Assessment method
Work-based Multimodal Assessment
Students submit an argumentative piece on a contemporary topic relevant to their discipline of study. Pending staff approval, students can submit this assessment in a number of written or multimodal formats such as an editorial for The Conversation, a government report, or a short audio-visual documentary.
Assessment method
Weekly Blogs
Delivered instead of weekly tutorials, students construct weekly Blackboard blog posts responding to a question and critically addressing key theoretical underpinnings from readings. Designed to elicit theoretically rich conversations, students use written styles similar to those from popular online forums as a means to participate in collegiate debates beyond academia.
Assessment method
Short Article (The Conversation)
Following a larger essay assessment, students construct a 1000 word article on the same topic of their major assessment piece) intended for publication on the online platform The Conversation. This exercise introduces students to the challenge of writing for a specific audience, and communicating complex concepts with clarity and concision.
Assessment method
Referencing and Critical Analysis
Designed to teach foundational research skills, provide capabilities in critical analysis, and prepare students for a major research essay, this assessment sees students locate four scholarly sources via disciplinary databases or on-campus library collections. Students must judiciously select and correctly reference these sources, conducting critical analysis on one oanalysis, and prepare students for a major research essay, this assessment sees students locate four scholarly sources via disciplinary databases or on-campus library collections. Students must judiciously select and correctly reference these sources, conducting critical analysis on one oanalysis on one of these.
Assessment method
Primary Research Portfolio and Report
Designed to introduce students to the practical and methodological aspects of undertaking primary research within a disciplinary context, this assessment sees students work with research participants to plan and conduct qualitative interviews to produce portfolio of fieldwork documents and a final research report.
Sequence
Pre-Class Writing Exercise
This assessment is part of a flipped classroom approach wherein students engage with content before designated class-time and are assessed to gauge formative comprehension. Students write and submit a short critical response to weekly material. These are brought to class and used as prompts for collegiate discussion and progressive improvement.
Team or Group based, Peer-assessed
Policy Submission
This authentic assessment sees students work both individually and in small groups to produce a governmental policy submission. This scaffolded assessment includes a number of progressive tasks due throughout the semester, including a brief oral presentation, a draft policy proposal, a background and issues document, and the final policy submission.
Team or Group based
Problem Based Learning Workshop Activities
Underpinned by a problem-based learning pedagogy (PBL), this assessment sees students attend weekly workshops where they are presented with a scenario based on weekly course content (and related to a contemporary, real-world issue). Students work in small groups to formulate a response or solution to the problem/s, discussed in class.
Assessment method
Ministerial Policy Recommendation
In this skills-oriented assessment, students are asked to identify a contemporary policy issue and make a clear and succinct case for policy change in the form of a short (2 page) ministerial policy recommendation or brief. Students also provide an additional list of (scholarly) sources consulted in preparing their recommendation.
Assessment method
Interview-based Research Project
Students carry out and analyse four interviews (with individuals selected on the basis of discipline). The assessment consists of four stages: developing a semi-structured interview schedule and locating interviewees; conducting and recording interviews; creating verbatim transcripts; and performing qualitative analysis to produce a 1000 word field report of their findings.