Criminology: Assessment Rationale

Assessment Rationale

Assessment is designed to allow you to demonstrate your achievement of the module learning outcomes. In this module, the assessment regime is designed to enable you to reflect in a self-critical way on your learning as well as to demonstrate a range of knowledge and skills. Hence assessment is by means of a portfolio of coursework and a group oral presentation. What exactly you are required to do is detailed in the following paragraphs.

Assessment Methods and Weightings:

For this module, assessment is entirely based on coursework (there is no formal examination). You will be required to contribute to a group presentation and also to present a portfolio of work demonstrating your achievement of the learning outcomes.

Richard Hernstein and Charles Murray, The Link Between Cognitive Ability and Criminal Behaviour

3. R.K. Merton Social Structure and Anomie

4. Howard Becker, Outsiders

5. Phil Scraton and Kathryn Chadwick, The Theoretical Priorities of Critical Criminology

6. Marcus Felson and Ronald Clarke, Opportunity Makes the Thief

7. Carol Smart, Feminist Approaches to Criminology Or Postmodern Woman Meets Atavistic Man

All of the above can be found in:

Tim Newburn (ed) (2009), Key Readings in Criminology, Willan

Your report must include three elements:

(a) a summary (500 words) of the main arguments made in the extract (40% of the mark for this assignment). Summarising means explaining the key arguments and ideas in the article in your own words: You should summarise the article in your own words, picking out the key ideas: this is not the same as paraphrasing the original text. Remember also that a summary is not the same as a review: in a review, you would be asked to comment critically on the arguments presented, but in a summary you need only set out accurately what the argument

Groups which are not ready in week 09 are effectively asking for extra time to prepare and thus for an unfair advantage over other students: therefore any group which is not ready to present in week 10 will be penalised by a deduction of 20% of their mark (e.g. if the mark would have been 60% it will be reduced to 48% (60-12=48) . This can have serious consequences, e.g. if the mark would have been 40%, but the group is not ready in week 10, it will be reduced to 32% (40-8=32), i.e. all students in the group will have failed this