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Course Name
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Year
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Term
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Period
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Faculty / Graduate School
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All Instructors
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Credits
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14985:IR18‐CB102 Academic Skills II (Advanced) (RD) § 14986:RUIR-1102 Academic Skills II (Advanced)(RD) |
2023 |
Spring |
Wed3,Fri3 |
College Of International Relations |
STEWART REX ARTHUR |
4 |
Campus
KIC/KIC
Class Venue
RYOYUKAN RY307/RYOYUKAN RY307
Language
English
Course Outline and Method
The aim of Academic Skills II is to develop students' academic writing competence together with related skills, such as critical thinking, autonomous learning, research and referencing, and IT skills. Students will examine contentious issues in International Relations, identify key questions and construct well-supported, logically sequenced arguments to address these questions. They will familiarize themselves with the conventions of academic writing, expand their academic vocabulary, and increase their control over complex grammar. Class activities may include group discussions and oral presentations, sentence, paragraph, and essay-level writing, as well as academic skills training such as paraphrasing, citing, and referencing. The focus of this course is on developing students' research skills, power of argument and support, written expression, and awareness of writing conventions. Formative evaluation is performed through class participation, and assignments, as well as one or more essays, papers, and presentations, based on a rubric that targets each skill.
Student Attainment Objectives
1. Students will be able to analyze, compare and evaluate a range of current issues in law, politics, and economics with a view to their local, regional and global impact, and discuss different viewpoints from a variety of stakeholders in a well-informed, coherent manner.
2. Students will be able to plan, draft and revise a research essay or academic paper on a relevant topic following APA style conventions, share their findings in the form of an oral presentation, and provide, receive, and integrate feedback from their peers.
3. Students will be able to comprehend and manipulate language at an advanced level of proficiency, demonstrate confidence in both independent learning and group work, and display an awareness of diversity and multicultural environments, developing skills transferable to future contexts in core programs, study abroad programs, and international job placements.
Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) |
Theme |
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information |
|
Week One |
Course Orientation and International Relations Topics: Units 1, 2, 3 |
Lesson One
• course orientation.
• introduction of the textbook and assignments.
Unit 1: What a Research Paper is
• what an academic essay is.
• explorations of topics related to International Relations.
Unit 2: Finding a Topic
Lesson Two:
Unit 3: Doing Research
• introduction to sources of information and the APA system.
• explanation of what an academic essay is.
• examples of academic essays.
• conferencing on topics
• note cards
• avoiding plagiarism: paraphrasing
|
|
Week Two |
Units 4, 5, |
Lesson Three
Unit 4: Thesis Statements
• how to Conduct research
• finding a topic: brainstorming IR-related topics
• how to research, take notes, and keep track of references.
• writing a thesis
• conferencing on topics
• start research
Lesson Four
Unit 5: The Working Outline
• writing a working outline
• avoiding plagiarism/paraphrasing
• discussion of topics
• conferencing on outlines
• conferencing on thesis
|
|
Week Three |
Units 6 and 7 |
Lesson Five
• Unit 6: Revising the thesis statement and working outline
• conducting research
• conferencing on outlines
• conferencing on thesis
Lesson Six
Unit 7: Writing the first draft
• researching, taking notes, and keeping track of references
|
|
Week Four |
Units 8, 9, 10, 11 |
Lesson Seven
Unit 8: Writing the Title
• writing the title: capitalization, punctuation
Unit 9: Writing the Introduction
• Verb tenses
Lesson Eight
Unit 10: Support, Accuracy, and Logic
• transitions
• unclear references
Unit 11: Writing the Body
|
|
Week Five |
Units 12 and 14 |
Lesson Nine
Unit 12: Writing the Conclusion
Unit 13: Avoiding Plagiarism and Citing Sources
• Expand outline
• Designing a PowerPoint presentation
Lesson Ten
Unit 14 Writing the Reference List
• editing exercise
• essay formatting |
|
Week Six |
Unit 15 |
Lesson Eleven
Unit 15: Evaluating and Rewriting
• essay one (draft one) due
• peer review
• reflect on feedback.
• check APA formatting rules.
Lesson Twelve
• submit essay one (draft two) to the instructor
• presentations start
|
|
Week Seven |
Presentations/Unit 16 |
Lesson Thirteen:
• presentations
Lesson Fourteen
Unit: 16: The Primary research paper
• writing the primary research paper |
|
Week Eight |
Units 17 and 18: Experimental Report Essay start |
Lesson Fifteen
Unit 17: Setting up the Experiment
observation.
• writing a survey
• hypothesis
• conducting an interview.
• conferences
Lesson Sixteen
Unit 18: Writing the experiment report
• research question
• literature review
• essay one (draft two) returned
• conferences
• in-class writing
• conferences
• Essay one (final draft) due
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|
Week Nine |
parallel construction/finding sources/editing |
Lesson Seventeen
• parallel construction
• finding sources
• in-class writing
• conferences
Lesson Eighteen
• Editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences |
|
Week Ten |
Research and Outline |
Lesson Nineteen
• compiling research data.
• writing an essay outline.
• submit thesis and outline for evaluation
• in-class writing
• conferences
Lesson Twenty
• editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences |
|
Week Eleven |
Title and introduction/formatting |
Lesson Twenty-one
• Title and introduction
• Writing the essay title.
• editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences
Lesson Twenty-two
• editing exercise
• formatting the essay.
• writing the introduction
• in-class writing
• conferences
|
|
Week Twelve |
Body |
Lesson Twenty-three
• writing the main body of the essay.
• including research citations.
• editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences
Lesson Twenty-four
• conclusion and references
• writing the essay conclusion.
• writing the reference section
• editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences |
|
Week Thirteen |
Conclusion and references |
Lesson Twenty-five
• essay two (draft one) due
• peer editing
Lesson Twenty-six
• submit essay two (draft two) to the instructor
• presentations
|
|
Week Fourteen |
Paper Two Editing and Submission. |
Lesson Twenty-seven
• presentations
Lesson Twenty-eight
• presentations |
|
Week Fifteen |
PowerPoint Presentations |
Lesson Twenty-nine
• presentations
Lesson Thirty
• submit essay two (final draft) to the instructor
• presentations (if needed)
• Unit 19: Final Course Thoughts
|
Class Format
BCP停止の場合は、BCPレベル0～2の記載どおりに授業が行われます。
During the suspension period of BCP, classes will be as described in BCP levels 0-2.
The class Format for each class will be announced on manaba+R’s course news. Also, the class format for the first class will be notified on manaba+R’s course news before the first class(*).
For “Special Consideration”, please check manaba+R’s College of IR Student Page and the “Study Support Site”.
College of IR Student Page：
https://ct.ritsumei.ac.jp/ct/course_1728150
Study Support Site：
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/pathways-future/eng/
(*)To check the class format for the first class of the course, you will need to apply for the “early use request function.” Refer to the Registration Guidebook AY 2023 for details. Please be careful that applying for the early use request does not sign you up for the course. You will need to register for courses during the designated period separately.
Recommendations for Private Study
Fully complete homework assignments out of class to maximize instructor and peer feedback. Focus on details of instructors explanations, peers work, and your own current draft. Be active and ask questions to the instructor.
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind |
Percentage |
Grading Criteria etc. |
| Final Examination (Written) |
0 |
|
Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
0 |
|
Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment
(Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 |
Research Paper Project One 50%
Research Paper Project Two 50%
(See note below) |
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
Research Paper One
Persuasive Essay on an IR-related topic.
1,000 to 1,500 words plus APA formatted references.
Essay #1: Secondary research 30%
Essay #1 presentation 15%
Essay #1 PowerPoint 5%
Essay #2: Primary research 30%
Essay #2 presentation 15%
Essay #2 PowerPoint 5%
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students,Other (Separate instructions will be provided)
Other Comments
This course syllabus is subject to change depending on student needs and the ongoing pandemic situation.
