Course coordinator
Ms Yael Leibovitch
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (24/06/2024 - 17/08/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- Intensive
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Historical & Philosophical Inq
This course is designed to develop the skills in gathering and assessing evidence, constructing arguments or interpretation, and presenting their findings in an effective way.
The structures of language and thinking are intertwined, and each relies on the other for developing effective communication. WRIT1999 explores this link between thinking and writing. It introduces the idea of written language as an intellectual tool, and examines how writing affects the intellectual power of arguments, while guiding students through basic syntactical and grammatical concepts and basic argument construction.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No background in philosophy is assumed
Restrictions
This course is restricted to High School students from eligible schools and to Study Abroad students. This offering may be cancelled if fewer than 20 students enrol.
Course contact
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Dr Nathan Pickels
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
A detailed timetable for the week will be provided on day one.
Aims and outcomes
To improve students understanding of the relationship between thinking and writing through the construction and communication of argument.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Make use of improved critical reading skills required for undergraduate study
LO2.
Make use of improved academic writing skills and the clear presentation of your ideas
LO3.
Better understand and use the relationship between thinking and writing to improve both
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product/ Design | Argument Map | 15% |
28/06/2024 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Argumentative / persuasive essay | 60% |
28/06/2024 2:00 pm |
| Reflection | Reflective Journal | 25% |
28/06/2024 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Argument Map
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Product/ Design
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
28/06/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
You are to submit a first draft of your essay as an argument map. You may use any tool or software you like for this (but try https://reasons.io first). The argument map needs to include:
- the conclusion ie your thesis
- the first level supporting premises
- the second level supporting premise (as required)
- key objections
- key secondary sources that establish the truth of your premises
Submit your map in a docx or pdf file.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Argumentative / persuasive essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
28/06/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
You are to write a 1000 word argumentative essay (+/- 10%).
Your thesis can be any claim provided that it is:
- normative or action guiding (hint: it will contain a should/must/ought),
- be related to contemporary policy or debate, and
- alter the status quo or refute demands that the status quo should be altered.
This important and useful exercise, building on work covered throughout the course, aims to develop and hone critical-thinking and writing skills essential for undergraduate study, including the study of philosophy. The assignment will be described in detail in lectures and handouts made available during lectures (and on the Course Webpage).
Requirements for Submission of Essays: 1. You must submit an electronic copy (for plagiarism checking and to facilitate marking) through Turnitin under 'Assessment' on Blackboard. 2. The name of the electronic file for your essay should be the title of your essay. 3. Check, via your wordprocessor program the word count of your paper to ensure it is within the required word limit (quotations count towards the word limit, bibliographies and bibliographic footnotes do not).Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with School policy regarding academic advice, assessment, plagiarism, etc. as stated on the School’s web-page https://web.library.uq.edu.au/research-tools-techniques/referencing/avoiding-plagiarism. PLAGIARISM is an academic offence and will be penalized.
Submission guidelines
Via Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Reflective Journal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
28/06/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03
Task description
Write a daily blog entry of 250-300 words reflecting on your learning outcomes and experiences in the course. Follow the instructions delivered to you in class. Be sure that you include both a sufficient description and analysis of what was most important for you as well as reflecting on how the events or day's content impacts upon your future learning.
Submission guidelines
Via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Fails to demonstrate most or all of the basic requirements of the course</p> |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Demonstrates clear deficiencies in understanding and applying fundamental concepts; communicates information or ideas in ways that are frequently incomplete or confusing and give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.</p> |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: <p>Demonstrates superficial or partial or faulty understanding of the fundamental concepts of the field of study and limited ability to apply these concepts; presents undeveloped or inappropriate or unsupported arguments; communicates information or ideas with lack of clarity and inconsistent adherence to the conventions of the discipline</p> |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Demonstrates adequate understanding and application of the fundamental concepts of the field of study; develops routine arguments or decisions and provides acceptable justification; communicates information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline.</p> |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Demonstrates substantial understanding of fundamental concepts of the field of study and ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; develops or adapts convincing arguments and provides coherent justification; communicates information and ideas clearly and fluently in terms of the conventions of the discipline.</p> |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>As for 5, with frequent evidence of originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and in creating solutions; uses a level, style and means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>As for 6, with consistent evidence of substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critically evaluates problems, their solutions and implications.</p> |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- ﾠFailure to submit all major assessment items (those worth 15% and above) will result in a maximum grade of 3 (Fail).
- By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration: ‘I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment’.
- "All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after ten business days, will receive zero. In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Co-ordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS."
- Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) is cheating and constitutes academic misconduct.ﾠ See ECP Section 6.1 and the HAPI Student Handbook (http://www.hapi.uq.edu.au/current-students) for more information.
- Feedback, against the Assessment criteria, in the form of comments on your script, will be provided through Turnitin.
- Examinations: for mid-semester and end-of-semester Deferred and Supplementary exam information seeﾠ http://www.uq.edu.au/myadvisor/examinations.
- For information on assessment re-mark see https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/academic-progress-and-final-results/querying-result
Supplementary assessment is an additional opportunity to demonstrate that the learning requirements for an eligible course have been satisfied and that the graduate attributes for the course have been attained.
Supplementary assessment may only be granted where PPL 3.10.09 Supplementary Assessment – procedures allow. A grade of 4 (or P) is the highest grade that can be awarded in a course where supplementary assessment has been granted. For further information on supplementary assessment please see my.UQ https://my.uq.edu.au/
If you receive a grade of 3 for this course, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment depending on the reason that you have failed.
If there is no practical assessment that can be offered to allow you to meet the minimum passing requirements then you will not be offered a supplementary. These circumstances may include failure based on: team-based assessment pieces; your peer assessment factor, or attendance or class participation requirements.
If the course coordinator determines that there is no practical supplementary assessment that can be offered to allow you to improve your grade, then you will not be offered supplementary assessment and your grade will remain unchanged.
ﾠ
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
A range of learning resources will be provided to students in class.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Lecture |
Day 1 Thinking about thinking; Arguments; Argument Mapping, Reflective Writing Learning outcomes: L03 |
|
Lecture |
Day 2 Evaluating arguments; Deductive reasoning; Research Methods 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Lecture |
Day 3 Inductive reasoning; Generalisations; Analogies; Research Methods 2 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Workshop |
Day 4 Persuasion; Clarity; Peer Activities; Narratives Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Workshop |
Day 5 Research and writing; feedback sessions; draft and final essays produced Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.