Ritsumeikan University Syllabus

Course Name	Year	Term	Period	Faculty / Graduate School	All Instructors	Credits
12710:[2025 Spring]IR18‐CB102 Academic Skills II (Advanced) (RD) § 12711:RUIR-1102 Academic Skills II (Advanced)(RD)	2025	Spring	Wed3,Fri3	College　Of　International　Relations	STEWART REX ARTHUR	4

Campus

KIC/KIC

Class Venue

KOSHINKAN　KS205/KOSHINKAN　KS205

Language

English

Course Outline and Method

[+R Jugyo]
Information for "+R Jugyo" will be posted on the "course News on Manaba +R by April 1. Be sure to check the "Course News" on Manaba +R.

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.
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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
Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
Week One	Course Orientation and International Relations Topics: Units 1, 2, 3
Week One	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: --Writing a five-paragraph essay 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 Unit 13: Avoiding Plagiarism and Citing Sources • avoiding plagiarism: paraphrasing
Week Two	Units 4, 5,
Week Two	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 --Five-paragraph essay due/peer review 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, 7, 8
Week Three	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 Unit 8: Writing the Title • writing the title: capitalization, punctuation Outlines due APA citations
Week Four	Units 9, 10, 11
Week Four	Lesson Seven --revision of five-paragraph essay due Unit 9: Writing the Introduction • Verb tenses Lesson Eight Unit 10: Support, Accuracy, and Logic • transitions • unclear references introductions due Unit 11: Writing the Body
Week Five	Units 12 and 14
Week Five	Lesson Nine Unit 12: Writing the Conclusion • Expand outline First body paragraph due Lesson Ten Unit 14 Writing the Reference List • editing exercise • essay formatting
Week Six	Unit 15,
Week Six	Lesson Eleven Unit 15: Evaluating and Rewriting • check APA formatting rules. Lesson Twelve --in-class writing assignments --semicolons
Week Seven	Unit 16
Week Seven	Lesson Thirteen parallel structure paraphrasing practice editing Lesson Fourteen --in-class writing --conferences
Week Eight	Writing exercises
Week Eight	Research paper first draft due Peer editing
Week Nine	parallel construction/finding sources/editing
Week Nine	Lesson Seventeen • parallel construction • finding sources • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Eighteen • Editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences
Week Ten	Research and Outline
Week Ten	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
Week Eleven	Lesson Twenty-one • Title and introduction • Writing the essay title. • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Twenty-two • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences •
Week Twelve	Lesson Twenty-three Presentations (how to make a good presentation)
Week Twelve	Lesson Twenty-three • Presentations (how to make a good presentation)Lesson Twenty-four • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Twenty-four • How to make engaging slides • editing exercise • in-class writing • submit essay two (draft two) to the instructor
Week Thirteen	Conclusion and references
Week Thirteen	Lesson Twenty-five • presentations practice Lesson Twenty-six • presentations
Week Fourteen	Presentations
Week Fourteen	Lesson Twenty-seven • presentations Lesson Twenty-eight • presentations

Class Format

All classes are to be conducted face to face; however, in the case of an emergency, the instructor may elect to provide online (live-streamed) classes. Please note that the maximum number of online classes must be less than 1/2 of the total number of classes for the specified course. If an instructor does conduct a live-streamed class, then the link will be posted on Manaba+R.

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	Five-paragraph essay--10% Research paper assignments--20% Research paper first draft--10% Research paper final draft--20% Presentation--10% Slides--10% Class participation--10% Textbook homework--10% (See note below for breakdown)

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Five-paragraph persuasive essay--10% total
--Draft 1: 5% (completion based)
--Draft 2 (final): 5% (graded on structure, argument, and mechanics)

Research Paper Assignments--20% total
--thesis statement 5%
--research plan (outline) 5%
--reference page 5%
--body paragraphs, introduction, conclusion 5%

Research Paper--30% total
--First draft: 10% (completion and effort)
--Second draft: 20% (graded on clarity, argumentation, use of sources, and mechanics)

presentation (20%) total
--Slides 10% (visual design, clarity, and alignment with research)
--Delivery 10% (speaking skills, content, timing, and engagement)

Class participation 10% total

Textbook homework 10% total

Total of all assignments 100%

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Textbooks

Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN Code	Comment
Basic Steps to Writing Research Papers	Kluge, Taylor	Cengage	978-4-86312-308-3	Second edition

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.

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