This assessment was designed with an explicit focus on deterring academic misconduct (particularly in LOTE courses) in a way that motivates and engages students by moving beyond invigilated exams typical in some disciplines. This technique best suits third year courses as it requires higher levels of spoken and written language proficiency as well as analytic skill. Part of the utility of this task is developing students' practical skills in conducting small-scale qualitative research within a disciplinary context. Students source and conduct their own interviews and submit a CD/USB with their recordings, transcripts, and final report of findings. Staff set parameters around the topic and scope interviews and analyses. In INDN3002 students interview 4 (native-speaking) Indonesian university students about their education experiences. When used in LOTE courses students are primarily assessed on their linguistic proficiency (as speaking, listening and writing and comprehension are required), but marks are also allocated for research design and analysis. This means that this assessment advances disciplinary knowledge while introducing students to important social scientific research and methodology principles like interviewing and oral history; which are highly valuable for encouraging skills in higher level thinking, critical analysis and ethical and social understanding on top of course analysis and ethical and social understanding on top of course content.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 10-20
- CLASS LEVEL
- Third year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- High security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Medium time
- GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
- In-depth knowledge in the field(s) studied, Effective communication skills, Independence and creativity
- CONDITIONS
- Work-related
- FEATURES
- Authentic
- TAGS
- report, interview, staged, research skills, fieldwork
Advantages
Conducting first-hand research (scheduling, planning and conducting interview) requires students to apply their language skills in a 'real world', professional context and thus applies theory beyond the classroom. This assessment is widely transferable to any language course as it gives students an insight into conducting basic research in linguistically diverse environments.
Challenges
This assessment encourages self-directed learning, and while this fosters creativity and independence, it may require additional efforts from staff to support students in need of additional assistance.
Tips for implementation
Depending on the discipline in which this technique applied and the skills coordinators wish to emphasise, a marking matrix should reflect appropriate weightings for language proficiency; data collection and analytic skill.
How it supports academic integrity
This task is based in students' own empirical research (substantiated with recordings and transcripts) that engages students and are also difficult to outsource or plagiarise.
Authentic learning characteristics
engagement, authenticity and student ownership
Dr Annie Pohlman
a.pohlman@uq.edu.au
Annie Pohlman is Senior Lecturer in Indonesian Studies at The School of Languages and Cultures, St Lucia campus, UQ. Her research interests include Indonesian history and politics, comparative genocide studies, torture, gendered experiences of violence, and testimony studies. She also works with human rights NGOs in Indonesia on the documentation of human rights abuses. Find out more