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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Postgraduate Course: Phil Skills (Online) (PHIL11203)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits0 ECTS Credits0
SummaryA short (2-week) online course on the basics of reading and writing philosophy papers. It is targeted specifically at students on the online philosophy programmes, and is aimed to prepare them for their writing assignments. It introduces students to the principles of extracting arguments from papers, and how to present and critique arguments in their own work. Students will then put these skills into practice by writing a formative essay for their first philosophy course (or, in the case of students taking multiple courses in a semester, for any one of those philosophy courses).
Course description Each week of the course the students will watch a pre-recorded lecture with short comprehension exercises. They will submit a formative essay, written for one of their assessed courses, to the course organiser, who will comment on its clarity, structure and argument.

Week one -Reading Philosophy
This week covers techniques to enable students to get the most from reading philosophy papers. Topics covered include:
- How to extract an argument from a paper
- What questions should I ask myself as I read this paper?
- What should I do if I don't understand a passage?
- How can I relate this paper to my own arguments?

Week two - Writing Philosophy
This week covers techniques to enable students to get the most from reading philosophy papers. Topics covered include:
- The assessment criteria for MSc work
- How to develop an essay prompt
- Techniques to keep your paper focussed
- How to present an argument
- How philosophical writing may differ from other disciplines
- Referencing conventions
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Course Start Date 20/09/2021
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) One formative essay of between 1500 and 2000 words
Feedback One-to-one meeting to discuss feedback on the formative essay.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. identify and reconstruct the argument of a philosophy paper
  2. work within the word counts of an assignment effectively
  3. choose an appropriate topic for the assignment
  4. evaluate arguments and develop counter- arguments
  5. use language appropriate to academic philosophical writing
Reading List
This is made available as part of the course and updated regularly.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Transferable skills in research, analysis, and argument.
Keywordsphilosophical skills,argument,analysis,research skills
Contacts
Course organiserDr Patrick Todd
Tel: (0131 6)51 5179
Email: ptodd2@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Sabina Ali
Tel: (0131 6) 50 4400
Email: Sabina.Ali@ed.ac.uk
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