Assessment (Coursework)

It is University policy that all students should be given written information about the assessment regime for each unit of study at the beginning of each semester in which it is offered. This information should include:

• Sufficient detail for students to understand clearly the nature and purpose of each task, and how each task relates to the unit of study goals;
• All relevant dates (dates of tests, submission dates for assignments);
• The weighting of each task, and, if applicable, of each major component of each task;
• The assessment criteria on which students’ work will be marked.

It is understood that changes to the original assessment plan are sometimes necessary or desirable; however, such changes must be "communicated in writing to all students enrolled in the unit before the halfway point of the unit."

Students should, of course, ensure that they receive and retain a copy of the unit of study syllabus or outline, even if they miss the first class meeting, at which the syllabus is usually distributed. They should also regularly check their University e-mail account and, if applicable, the unit of study website in case of changes, updates and reminders.

Assessment criteria specific to individual assessment tasks are usually stated either on the unit of study syllabus or outline, or on separate handouts. It is department policy that the formulation of assessment criteria for specific tasks is best left to the unit of study coordinator. However, in awarding percentage marks for individual assignments, staff in the department of Chinese Studies use the Honours guidelines as a benchmark. Te Honours criteria are listed below.

If you are in doubt about the criteria on which a piece of work will be marked, please feel free to ask your teacher to explain this.

Academic honesty in coursework is as important for postgraduate students as it is for undergraduates. Please click here for information about University policy regarding such matters as the handling of plagiarism, and for advice about how to avoid plagiarism.

Please click here for information about how to cite sources in the essays that you write in units of study offered by this department.

In Honours, the term "class" replaces the term "grade." There are basically three classes. There follows an abridged version of the Honours "class descriptors" that are standard throughout the Faculty of Arts. A more finely differentiated scale is available for First Class Honours.

Students taking the postgraduate version of Honours-level seminars will receive percentages and grades, as in the undergraduate program. However, in determining the percentage marks for individual assignments, instructors in this department use the Honours "class descriptors" as a benchmark. The rationale for this is to ensure that students who are using the Master of Asian Studies as a route to possible research postgraduate candidature will benefit from the same rigorous standards as are applied in the Honours program.

• Honours Not Awarded: 50–64%

The above range corresponds to a Pass grade in the postgraduate program.
The decision not to award Honours is a difficult one. It is likely to be based on a combination of the following criteria:

1. that the student has not obtained a sufficient mastery of the chosen subject area at a level of depth and complexity beyond that appropriate to the Pass degree, as demonstrated through written work and oral examination;
2. that attendance at classes and participation in Honours discussions has not been sufficient or sufficiently consistent to allow staff to gauge his or her level of achievement at an Honours standard;
3. that the student’s written and oral work in the Honours year has failed to attain an average mark of 65%.

• Third Class Honours: 65–69%

The above range corresponds to a low Credit in the postgraduate program.
The award of a Third Class Honours degree expresses the assessors’ view that the student has:

1. demonstrated a barely sufficient general knowledge of the subject through study and reading of both primary and secondary material;
2. produced written work that is barely adequate at Honours level in terms of English expression and documentation, the assembly of relevant material, and the ability to exercise independent critical judgement of the material.

• Second Class Honours, Division 2: 70–74%

The above range corresponds to a low Credit in the postgraduate program.
The award of a Third Class Honours degree expresses the assessors’ view that the student has:

1. demonstrated a barely sufficient general knowledge of the subject through study and reading of both primary and secondary material;
2. produced written work that is barely adequate at Honours level in terms of English expression and documentation, the assembly of relevant material, and the ability to exercise independent critical judgement of the material.

• Second Class Honours, Division 2: 70–74%

The above range corresponds to a high Credit in the postgraduate program.
The award of a Second Class Honours Division 2 degree expresses the assessors’ view that the student has:

1. demonstrated adequate general knowledge of the subject through study and reading of both primary and secondary material;
2. produced written work that is clearly adequate at Honours level in terms of English expression and documentation, the assembly of relevant material, and the ability to exercise independent critical judgement of the material.
3. In addition, a student who gains Honours II/2 may occasionally show evidence of original analysis and interpretation of subject matter.

• Second Class Honours, Division 1: 75–79%

The above range corresponds to a low Distinction in the postgraduate program.
The award of a Second Class Honours Division 1 degree expresses the assessors’ confidence that the student has:

1. demonstrated superior general knowledge of the subject through study and reading of both primary and secondary material;
2. produced written work that shows a reasonably complex understanding and original analysis of subject matter and its context, both empirical and theoretical, and sometimes shows evidence of independent interpretation;
3. produced written work of a high standard of English expression and documentation.

• First Class Honours: 80–100%

The above range corresponds to a meritorious Distinction (80–84%) and a High Distinction (85–100%) in the postgraduate program.
The award of First Class Honours expresses the assessors’ confidence that the student has:

1. demonstrated outstanding general knowledge of the subject through study and reading of both primary and secondary material;
2. produced written work that shows a complex understanding and original analysis of subject matter and its context, both empirical and theoretical, and often shows evidence of independent, plausible interpretation;
3. produced written work of a very high standard of English expression and documentation.