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Course Name
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Year
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Faculty / Graduate School
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12716:[2025 Fall]IR18‐CB102 Academic Skills II (Advanced) (RG) § 12717:RUIR-1102 Academic Skills II (Advanced)(RG) |
2025 |
Fall |
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
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.
[+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.
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
None but it is expected that students have basic English skills to be able to write sentences and basic paragraphs because the focus of the class is learning to put together a formal academic paper rather than learn basic English. That said please do no hesitate to ask the instructor about specific English questions in class.
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:
--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 |
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 |
|
Week Three |
Units 6, 7, 8 |
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 |
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 |
Unit 12 & 14 |
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 |
Lesson Eleven
Unit 15: Evaluating and Rewriting
• check APA formatting rules.
Lesson Twelve
--in-class writing assignments
--semicolons |
|
Week Seven |
Unit 16 Submit Paper One |
Lesson Thirteen
parallel structure
paraphrasing practice
editing
Lesson Fourteen
--in-class writing
--conferences |
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Week Eight |
Units 17 and 18 |
Research paper first draft due
Peer editing |
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Week Nine |
Experimental Report Essay start |
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 statement and outline for evaluation
• in-class writing
• conferences
Lesson Twenty
• editing exercise
• in-class writing
• conferences |
|
Week Eleven |
Title and Introduction |
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 |
Presentations (how to make a good presentation) |
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 |
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Week Thirteen |
presentations |
Lesson Twenty-five
• presentations practice
Lesson Twenty-six
• presentations |
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Week Fourteen |
presentations |
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) |
|
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Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
|
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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
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
Although it is not required it is advisable to have a laptop or a mobile device that you can type on fairly quickly and do internet research. Students should also have a dedicated notebook for this class and follow instructions for taking notes while researching. Follow the steps of the class and catch up as fast as you can if you are absent so you can get maximum benefit from the class work.
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Second Edition
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 Comments
This course syllabus is subject to change depending on student needs.
