Prospectus

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Africa Today

Course
2022-2023

Admission requirements

Students are admitted who have passed the first two years of BA programma; in their programme they have done at least 30 ECTs Africa oriented courses.

Description

Project based course. In this course we will focus on current issues, such as Migration / Climate Change / Racism, etc. that requires a multidisciplinary approach for problem solving thinking. Students follow the general lecture series together (6 lectures), and work in their seminar workgroup on a ‘consultancy’ like project report; Or on a documentary; Or on an online publication for a wider audience.
The topic for the project will be announced in class.
This results in a conference where the BA programmes from Humanities present the results of their respective project based courses; this is also a moment that the students from the different BA programmes work together and get to know each others approaches

Course objectives

Program specific learning objectives
The student will be able to
Apply acquired knowledge on a specific theme, still to be determined
Contextualize [content] knowledge and skills on African Issues
to identify sources that can be used to develop a critical analysis of an African Issue.

Learning objectives transferable skills
The student can
understand and translate societal challenges into research questions and then collect, critically analyse and evaluate relevant literature and use it to take a critical stance on the academic debate.

  • answer the questions or support the statements and formulate a clear conclusion.

  • identify the key ideas in texts or assignments and use relevant criteria to interpret and assess - these ideas, identifying and considering different perspectives.

  • make choices based on the assembled information in order to reach a critical assessment and, - where necessary or agreed on, communicate that assessment to an audience

  • devise and propose more comprehensive and theoretically sound suggestions to improve his/her own work and that of others.

Teamwork skills and Persuasion

  • Build teamwork competencies, including effective communication, listening and providing constructive feedback, conflict management, task delegation, individual and group responsibility, and integrating multiple perspectives into the group project and presentation.

  • Students that take the lead to obtain independence and learn to feel responsible as an individual and within a group.

  • Present results in a didactical/attractive way

The student will be able to

  • Take on various roles within a team (chair, note-taker, organizer

  • Give constructive feedback to team members; ask searching questions, pose fundamental questions, identify a strength in the speaker (fellow student), formulate areas for improvement with respect to an assignment, presentation or a person’s performance in a team

  • Draft appropriate criteria for peer feedback on an assignment or presentation

  • Process feedback received, for example in a self-reflection report and/or an evaluation form

  • Take part in a critical discussion of a presentation as part of a ‘peer group’

  • Ask questions and make critical comments

  • Formulate a persuasive argument in answer to a given problem definition

  • Give a persuasive and inspiring oral presentation about the results of the project

Self-directed learning
You will be able to

  • Formulate a realistically defined research question for a joint project

  • Draw up a personal research plan/action plan and timetable for a joint project

  • Monitor your own process of learning and writing, identify and resolve problems, and when necessary adjust the plan

  • Determine, whether independently or in consultation, the distribution of roles within a project group, and fulfil your role.

  • Reflect on your contribution to a group project

Timetable

The timetables are avalable through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

Lecture/Seminar-workshop/shared learning

Assessment method

Assessment (see above)

  • Active Participation/coöperation in class/group (20 %)

  • Essay, paper (20%)

  • Collaborative work (20%)

  • End product and presentation (40%)

Weighing

See above

Resit

Not possible in fact

Inspection and feedback

During the end conference, but also in the seminar-workshops

Reading list

Will be announced 30 days before the course starts in the syllabus that will be presented on brightspace

Registration

Enrolment through My Studymap (Login | Universiteit Leiden) is mandatory.

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats

Remarks

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