This task sees students produce a language translation from a 500-700 word source text, accompanied by a commentary (also 500-700 words) in either English or the language of study. The commentary must provide full bibliographic information and a general overview of the source text including its genre and stylistic construction.

Students undertake a short (40 hour) placement or volunteer position to learn the methodological and practical skills required to undertake social scientific research. There may be several scaffolded assessments associated with this work-integrated learning experience; a pre-fieldwork report, a reflexive journal, a seminar presentation, and a final report.

In this major research piece, students create a historical research project (in place of a traditional essay) that can be disseminated to a wider, non-academic audience. Approximately 3500 words (or equivalent), the project can take multiple formats including a website, exhibition proposal, eBook, oral history report, travel brochure, or documentary.

In this formative assessment, students select a recent news media item (print, electronic, multimedia, social media etc.) and conduct a short (500-700 word) critical reflection that draws on the foundational theoretical and disciplinary concepts from the course.

As a class students are set a collaborative task to produce a creative item relevant to their discipline (e.g. in MUSC3020, an original Album recorded and produced by students) and attend weekly laboratory sessions focused on relevant skill acquisition. This is scaffolded with written reflections where students outline their contribution.

Collectively worth 10%, this assessment replaces tutorial participation marks. It encourages collaborative reflexivity through weekly electronic group journals and peer assessment. In small groups students craft 200-300 word responses to experiential questions, uploading to Blackboard. Suited to introductory/elective courses, this technique focuses on applying foundational disciplinary knowledge to personal experience.

Students complete a 3 hour in-class simulation where a hypothetical scenario occurs (in POLS7255, a foreign policy negotiation). Students form groups representing key stakeholders and must accurately represent their interests. Students prepare for the simulation (scheduled towards the end of semester) in advance and are assessed on preparation and participation.

Likened to a video essay, this technique sees students design and conduct an individual practical or experiential experiment based on course principles, documenting it (including background, rationale, results and implications) in a 10 minute YouTube video. Videos are edited and published online, with some being potentially translated into scholarly publications.

This five part assessment task (presented in a Blackboard learning module) is designed to build foundational research skills, provide meaningful engagement with library resources, and prepare students for a major assessment item.