EDUC 1012 - Preparation for the Study of Social Sciences

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018

This course will introduce students to the Social Sciences, a very broad and diverse area of study, enabling them to focus on an inquiry that most interests them. Beginning by exploring what Social Sciences are, the course will then focus on systems, histories and impacts within two key areas, Cultural Studies and Human Systems. Students will engage with issues and debates that typify academic studies in these areas, and reflect on their own identities and societal positions as well as critiquing and analysing media texts that pervade popular culture.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code EDUC 1012
    Course Preparation for the Study of Social Sciences
    Coordinating Unit School of Education
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions This class is only open for students in the University Preparatory Program or the Wirltu Yarlu Preparatory Program.
    Course Description This course will introduce students to the Social Sciences, a very broad and diverse area of study, enabling them to focus on an inquiry that most interests them. Beginning by exploring what Social Sciences are, the course will then focus on systems, histories and impacts within two key areas, Cultural Studies and Human Systems. Students will engage with issues and debates that typify academic studies in these areas, and reflect on their own identities and societal positions as well as critiquing and analysing media texts that pervade popular culture.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Rachel Bleeze

    Lecturer/Tutor: Miss Rachel Bleeze
    Email: rachel.bleeze@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    This course aims to prepare students for undergraduate study in the  Social Sciences in an inclusive manner recognizing social diversity.

    At the successful completion of this course, students should be able to achieve the following outcomes in the following areas:

    Knowledge

    1. Identify a range of disciplines within the Social Sciences and participate in some discipline-specific discussions.
    2. Discuss various topics from Social Sciences and apply them to specific examples from real life.
    3. Identify particular issues in political and historical events.

    Problem Solving Skills, Critical and Creative Thinking

    4. Reflect on modern day relevance of topics covered when critically analysing sources. 
    5. Connect relevant disciplines to wider cultural and social factors. 

    Working Alone and Collaboratively

    6. Work collaboratively and in groups more comfortably and confidently than before.
    7. Work individually at an undergraduate level more comfortably and confidently than before.

    Communication
    8. Discuss cultural, societal and political factors relavative to weekly topics in an academic setting. 
    9. Communicate both verbally and in written form.
    10. Critically analyse historical sources and academic arguments. 

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2, 3, 4, 9
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1, 2, 3, 6, 11
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    4, 5, 6, 7, 9
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Weekly readings will be available via MyUni
    Recommended Resources
    While there are no wider readings, it is important to become proficient in using the university library to find appropriate texts for a range of subjects in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Please use the Library online tutorials for assistance with this: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/help/tutorials/.
    Online Learning
    Substantial activity will be undertaken through the online environment. Due to a very early timetable for lectures, some lectures may be delivered via narrated Powerpoint files and will available via MyUni. There is a blog assignment that requires summary and analysis of a reading throughout the semester, and comments on others' blogs to enhance online discussion. It is essential that you are familiar with MyUni and engage with it regularly toperform well in this course.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Students are required to attend a one-hour lecture (or engage with it online if delivered in this way) and they must attend the two-hour tutorial for this course.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    1 x 1-hour lecture per week
    1 x 2-hour tutorial per week
    10 hours of independent study per week

    Total: 156 hours
    Learning Activities Summary
    Schedule
    Lecture Tutorial
    Week 1 Introduce the Social Sciences: Examine what the Social Sciences are?
    (Kami Neira)
    Class introductions, class discussion on what students hope to achieve. Introduction to course, course outline, assessments. What are the Social Sciences? Class discussion and analysis/critique of argument examples. In-class case study, Horror Films and how they have influenced gender perspectives.
    Dracula Clip
    Rosemary's Baby Clip
    The Conjuring Clip
    Alien Clip
    (Kami Neira)
    Week 2 Criminology - what is it? (Kami Neira)


    Establish what Criminologists actually do, Examine how media portrayal has confused our understanding of Criminology, Analyse why the Law system needs Criminology, Terrorism, why does it depend on statistics?
    Criminal Minds Clip
    Law & Order Clip
    (Kami Neira)
    Week 3 Criminology – Case Study: Mexico, an in-depth look at cultural stereotypes and the impact they have
    (Kami Neira)


    Introduce the Geography, Establish Cultural practices, Terrorism – its existence: but why is it there? Drug Cartels: Power over the US and its governments, Law Enforcement, can there be control?
    Vice Clip
    Big Boots Clip
    Pan's Labyrinth First Screening for tutorial 1 in Week 3
    (Kami Neira)
    Week 4 Politics – Fascism in Spain: Pan’s Labyrinth
    (Kami Neira)

    Fascism, the second-world and its functions, the Franco Era – ‘neo-Dark Ages’, Discussion: the film in relation to how it highlights the turmoil in the country
    Pan's Labyrinth Second Screening for tutorial 2 in week 4
    (Kami Neira)

    Week 5
    Spanish Language, Latin America & Linguistics
    (Kami Neira)

    Latin American, who is part of it? The Geopolitical nature of the ‘Americas’, Basic Introduction to the Language – Syllabus: vowels, pronunciation, greetings and likes, Linguistic challenges – the dreaded rolling of the ‘R’s
    (Kami Neira)

    Week 6 Sociology – Equality: Sex, Colour & Everything In-Between (Kami Neira)


    What is equality from a sociological point of view, Karl Marx, the theory and the practice – equality? Gender, Race and the Other: the social effects of the "different" and how anthropologist and sociologists look at it
    (Kami Neira)


    Week 7

    HISTORY (WWII)
    (Rachel Bleeze)


    Week 7 commences a three week study on resistance and collaboration in Europe during World War Two. This week centres on a study of various primary sources, which will enable students to gain an understanding of people’s opinions, the reasons behind their actions, and the role of society during the period of time being studied. Within this analysis, students will gain a deeper understanding of how and to what extent History can be categorised as an academic discipline with the social sciences.

    Week 8

    HISTORY (WWII)
    (Rachel Bleeze)

    Working from the issues and themes discussed previously, Week 8 and 9 will concentrate on an analysis of The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 by Wladyslaw Szpilman. Issues and themes to be discussed include, but are not limited to, resistance, music, Jewish ghettos, and the Holocaust. Additional primary sources will be incorporated into the analysis of selected book chapters, which will allow students to heighten their understanding of the relevant events from multiple perspectives.

    Mid-semester break
    Week 9
    HISTORY (WWII)
    (Rachel Bleeze)

    Continued work from Week 8 on The Pianist.

    Week 10 EDUCATION
    (Rachel Bleeze)

    This week commences a three week study on the field of education. Whilst exploring overarching ideas and concepts regarding education, this week will concentrate on education in Australia. Questions that will be considered include: What is Education? What should ‘education’ aim to achieve? What models, systems and types of education are evident in Australia? In regards to the latter, what differences and similarities are seen between various approaches? This will provide a foundation to explore different areas of education in Week 11 and 12.

    Week 11 EDUCATION (COMPARATIVE EDUCATION)
    (Rachel Bleeze)

    This week will concentrate on an examination of comparative education as an academic field of study. Questions that will be considered, include: what insights and advantages can be drawn from using this type of approach in educational research? Conversely what limitations does this approach possess? As well as, to what extent do various stakeholder groups utilize this type of research?

    Week 12 EDUCATION (PEDAGOGY)
    (Rachel Bleeze)


    This week takes an interdisciplinary approach by focusing on the role of pedagogy within learning, teaching and education. Furthermore, this week will study how the concept of freedom intersects with this practice/method. Questions considered include: what is pedagogy; and why is it important? How and to what extent does pedagogy allow more ‘freedom’ with education?
    (Rachel Bleeze)

    Specific Course Requirements
    To pass this course, students must attend at least 75% of tutorials; in cases of absence for medical or compassionate reasons, documentation must be provided and students must still attend at least 50% of classes. If students fail to attend the minimum required number of tutorials, they will be considered to have not completed an assignment (see below). 
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    The University of Adelaide has committed to a pedagogical approach termed the “Small Group Discovery Experience”, indicating that the SHDE will be a core component in a credit-bearing course of every undergraduate program, and that it will be part of every first-year level from 2014. Since the UPP is not an award-based program, it is not strictly required to include an SGDE in the UPP.

    However, since the UPP is designed to prepare students for first-year study, and the SGDE will be a core component of all first-year study, it is important for the UPP to provide some preparation in Small Group Discovery. These should be of a scaffolded, preparatory nature as befits each course within the program, and the philosophy and program objectives of the UPP. The Program has been designed to include preparation for small group work and research activity in many of its courses.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Submission outcomes
    Participation Quizzes Formative

    Ongoing 

    10% In Class 7-11
    Library Task 

    Equiv 500 words

    Formative

    Monday 

    Week 4

    10% Canvas TBA
    Tutorial Paper

    1,000 words

    Formative

    Monday

    Week 7

    11:59pm

    20% Canvas 1-3,11
    Annotated Bibliography

    1,000 words

    Formative

    Friday

    Week 9

    11:59pm

    20% Canvas 4-6
    Major Essay

    2,000 words

    Summative

    Friday

    Week 13

    11:59pm,

    40% Canvas 1-3
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students must attempt all assessment tasks to pass this course. Since the University Preparatory Program is designed to prepare students for success at University, completing and submitting all assignments is central to the intended learning outcomes of the program and each course within it. Often, at least attempting and submitting assignments in the face of difficulty or adversity is enough for success at University and the UPP encourages this resilience by employing this policy in select courses. Please note that the absolute last date for the submission of assignments in Semester 1 is the end of Swot Vac week, which is one week after the final assignment is due.

    If a student fails to submit all assessment tasks and would otherwise have received a grade greater than 45, they will be given a nominal grade of 45 (Fail) for that course in that semester. This will permit them to undertake additional assessment (formerly called academic supplementaryassessment) at the Course Coordinator’s discretion, as per policy at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/supps.html  

    It is not necessary to apply for additional assessment; this assessment will usually consist of the missed pieces of assessment, but the course coordinator may require more. As per policy, if the student passes the additional assessment to the Course Coordinator’s satisfaction, the maximum grade they can get for the course is 50 (Pass). If a student’s raw grade is below 45, regardless of whether all tasks have been attempted, this score will stand unless exceptional, documented circumstances apply as per the University’s Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/mod_arrange.html  

    Substantial non-engagement in this course (evidenced by repeated non-attendance at tutorials and failure to submit assessments) may result in students being withdrawn from the University Preparatory Program and being required to apply for reinstatement if they wish to continue. 
    Assessment Detail
    Annotated Bibliography
    An annotated bibliography is a list of citations (books, articles, and documents). Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the 'annotation'. These annotations will revolve around sources from the Social Sciences, and the purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. More information will be provided in class.


    Major Essay
    Students will be required to write an essay incorporating a range of sources; and will encompass question from topics throughout the semester. More details will be provided in class.


    Minor Essay
    Students will be required to write a short essay concerning the first four weeks of the semester. More details will be provided in class. 


    Quiz Participation
    Participation will be graded via quizzes, with students given a formative grade mid-semester. The quizzes will focus on both Lecture and Tutorial information.


    Submission
    All assignments will be electronically submitted via MyUni, except (obviously) for Participation.

    Students may be granted extensions to assignments on medical or compassionate grounds; documentation to support these ground will be required. Requests for extension must be made before the due date; requests for extension submitted after the due date will not be considered. All extension requests must be submitted to the Course Coordinator (Amy Kay Robinson: amy.kay.robinson@adelaide.edu.au); any extensions granted by the lecturer or tutor will not be considered valid.
    All extension requests will be administered according to the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303/
     
    For a concise information sheet on this policy, please visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/pdfs/maca_medical_compassionate_info.pdf

    Penalties for Late Submission

    Unless the Course Outline states otherwise when an assessment is submitted after the due date, and without an extension, 5% of the total mark possible will be deducted for every 24 hours or part thereof that it is late, including each day on a weekend. For example, an essay that is submitted after the due date and time but within the first 24 hour period, and that has been graded at 63%, will have 5% deducted, for a final grade of 58%. An essay that is more than 24 hours late will lose 10%, etc. Hard copy submissions made after 5.00pm on a Friday will be assumed to have been submitted on the next business day and will be penalised 5% per day for every day including weekend days and public holidays. This penalty may be increased where the assignment is to be completed ina period of less than a week.

    This course aims to return assessed work within 2 weeks of its submission, although this cannot be guaranteed. The resubmission of assignments is not possible for this course, except in exceptional circumstances as approved by the Course Coordinator.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.