Admission requirements
An extracurricular course for pre-master students of Humanities. MA students of Humanities who want to improve their academic skills are also welcome.
Description
A hands-on course on academic skills, viz.:
Research skills: argumentation, evaluating academic sources, plagiarism prevention.
Academic writing techniques: formulating a research question, essay structure, academic writing style, layout (including advanced use of Word), referencing sources, giving and receiving feedback.
Oral presentation skills: speech and presentation techniques, advanced use of PowerPoint and making a screencast.
The course is tailored to the needs of pre-master students with relatively little experience in academic research, presentation and writing at a Dutch university. Master students with deficiencies in those skills are also welcome. By means of a combination of practical assignments and explicit instruction the students will be guided in their work on a presentation and a final essay on the topic of their choice related to their study programme.
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to prepare students for writing academic papers and presenting research results orally on the MA-level. On completion the student will be able to:
select scholarly literature by means of digital tools (library cataloque, Google Scholar, WorldCat, Web of Science);
evaluate sources (books, articles, websites) as to scholarly quality and reliability, using library databases and internet tools (Ulrich’s, domaintools.com);
recognize and construct various types of argumentation, identifying logical fallacies;
formulate a viable and well-defined research question, including the main and subsidiary questions;
stucture academic texts and oral presentations;
present research results in a clear and well-argued manner, using an academic (writing) style, with advanced use of word processing and presentation tools (Word, PowerPoint), and academic methods of referencing sources.
Timetable
See the information on the EAV website . An overview of all sessions will be placed on Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Course Load
Total: 140 hrs (5 EC)
attending classes: 24 hours
home assignments: 20 hours
preparation for the presentation: 36 hours
writing the final essay (including reading/research): 60 hours
Assessment method
Final essay (50%)
Presentation on the topic of the essay (30%)
10 tasks to be completed at home, as preparation for the presentation and the final essay (together 20%)
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average with the additional requirement that the final essay and the presentation on the topic of the essay must always be sufficient.
Resit
Final essay (60%)
Presentation on the topic of the essay (40%)
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average with the additional requirement that the final essay and the presentation on the topic of the essay must always be sufficient.
Blackboard
Blackboard is used for notifications, general course and schedule information, course material and submission of assignments.
Reading list
Materials will be placed on Blackboard and/or distributed in class.
Registration
Via uSis.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Dr. G.J. Rowicka
Drs. J.A. Pach