STM4A1
The HistoricalContext of Sustainability
AssessmentGuidelines
Inthismoduleyouwillbeassessedbymeansofoneindividualprojectworth100%ofthe modulemark.Inview ofdevelopingtheproject,youwillhavea formativeworkshop,whichis notcompulsory normarked,butishighlyrecommended asyou will receiveinstantqualitative feedback from yourseminar tutorbeforeyou progresstothesummative (marked)project. ThesummativeassessmentisanindividualProjectthatyouhavetodevelopandsubmitin writingbyendofweek10.Youarealsorequestedtobrieflypresentthehighlightsofyour projectthatsameweekoraweeklater,toshareyourkeyfindingsandrecommendations withtheclass.Inthisway,everyoneintheclasswillgainbetterinsightsintoeachother’s countries natural resources and the key aspects of its socio-economic historical
development.
a)FormativeAssessments
?Selecta specificnaturalresourceusedasrawmaterial,ideallyfromyour own country.
Examples: cotton,wool,fur,wheat,corn,barley,milk,meat,fish,salt,gold,diamonds, quartz, marble,silica, steel,aluminium, ironore,coal,oil sands,water….
NOTE:Onlyonetopicperstudentallowedforthesamecountryinthesameseminar group,ona‘firstcome-firstserved’basis.Forexample,ifyouarefromAngolaand choosediamondsasyourtopic,thenanyotherstudentfromAngolainyourseminar groupwillberequestedtochooseadifferenttopic.However,otherstudentsmaystill selectthetopicDiamonds,aswellaslongastheycomefromadifferentcountry.Thisis in order toavoid submission ofpotentiallyverysimilarprojects.
•VisitMuseums(e.g. theBritish Museum),businesscompanies,check reliable videos (e.g.
HistoryChannel,BBC)andanyothersourceorlocationyoumay thinkcouldprovideyou with furtherinformationonthe resource andits useandperceivedvaluesthrough history (inyourcountry andothercountries).Reference atleast3sources fromyourRUL database.
•Startdevelopingthestructureofyourproject:whatwillyoufocuson,howabundantthe resourcewas (and is)inyourcountry, howfarbackin historycan youtrace it…
•Youwillhavethechancetocontributetotheformativeworkshopinclassinweek7by meansofpresentingabriefinformaloverview ofoneofyourcolleaguescountry’snatural resourcesandgive the class ahintofwhat theirprojectwill be about.
•Yourseminartutorwillprovideyouinstantfeedbackandfeedbacksuggestionstohelp
you continue yourresearch andfinalize yourproject (summative).
b)SummativeAssessment:PROJECT(100%of TMM)
?The individual project should draw from and fully integrate and reflect upon the knowledge, awareness and skillsacquired during the lectures, seminars, and the feedbackyougotduringtheformative stage.
?Theindividualprojectmustalsorefertotheapplicableconceptsandtoolsacquired through the semesterin thelectures,intheseminarsand inyourownindependentfurther study.
?YourProjectshoulddemonstrate thatyouhavegainedawarenessandunderstandingof theinterconnectednatureofglobalbusiness practiceanditsmanagementtowards sustainabilityinthemanagementofthespecific natural resourceyouselectedaswellas itshistorical context.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
Basedonyourresearchandtacitknowledge,youaretodevelopaProject(NOTan essay) that will set a recommendation for businesses, industries or even local governmentonthespecificcountry natural resourceyouselected,toadvise themonhow tomakebetterandmoresustainableuseofthatspecificresource.Youshouldsetthe sustainabilitychallengethatyou areaddressingwithin itshistorical context.
•It could bebymeansof addressingCSRissues( workers, animal welfare,fair trade);
•Oritcouldbebyaddressingthewaysinwhichtheresourceisextractedfromamine (humanhealthandwelfare,use ofwaterorenergy,environmentalimpact causedby the exploration,etc.)
•Orthewayinwhichthebreedingprogrammesaresetfortheanimalstobeexploitedas
food,orfur/wool/feathers…
•OrtheissueswithCO2emissionsbecauseofthe transportinvolvedintakingthenatural resource fromitsextraction/production/naturalorigintothe processing/manufacturing/storage/distributionsites;
•Ortheissuesabout illegal trading
•Or anyother issuesrelated tobusinessethicsandsustainability
Example:Supposingthat you chosea specificfur-type (mink forexample)as yourtopic.You foundoutduringthe research that many industriesmake useofmink fureventhough itisa highlypolemicresource.So,firstyouwouldanalysetheevolutionofthatspecificfur-type tradinginyourselected country andcompareitwithothercountriesthathavethesame resource.Whathavebeenthetrendsthroughhistoryandwhy?Isthemarketgrowingor declining,andwhy?Aretheremoresustainablewaysofproducingtheminkfurinthe requiredqualityandquantity tomeet marketdemands? Arethere anyalternatives?
The ProjectistobesubmittedinWeek10 (Tueswk11)via Turnitin:
AbriefoverviewofyourProjectistobepresentedinclass(inyourseminarclass)inWeek
10or11, depending on class numbers,sothat the whole classsharestheir findings.Thiswill also enable you to developpresentationand argumentative skills.
ThissummarypresentationshouldbenolongerthanTHREEminutesandshouldhighlight thekeyaspectsofyour Project.
It maybepresented in PowerPointoralternative format.
Itissupposedtobeengaging,conciseandstraight-to-the-pointandgiveabriefpersonal overviewofthetopicyou researched uponandthefindingsyougathered.
TheoverallwrittenProjecthastobesubmittedviaTurnitinbyendofWeek10(Tueswk11). No deadline extensions.
Thisissupposedtobeaproject(notanessay)maximum1500wordslong,withthe followingINDICATIVE structure (thewordlimitgiven foreachsectionisalsoindicative):
i. Executive summary(thebasisforyourpresentation)_200 words
ii. Keywords(aselectionof5wordsthatyouconsiderfullydescribethetopicand your findings)
iii. Overviewofresource/businessandhistoricalcontextofthesustainabilitychallenge
(500 words)
iv. Developmentoftheideaandbriefjustificationofyourrecommendations(whichcan be presented asbulletpoints)(600words)
v. Reflective analysisandConcludingremarks (200words)
Illustrative setof thoughts that mightshape your report:
i. Abriefoverview onthenaturalresourceselected andwhatmay haveledpeopletostart usingitandtrading it,eitherperseorasa componentofafinal product;
ii. Whathasbeentheimpactontheavailabilityofthatsameresourcethroughtime(e.g. was the resourcelocated in averyspecific area ofthe world ordiditexistalmost everywhereonEarthwhenpeoplestartedusingit? Isthe resource stillavailable nowadaysinthoselocations,isthereashortageoftheresourceandis sowhenand where did itstart?)
iii. Whathavebeenthesocialimpactsoftheexploitationofthatresourcelocallyand globally? (e.g. apprenticeships, jobs)
iv. Whathavebeentheenvironmentalimpactsofthetradingoftheresource(e.g.ifithas tobetransported fromhow farandusingwhattypesoftransport? Orifhas tobe processedin someway,does theprocess leadtodust/noise,etc.)
v. Furtherconsiderationsonhowbusinessesnowadaysperceivetheresourceandwhat have theyconsidered doing (ifanythingat all tohelp decreasetheimpacts)
vi. Ifyouwereabusinesspersonleadingabusinessthatwouldrequiretheuseofthis specificresource(eitherastheresourceitselforasacomponentofany product/service yourcompanyweretoprovide)whatwouldbeyourrecommendationsforthecompany to besustainable.
vii. Adetailedreflectiononhowthedevelopmentofthisassignment(identifyingthekey stepsofyourresearchfromweekonetothepresentationdayinweek10)hashelped you gain further insights on the role of businesses on natural resources and on
enhancingqualityoflife locallyand globally.
IndicativeAssessment Criteria
CRITERIA
i. Structuringandcoherenceofthefindingspresented
ii. Demonstrateddepth,scopeandfocusoftheresearch
iii. Reflectiveanalysis
iv. Argumentativeskillsduringthepresentationofthehighlightsoftheproject
v. Bibliography(usingHarvardreferencingsystem)
Marking scheme(indicative)
0 t029% Thestudentdoesnotaddressthetopic/formatrequested,ORclearlyfailstoaddress
eventhemostbasicideas/concepts.Farbelowanyacceptablestrictminimum.
30to39% Thestudentidentifiesonlythemostbasicconcepts,addressingitfrom averybasicand incompleteperspectiveORprovidesa veryrudimentarydefinitionbasedcoursework
exclusivelyfrom theliterature.
40to49% Thestudentidentifiesthemajoraspectsoftheconcept,andaddressesthecoursework
respectingtherequirementsbutfrom abasicperspective,showingnoevidenceof any furtherengagement.
50to59% Thestudentidentifiesthemostimportantaspectsoftheconcept/situation,provides
basicillustrativeexamplestosustainhis/herproposalbutdoesnotelaboratefurther.
60to69% Agoodreply,withclearpersonalinputandaclearunderstandingoftherequested concepts,additionalresearchandabletoprovideinformationandrecomendationswith
supportingreasonsthatshowpersonalinput.
70to79% Thestudentis clearlyateasewithalltherelevantaspectsoftheconceptandshowsa
fairlyextensiveadditionalresearch/knowledgeandinterestinthetopic.Theprojectis veryfocusedand wellstructured.Theexamplesprovidedandtherecomendationsare verywellchosenand integrated,extensivelyandclearlyjustifiedandprovidingsome clearpersonalcriticalinsightsintothematter.A verygoodproject,witha veryclearand maturepersonalinput.
80to89% Anoutstandingproject.Thestudentprovidesextremelyclear,wellstructured,insightful
andverywellillustratedrecomendations,withexamplesvisiblydrawnfrom arather extensivepersonalresearchandgrowingawareness/knowledgeintothe issues, showingproofofamatureandinterestedlearningprocessonthesubject..
90to99% Thestudentoverexceeds.Theoverallassignmentsareperfectlypresentedand
excellentlystructured,withaverystrongpersonalinputthroughout,includingreflexive analysisandcoherentcriticalthinking.Theillustrativeexamplesprovideandthe recommendationsputforwardshowadditionalproofof extensiveknowledge/research andarefullyjustified/ discussedtofullymeetthegoalofthequestion.Basicallya “publishable”exemplaryprojectfortheapplicableundegraduatelevel.
100% Aboveallexpectations.Suggestionsfrom neutralexternalexpertsshouldberequiredto
decideon nextstep.
Mappingofassessmenttaskstolearningoutcomes
Assessmenttasks LearningOutcomes
A6 B7 C6 C8 D8
Formative:research-based activities x x x
Summative:individual project x x x x x
