| Unit name | Becoming an Anthropologist |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH10021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Adom Philogene Heron |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit provides students with fundamental knowledge about how we produce and process knowledge in academia, specifically for anthropology students. The unit will cover the fundamental concepts in the fields, the varied methodologies used to acquire data, and how that information is disseminated within the broader academic community. A focus on theory and the scientific method, as well as argumentation, will be presented. As a unit that focuses on study skills, there is also a focus on how to identify and present academic sources, as well as seminars and assessments that are aimed at creating academic writers out of our students.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
As a core study skills unit that focuses on engaging with academic methods and discourse, this unit will provide fundamental skills for Year 1 students that are applicable throughout their entire academic journey. The unit is a new provision based on identified needs over the past several years.
An overview of content
The two primary themes of the unit are an introduction to field-specific epistemologies and the engagement with academic writing and discourse. Specifically, they will learn:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The unit will provide students with a firm grounding in the conceptual underpinnings of the four fields of anthropology and provide them with the tools to engage with the literature, academic writing, and appreciate the varied practices and procedures utilised by individual sub-disciplines.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
The unit will be broken into two major teaching sections:
Example writing will be presented and training on good academic practice will be given. The seminars and workshops will centre on how we procure information and how to find and evaluate peer-reviewed sources. An intended outcome of this will be improved assessment literacy, especially when it comes to understanding the purpose of the assignments we give.
How you will be assessed:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There will be a range of formative assessments running throughout the unit which will involve assessment literacy and marking sample working in relation to the marking criteria, completing a grant application. Exploring alternatives modes of presentation e.g., poster.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Students may choose to be assessed on either two portfolios, or one method/case study and one portfolio, as below:
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ARCH10021).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
