Underpinned by a pedagogical approach that recognises the value of understanding all aspects of an argument or debate as a means of fostering deep learning, this assessment requires students complete 3 short (300-350 words) disputations throughout the semester. Students are presented with a question relevant to the course material and are given one week to complete a written response, submitted via Blackboard. Disputations give students an opportunity to debate a chosen subject in writing and to articulate opposing positions in relation to the question or topic. Students are expected to reflect on lecture materials, readings and classroom discussions and present a well-argued and concise answer to the posed question or topic. Emphasis is also placed student's ability to creatively and reflexivity engage with the topics presented. These formative assessments are due intermittently throughout the semester and are administered and completed via Blackboard. This assessment provides early feedback on learning and provides early intervention for students who may need additional support in grasping course content.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 100-500
- CLASS LEVEL
- Second year, Third year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Low time
- GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
- In-depth knowledge in the field(s) studied, Effective communication skills
- FEATURES
- Online, Problem based
- TAGS
- reflective/reflexive, analysis, critical reflection
Advantages
This assessment Increases student's ability to generate and critique arguments or theoretical positions, which fosters skills in critical thinking and effective communication. The online nature of this assessment supports student flexibility. Well suited to any courses that seek to enhance student's capacity for critical reasoning, in-depth knowledge in the field of study and the ability to clearly and concisely articulate differing positions and ideas of disciplinary relevance.
Challenges
This assessment requires student to respond to specific and recently covered course content which may reduce opportunities for plagiarism
Associate Professor Kriston Rennie
k.rennie@uq.edu.au
Associate Professor Krison Rennie researches medieval history in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry.
Kriston's project is titled "After the Whirlwinds of War": Remembering Monte Cassino, 529-1944. The Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino (est. 529) is defined by war and its aftermath. Between the sixth and twentieth centuries, this northern-Italian religious community experienced a cycle of atrocities and annihilations, which forever transformed its identity. A target of repeated outside aggression, the abbey was attacked, destroyed, abandoned, rebuilt, re-populated, and re-consecrated on several occasions. As a direct result, the Lombards (6th century), Saracens (9th century), Normans (11th century), French Revolutionaries (18th century), Italians (19th century), and Allied Forces of World War II (20th century) are instrumental characters in sowing the abbey’s historical and cultural landscape. As vehicles of collective memory, these infamous episodes frame Monte Cassino’s past in both diachronic and synchronic terms. As component parts of a rich cultural and historical tradition, moreover, they contribute a version (or versions) of history, whose representation and interpretation in the present owes considerably to the abbey’s ‘destruction’ and ‘recovery’ over the past fourteen hundred years. Find out more