Admission requirements
Mandatory course for students enrolled in the bachelor’s programme Security Studies.
Description
Lab 1 aims to train both academic and professional skills. Students will develop an understanding of the social and learning processes necessary for academic studies.
The skills that will be addressed in Lab 1 are: academic reading, argumentation, academic writing, general research skills (formulating a research question and literature search) and reflection and learning skills. In addition, an important goal of Lab 1 is to develop an open, critical and academic attitude.
By learning these skills from the beginning of the first year, students will gain an important basis for the rest of their time in the programme. Lab 1 also aims to bring about a deeper understanding of the lectures being given in the corresponding course ‘Introduction to Security and Safety’ by explaining, discussing and practicing the contents.
Some lab meetings will be more social. They will focus on getting acquainted and forming an active and collaborative student cohort. Moreover, there will be attention for reflection on individual talents and areas for improvement.
Various assignments will be used to monitor and assess the students’ skills development and study progress. Students will regularly discuss and reflect on their progress with each other and their tutor.
Course objectives
Students will be able to identify the research question, hypotheses and core argument in an academic article.
Students will be able to assess what disciplines are crucial in solving complex safety/security challenges
Students will be able to evaluate whether the argument made in a given article is adequately supported by empirical data and/or theoretical foundations.
Students will be able to recognize the difference between academic, non-academic and grey literature
Students will critically analyze media sources
Students will be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the structure of an academic paper
Students will be able to write a clearly structured and well-argued text using citation.
Students will be able to use different study and time management techniques and learn what works best for them.
Students will practice their public speaking and presentation skills
Students will develop their critical thinking skills
Students will learn to reflect on their own role in groups and how to collaborate with others
Students will be made aware of the ethical standards held by the academic community
Students will use establish techniques for giving and receiving feedback and conducting fruitful discussions
Students will be able to define and apply core concepts provided in the corresponding course ‘Introduction into Security and Safety’.
Students will become familiar with the entire programme, the department staff and his/her fellow students and will be able to find his/her way well within the university.
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the E-guide Bachelor Security Studies you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
14 lab sessions, including various active teaching methods.
Attendance is mandatory. Missing more than 3 sessions will lead to a fail.
Course Load
Total study load of 140 hours
Lab hours: 42
Self-study hours: 98
Assessment method
- 10% Overall participation in the Skills Labs including preparation and contribution to discussion
- 25% Annotated Bibliography
- 25% Interview Report
- 15% Poster
- 25% Poster Presentation
All assignments will be collected in a portfolio which makes up for 100% of the grade.
The calculated grade of all portfolio assignments has to be at least 5,50 in order to pass the course.
Attendance is mandatory. Missing more than 3 sessions will lead to a fail.
In case of a fail, no grades will be given, only a fail. This implies that a resit will not lead to a pass.
Resit
Students will be permitted a resit if they have a grade lower than 5,50 for the portfolio or with permission of the Board of Examiners. Resit will consist of an alternative assignment to compensate for one or maximal two failed assignments of the portfolio. Due to its nature the it is impossible to resit the 10% participation grade. Only this sub grade should be compensated.
Transitional Arrangement
Students who participated in the course “Skills Lab 1” in academic year 2017-2018 but did not manage to pass the course should fully participate in all elements of Skills Lab 1 in year 2018-2019. It is not possible to transfer grades between labs and years. This means that all the 2017-2018 constituent grades (both passed and failed) for students who did not successfully pass the course, are no longer valid for the academic year 2018-2019. These students will have to participate in all elements of the course, including those that were previously a pass.
Blackboard
Course page will be available one week in advance.
Reading list
To be announced on Blackboard.
Registration
To be announced by OSC staff.
Contact
Course coordinator c,j.kofman@fgga.leidenuniv.nl