Easily tailored to a variety of written and spoken genera, this task is ideally situated within a programmatic approach to assessment that exposes students to diverse writing and speaking styles throughout their program. Students construct a written 1500-2000 word written piece (in INDN3000 this takes the form of a creative short story) that is assessed for grammatical and stylistic proficiency. This is paired with an oral presentation (scheduled during class time) in which students recite their piece aloud and/or reflect on its salient themes, which may relate to course content. In the case of LOTE courses both tasks are completed in the language being taught. Although a portion of the overall mark is allocated for originality and creativity, this assessment is primarily designed to test students' compositional dexterity by focusing on emulating the selected genre. While students must adhere to stylistic requirements they are free to write on a topic of their choosing, thus offering a personalised approach to learning. This assessment works equally well in courses with unique disciplinary conventions (i.e. to teach discipline-specific skills), as well as those otherwise lacking in assessments that engage students in a variety of written/spoken genres (i.e. to encourage interest and creativity).
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 40-60
- CLASS LEVEL
- Third year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Low time
- CONDITIONS
- Identity verified
- TAGS
- presentation, oral, practical exam
Advantages
Caters to diverse cohorts through a personalised approach in which students select their own topic, whilst offering structure and direction by writing to a specific genre.
Encourages creative thinking and refines communication skills through the pairing of written and spoken tasks. Readily transfers across disciplines where genre-based writing is valued, as well as to diverse multidisciplinary cohorts (particularly final year courses) where students can showcase a variety of professional writing and speaking skills.
Challenges
Some students are ambivalent towards public speaking. Marking criteria should weigh presentation skills accordingly so as to emphasise content over oration skills.
Tips for implementation
Convenors should carefully select a written/spoken genre they feel best complements the cohort, course content and/or discipline. Ideally the convenor is experienced in this genre as part of their professional practice so as to be adept in providing guidance to students as needed.
How it supports academic integrity
Students' written works are screened via Turnitin, while in-class comprehension is assessed via oral presentation as well as though formative (tutorial-based) exercises where students discuss outlines/drafts to show proof of development of work.
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.
Research Interests:
Indonesian politics
Indonesian Studies
Genocide
Indonesian history
Torture
Sexual Violence
Research Impacts: Indonesia faces the critical challenge of how to deal with its entrenched culture of impunity for past--and ongoing--mass atrocities and other gross human rights violations. The impact of Pohlman's research relates to her investigation and documentation of gross violations in the Indonesian past, and their ongoing legacies. Find out more