- BRIEF
Write an essay on ONE of the following two topics:
- The future of work
- Media and politics in a post-truth world
Students should engage in independent research. Within the topic they select, students are free to focus on any angle they find interesting and emphasize how it impacts the future of our world. For example, the ›future of work‹ could be discussed in relation to AI, gender norms or the nature of the corporation while ›post-truth‹ could be investigated through the lens of populism, nationalism or technology.
Bear in mind that the more subtopics you include, the less space you have to develop a sustained analysis since the word count is limited. I expect detail and depth and would therefore advise to pick one or two subtopics. Students must support their thinking by accurately referencing their sources. A successful project will incorporate a minimum of twelve cited sources.
- REFERENCING
- Include a bibliography.
- All sources must be cited in APA format.
- Listing a large number of sources in the bibliography is not sufficient. You need to employ the materials in your essay and evidence this through in-text citations.
- WRITING
- Ensure that you switch on the spell-checker in English.
- Please avoid a casual or informal style and write in an academic tone.
- Do not write in bullet points or in incomplete sentences.
- ESSAY PRESENTATION (MANDATORY)
You must follow the below formal and layout stipulations. They are part of the assessment process.
- 2,000 words +/-10%
- Submit your essay in MS Word; no other format will be accepted.
- Abstract, executive summary, footnotes, bibliography and appendices (if used) are not included in the word count.
- Format your text to a minimum 1.5 line spacing. You can use double line spacing if preferred.
- Font size 12; choose a conventional font.
- Include page numbers.
- Use APA referencing.
- Quotations of up to two lines should be assimilated inline. Quotations longer than two lines should be presented in indented single-spaced ‘block’ form in font size 10.
- Do not exceed 15% verbatim quotations.
4a) Essay layout:
- Title page (separate page; not included in word count)
- Abstract/executive summary (separate page; not included in word count)
- Table of contents (separate page; not included in word count)
- Table of figures (only necessary if you include figures; if so, separate page)
- Chapters (follow the chapter outline given below under 5d)
- Bibliography / reference list (not included in word count)
- Appendices (optional; not included in word count)
4b) The title page must contain the following information:
- Student Name
- Course name
- Type of submission, e.g. essay
- Essay topic and title
- Word count
4c) Abstract / executive summary:
Your paper must have an abstract/executive summary of no more than 250 words in which you succinctly describe the main outcome(s) of your essay. The abstract/executive summary is not included in the word count.
4d) Your essay must have the following five chapters and chapter titles:
- Introduction
- Introduce and define the problem and outline its main aspects. What is the issue? Why is it a problem? Whom does it affect? How did it arise?
- Interests
- Explain and analyse the power dynamics. Who holds an interest? Who are the main parties? What stakeholders are involved? What do they stand to lose or gain?
- Debates
- This chapter should provide research on current opinions and debates on your topic. What are some of the most widely held views and positions on the topic? Where do they come from? Why are they prevalent? Who holds them?
- Solutions
- Consider ways in which the impact of your topic could be mitigated or the problem could be solved all together. What are some of the solutions to address the problem? What are governments and NGOs doing? Are existing businesses part of the solution or the problem? You should also consider how your solution could potentially fail?
- Outlook
- This is your conclusion. Think about the future of your topic within a business context. How might this be an opportunity for businesses? How might this be a risk for business? What firms are pursuing this? How would industry need to adapt?
You may add short subtitles. Optionally, you may use sub-chapters to any or all of the five main chapters. If you choose to do this, you should have a title for each sub-chapter. The questions given above for each chapter are suggestions. Do not answer one after the other similar to ticking boxes. Rather, you should think independently, develop an analysis and produce a coherent argument.
- GRADING
Grades are awarded in accordance with the rubrics outlined in this document. It is every student’s responsibility to read the rubrics and ensure you understand them. You should arrange a tutorial if you are unsure about any aspect of the assignment or the grading process.
Once awarded, grades are non-negotiable and only in specific circumstances can a student request a review of the grade (see Student Handbook, p. 15). Reasons such as that you worked hard, invested a lot of time, had higher grades in other assignments or courses, want a higher aggregate or feel that you deserve a better grade are not valid grounds for increasing a mark.
If you feel treated unfairly or aggrieved by the grade awarded for this assignment, you are entitled to make a formal complaint to the deanery in which you need to clearly outline your reasons for requesting that the assignment be re-graded.
- PLAGIARISM
It is every student’s responsibility to ensure that all written work is original and their own and that quotations are correctly marked as such and referenced in line with APA format.
- EXTENSIONS
The professor cannot grant extensions. Assignment extensions can only be requested from the deanery. If you request an extension, you should clearly state your extenuating circumstances and be able to support them with official documents. Unless it is a highly pressing matter, extensions should be made well in advance of the assignment deadline,
i.e. not a week before the due date.
- RUBRICS
| A – EXCELLENT | B – GOOD | C – SATISFACTORY | D – INSUFFICIENT | F – UNACCEPTABLE | |
| CONTENT AND KNOWLEDGE 30% | Excels in responding to assignmentDemonstrates high degree of critical thought and advanced understanding of topicTopic is explored in depth and within a clearly delineated framework | Responds well to assignmentCritical thinking is woven into points; demonstrates a good understanding of topicTopic is investigated with care and detail | Responds adequately to assignmentSome critical thinking is present; demonstrates a general understanding of topicTopic is examined acceptably but remains underdeveloped and lacks focus | Responds incompletely or only partially to assignmentOnly limited evidence of a critical engagement with ideas; topic is understood poorlyTopic is examined insufficiently and/or superficially | Does not respond to assignmentCritical thinking is absent; basic outlines of topic are not graspedNo intellectual effort discernible |
| STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 20% | Paper is expertly organised with ideas being arranged logically and flowing seamlessly | Paper is effectively organised; ideas progress logically from paragraph to paragraph | Paper is adequately organised; ideas are arranged reasonably but progression shows weaknesses | Organisation is flawed; flow of ideas is incoherent and/or difficult to follow | Paper lacks logical organisation and impedes comprehension of ideas |
| Demonstrates and applies very good understanding of relevant concepts; analysis is insightful and well-reasoned | Demonstrates and applies solid understanding of relevant concepts; analysis is thoughtful but may sometimes lack depth | Demonstrates and applies basic understanding of relevant concepts; analysis often lacks depth; reasoning is unsound | Demonstrates and applies limited understanding of relevant concepts; analysis is superficial or poorly reasoned | Demonstrates and applies no understanding of relevant concepts; little to no analysis or analysis is very poor |
8) RUBRICS CONTINUED
| SOURCES AND REFERENCING 20% | A good number of quality academic sources in addition to web sources | Some quality academic sources in addition to web sourcesSources are of good quality, mainly current and relevantSources are used well to support points; explanations are competent and plausibleReference entries follow the chosen citation style fairly well and are usually correctThere may be a few minor errors in in-text citations and/or references | No academic sources; web sources onlySources are somewhat credible, mostly current but not always directly relevantSources are used in a generalising manner with irrelevant examples; explanations lack focusReference entries demonstrate effort in following the chosen citation style but contain errorsSeveral errors in in- text citations and/or references are present | No academic sources; web sources only and/or limited in numberSome sources are outdated, of questionable quality, and/or not immediately relevantSources used are based on clichés or overgeneralisations; explanations are personal rather than analyticalReference entries may somewhat follow the chosen citation style but contain significant errorsRecurring major errors in in-text citations and/or references | No or only very few web sourcesSources are unreliable, outdated and/or not relevantUses irrelevant details or lacks supporting evidence entirely; explanations missing or unduly briefA citation style is either not adhered to or applied erroneouslyIf in-text citations and/or references are included at all, they contain major errors |
| Sources are current, highly relevant and reliable | |||||
| Sources are used appropriately and effectively; explanations are detailed and convincing | |||||
| Reference entries follow the chosen citation style correctly and are free of errors | |||||
| In-text citations and/or references are correctly presented | |||||
| WRITING AND STYLE 20% | Virtually no spelling or punctuation mistakesSentence structure and grammar are excellentWriting is clear, concise and employs a sophisticated style | Few minor orthographic and punctuation errorsSentence structure and grammar are strong and mostly correct.Writing is mainly clear and concise; style is mostly fine with minor lapses | Noticeable errors in punctuation and/or orthographySentence structure and grammar contain errors but are mostly acceptableWriting is somewhat clear but not always concise; text contains some generalisations and informal language | Repeated errors in punctuation and/or orthographySentence structure may be weak and contain grammatical errorsWriting lacks clarity and conciseness; text displays bias and/or contains sweeping assumptions, generalisations and informal language | Numerous errors in punctuation and/or orthographyContains serious problems with sentence structure and grammarWriting is unidiomatic, imprecise and/or verbose; no attempt is made to offer a stylistically appropriate text |
| PRESENTATION 10% | The essay is presented excellently and follows the layout guidelines. | Minor slips notwithstanding, the essay is presented well. | The paper is presented acceptably but there are several aspects that can improve the layout. | Essay layout does not implement many of the prescribed guidelines. | Essay presentation is insufficient and/or does affect readability in some places. |
