Admission requirements
The following course needs to be passed:
- AMS on Site
Description
This course will provide the basis for students to develop an ability to make an informed and motivated choice about their research approach and method. By becoming acquainted with and by trying out different methodologies and methods they discover how this impacts yielded insights and results. The course will be aimed at developing an awareness of how methods and theories “frame” a case study and can bring into focus, delimit, and omit information, considerations and decisions. During year 1 and 2 AMS students have already been introduced to numerous case-studies and methodological approaches bespoke to art, artifacts, media, writings, and other materials. They also have become familiar with the gestures, actions, and logic of exhibition spaces. In “Framing Cases” students will be presented with case-studies selected by different teachers who will then discuss how they are approached from a specific perspective. Furthermore, learning from such so-called best practices, each student will select a case study themselves, and will then make an informed and motivated choice, drawing from the different methodological techniques that they have been introduced to in this course and throughout their study. They will thus develop the methodological awareness necessary for writing their thesis.
Course objectives
Aims:
To prepare for writing the final thesis in the second semester.
To learn how to ‘frame’ cases or objects.
To learn how to motivate the relation between research question, object of study and methodology.
To creatively engage with case studies and related materials.
To practice skills of (inter)disciplinary methods.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Group work
Blog posts (groups)
Assessment method
Assessment
Midterm: paper (1500 words, excl. Footnotes and bibliography). You will be asked to select an artwork/object/phenomenon and analyze it through a prism of one theory from the first part of the course.
Final: written exam on the material of the entire course.
Non-graded assignments
In addition to these graded assignments, you will have two non-graded but compulsory assignments. The first one is weekly blog responses (due on Wednesdays, 23:59). Before each class (5 out of 9 thematic sessions) you are asked to submit one short critical question or reflective comment (50-80 words) on one of the readings of the upcoming class. The responses will serve as prerequisites for the midterm paper and final exam. The second non-graded assignment is an abstract (100-150 words) explaining what you are going to do in your midterm paper.
Weighing
Midterm paper: 40%
Final written exam: 60%
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of both assessment components combined with (i) additional requirements.
i. Each constituent examination (paper and written exam) must be at least 6.0 or higher.
Resit
In case of a grade of 5.9 or lower for the midterm paper a rewrite can be done. In case of a grade of 5.9 or lower for the written exam a resit can be done.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Assigned Literature:
- Readings will be posted on Brightspace or made available at the library
Registration
Enrolment through My Studymap (Login | Universiteit Leiden) is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Student administration Arsenaal
Remarks
Not applicable.