Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2026: Political Analysis: Behaviour, Institutions, Ideas

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Individual Presentation	5-8 minutes	11-13	Written comments and feedback
Optional Formative Essay	1,000 words	1-10, 14-16	Written comments and personal feedback in office hours if requested.

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
One short essay on a topic covered in first part of module	25	1,000 words	1-10, 14-16	Written comments provided in an Assessment Sheet; personal feedback in office hours if requested.
Two short essays in answer to questions on topics covered by the second part of module. To be submitted as part as the same assessment	75	3,000 words (in total)	1-10, 14-16	Written comments provided in an Assessment Sheet; personal feedback in office hours if requested.

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
One short essay on a topic covered in first part of module	One short essay on a topic covered in first part of module (1,000 words)	1-10, 14-16	August/September re-assessment period
Two short essays in answer to questions on topics covered by the second part of module	Two short essays in answer to questions on topics covered by the second part of module (3,000 words (in total))	1-10, 14-16	August/September re-assessment period