45% - Essay or Blog Posting or Video Project

Submit a traditional academic essay in response to set questions posted online, or submit an edited collection of blog posts. Total word count varies according to the CATS (please see above).

For both the academic essay and edited collection of blog posts students should demonstrate an ability to form an argument and develop a thesis throughout the essay or blog posts.

Students should also demonstrate an ability to engage in analysing the existing scholarship surrounding the topic.

Blog posts must be made over the course of the term, students can decide which sessions to focus their blog posts on.

Questions will be posted up weekly to help inspire the blog posts.

In alternative, students can opt to create a short 2-4 minute video accompanied by a 400/500 word commentary.

The academic essay, edited collection of blog posts or video project must be submitted by:

Due 20 April 2020

Guide to submitting an Edited Collection of Blog Posts

• Post your blogs online to the class blog pages. This does not need to be the final version of the blog post that you submit. It can be a shorter version, in bullet points, demonstrating some thoughts in response to the question.
• Pick 3-4 blog posts, due to the limit on words for each post you have to be precise and concise in the presentation of your ideas and argument.
• You need to allow a shortfall of words for the introduction and conclusion.
• You can arrange a meeting to get feedback on all blog posts prior to submission, this is best done weekly.
• Blogging helps to enable more interdisciplinary thinking which may result in a higher mark – because you are forced to cover a range of disciplines.
• Remember you still need to provide evidence to support your points, this should be referenced using MLA.
• Place the question above each blog post, you can create a original title for the whole submission.
• When submitting the blog posts you still need to incorporate an introduction and conclusion which ties all posts together. This thesis needs to be threaded throughout each blog post.
• Consider the overarching questions we discussed at the start of the module – perhaps one of these could serve as a frame.
• Make sure you make an appointment to get feedback on your posts – email me!
• Consider how you can show transdisciplinary thinking and research!

Guide to Submitting an Academic Essay to IATL

• Pick a question from one of the questions posed each week online in the blog pages.
• You must then email me the question, the week this comes from, and a brief outline of your ideas, which I will respond to and provide some feedback. You must do this to ensure the question you pick and your approach is suitable. This is essential, and it is particularly important if you decide to do a more creative question.
• You must provide examples to substantiate your points.
• Create a clear argument/thesis which is developed throughout your essay.
• Engage in the complexities of the question, don’t be afraid to identify what is unresolved or problematic.
• Make sure you think transdisciplinary – you need to incorporate multiple disciplinary approaches to your question and evidence to support this thinking.
• Writing critically and analytically, avoid explaining and describing.
• Try to create an original and sophisticated argument that demonstrates an awareness of existing scholarship in relation to the question or an awareness of how different disciplines might respond to the topic.

Guide to Submitting a Video Project

Create a short 2-4 minute video accompanied by a 400/500 word commentary.

For inspiration review these pages:

Feminist Frequency

Digital Wildfires

Students must arrange a meeting with me to discuss their ideas for the video project to receive guidance and feedback throughout the process of creating their video and writing their commentary.

45% - Presentation at a conference

Students should work in groups to create a presentation, their individual contribution to the group should last no longer than 10 minutes.

Students should work in pairs or small groups to try to create a cohesive presentation on a topic of their choice.

There are no set questions, students are encouraged to devise a question or theme together, based on the reading they have conducted over the course of the module.

Students should work in groups of between 2-4. However, students will be assessed independently for their contribution to the group.

The student conference will be held Monday 9 March 2020 or Tuesday 10 March 2020 (all day)

You must upload the transcript of your presentation, and you can also upload a PowerPoint if you have one to tabula by 11 March 2020. You can upload a maximum of 2 files for this submission. The transcript of your presentation uploaded to tabula should also include the group abstract.

A group abstract of no more than 400 words must be submitted in class on Tuesday 18 February 2020 - Week 7.

The abstract should provide an overview of your group presentation, you might decide to write around 100 words each, and allocate one person in the group the task of bringing the abstract together. The abstract must include the title/question/theme of your presentation and the names of those within the group.

10% - Reflective commentary on the Conference or a creative autobiographical/autofictional personal experience of censorship

Students are asked to write a short reflective essay on their experience of the student conference, including reflecting on their presentation within a group, and contributing to the organisation of the event. This might include, for example, helping to chair a panel. Students are encouraged to use personal pronouns and to write creatively about their experiences.

In alternative:

Students can opt to write a creative autobiographical/autofictional personal experience of censorship. Students have the opportunity to creatively explore how they feel they have been censored or felt they have had to self-censor. Students are encouraged to experiment with genre, form, narrative style. Their writing can be autobiographical or autofictional, there is no need to reveal the level of fictionality, this should enable creative freedom of expression.

Due 30 March 2020