ARTS3810 Politics and International Relations: Theory and Practice Assessment Brief T2 | UNSW

ARTS3810 Assessment Description/Overview

Students will work throughout the term on preparing a portfolio recording their reflections on course readings, class discussions and group-based learning activities, and critical connections made with other courses they have completed in the Politics and International Relations specialisation. It is highly recommended that you work on your portfolio week-to-week, as you progress through the term. 

The portfolio will include an entry for each week of this course. Each week should be given roughly the same amount of discussion in your portfolio. Each entry must include:

• Critical reflection on the material covered in the lectures and readings for that week.
• Critical reflection on the in-class discussion and activities conducted with both instructors and your peers, including contributions on Teams. The lesson plans include additional guidance on this.
• Critical reflection on how both material and discussion from the week relate to other POLS/IR courses you have done to date (or are doing now) and/or the graduate learning outcomes for the POLS/IR specialisation. This reflection of the connection to other courses should consider tutorial and lecture content, required readings, and research you conducted for assessments. You are not expected to do additional research just for this assessment.
• NOTE: You must cite lectures, tutorials and assessments in your portfolio.  See below for information on how. 

You are still expected to have entries for weeks when you did not attend the tutorial, by relying on the lecture, readings, lesson plan, and Teams. The only exception is week 7 when we have the presentations. 

If you have an approved, valid reason for missing the week 7 tutorial, then this will not impact on portfolio grade; however, this will mean that your entry for the remaining 8 weeks will need to be longer.

Submission Requirement

The portfolio should have the following structure: 

1. Executive Summary: a summary of your main reflections on what you learned in ARTS3810, and how it relates to your study of Politics and International Relations. 

2. Portfolio: week-by-week discussion, as discussed above. 

3. Final reflection: how has/have ARTS3810 and your other POLS/IR courses helped you attain thegraduate learning outcomes, UNSW graduate capabilities, and career-ready skills?

Use Harvard in-text referencing as normal; however, follow the instructions below for citing/referencing class content. 

To cite a lecture in-text, use the lecturer’s name and week and year of the lecture, so (Cartwright week one 2025). In the reference list, write the lecturer, week and year, lecture topic, course code, and university using the Harvard referencing convention. For example:

Cartwright, M. (Week one 2025) 'Week one: What is politics?', ARTS3810, UNSW: Sydney.

To cite a tutorial in-text, write the course code, ‘tutorial’, and the week and year the tutorial was held, so (ARTS3810 Tutorial week one 2025). Do this to cite a discussion you had in class, including things your tutor or peers may have said. However, do not attribute discussion to specific people, just write ‘tutorial’ as instructed above. In the reference list, write ‘tutorial’, week and year, lecture topic, course code, university, using the Harvard referencing convention. For example:

Tutorial (Week one 2025) 'Week one: What is politics?', ARTS3810, UNSW: Sydney.

To cite an assessment in-text, write the course code, assessment name, and year you did the course, so (ARTS2816 Research Essay 2025). In the reference list, write 'assessment', year, course code and university using Harvard referencing convention. For example:

Assessment (2025) 'Research Essay', ARTS2816, UNSW: Sydney.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

CLO1: Critically reflect on key learnings developed for the Politics and International Relations major/minor.

CLO2 : Synthesise empirical information and theoretical insights from across the field of Politics and International Relations to consider how they shape, and are shaped by, domestic and international politics.

CLO3: Demonstrate effective research skills, critical reasoning, and a variety of communication skills relevant to Politics & International Relations, including using self-reflexive research and writing practice.