BA Philosophy

Year 1

(Award available for year: Certificate of Higher Educ)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year students should have provided evidence of being able to:

- use basic generic and subject specific intellectual qualities, ie
> assess arguments and detect irrelevance;
> construct and defend their own point of view;
> discuss that point of view in a reasoned fashion;
> write focussed and structured essays;
> show familiarity with some basic concepts, problems and arguments in some central areas of the discipline;
> be able to communicate the results of their work (the proctorial system trains students to prepare a product in the proctorial for communication to the tutor at the tutorial, across 4 modules)

- function as a member of the School, be familiar with its methods; know how to make it work for them; and take responsibility for their future learning within it

- demonstrate an ability to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to problem solving associated with the discipline; (First Level courses are in four sub-disciplines: logic, history, metaphysics and ethics)

- appreciate their strengths and weaknesses as learners (the proctorial system is structured so as to require active learning methods - students seen as self-evaluators, planners and organisers of their own activity within the structure).

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment related to the subject area(s) studied (Communication, Group Work, Problem solving, Use of IT);
- skills necessary for the exercising of personal responsibility (Learning to Learn, Self Management).

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will typically include:

1. demonstrating the knowledge and application of standard concepts, information and techniques relevant to the discipline;
2. work that covers a restricted area of the discipline;
3. demonstrating emerging abilities, skills and competencies.