Students are required to prepare for the seminars via independent research and reading.
The best way for students to prepare is by engaging with Perusall, one of the assignment tools for this course. Perusall requires students to proactively engage with two readings most weeks to gain background knowledge and better appreciate and participate in the seminars.
Students should also frame their reading and independent research to address the weekly discussion questions. Students should familiarise themselves with these questions and seek to answer them by engaging with the resources listed each week and by independent research if needed. These questions often represent the core of the discussions during the seminars.
Students must spend on average, 10.5 hours per week working on this course for the total weeks of the teaching period.
The weekly resources available for students to prepare for the seminars are: 'Perusall essential resources,' 'recommended resources’, and ‘background resources’.
‘Perusall essential resources’ include two weekly readings. These can be peer-reviewed academic materials and or non-peer-reviewed materials, like reports. These readings are essential for students to achieve the course’s aims and learning objectives. Students are also assessed on their engagement with these readings (see assessment section).
The ‘recommended resources’ complement the Perusall readings or represent the main readings in the weeks when there is no Perusall assignment. Recommended resources are also a combination of peer-reviewed academic materials and/or non-peer-reviewed materials, like reports, media articles, videos and podcasts. These resources are particularly useful in stimulating and informed discussion during the student-led part of the seminars.
The ‘Perusall essential resources’ and the ‘recommended resources’ are available on Canvas in the Talis Reading list under each week's module. However, in completing the Perusall assignment, students must access the Perusall resources via the assignment links on Canvas. There are links in the assignment section and under the corresponding module
‘Background resources’ include peer-reviewed academic material and non-peer-reviewed material. These help students gain additional valuable insights into the topic studied and the discussion questions. Students are encouraged to engage with some of these resources, proactively seeking answers to the discussion questions. The list of 'background resources' is available in the Course Manual.