholarship
6. Effective use of writing skills to present academic research, including consistent and accurate use of in-text referencing. 

Submission: Students will submit this task via the Turnitin link on the unit iLearn Site.

Special Consideration: If you're unable to complete this task by the due date due to an unavoidable and serious disruption, please email your unit convenor and request Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au. For more information about the Special Consideration process please click here.

Late 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.

For this assessment, students are required to answer one of the following questions in a 1,500 word final essay. 

Option One: In Subjectivity: Theories of the Self from Freud to Haraway, Nick Mansfield writes: ’Subjectivity is ... the way we are led to think about ourselves, so we police and present ourselves in the correct way’ (2000, p. 10). In the context of contemporary debates about either habitus, gender, sexuality, or race and an example of your choosing, discuss Mansifled’s definition of subjectivity. Do we 'police and present ourselves in the correct way?'

Option Two: Drawing on a specific example that relates to the topics of gender, sexuality or race, discuss Foucault's assertion that 'A whole history remains to be written of spaces - which would at the same time be a history of powers' (1980, p. 149). Why would a 'history of spaces' also function as a 'history of powers?'

As you answer one of these questions, please ensure that you engage with the relevant required readings and the concepts discussed throughout the course such as the habitus, performativity, place/space and ethics. We will discuss this assessment in further detail in the week seven workshop.

This assessment task will be marked according to the following assessment criteria:

1. Demonstrates the ability to deploy analytical skills in order to develop a scholarly and well-supported argument
2. Demonstrates a clear and effective grasp of relevant key concepts
3. Demonstrates critical and sustained engagement with the unit readings
4. Demonstrates knowledge and critique of key issues and methods within cultural studies
5. Ability to stage a well-supported analysis of texts and culture
6. Effective use of writing skills to present academic research, including consistent and accurate use of in-text referencing.

Submission: Students will submit this task via the Turnitin link on the unit iLearn Site.

Special Consideration: If you're unable to complete this task by the due date due to an unavoidable and serious disruption, please email your unit convenor and request Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au. For more information about the Special Consideration process please click here.

Late 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.