ANTHRO 399 : Capstone: Anthropological Science
Arts
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The course project plan for 2025 is not yet available. See the course overviews for 2023 and 2024 below as examples of how the course has operated before.
Course Overview for 2024:
In 2024, students had the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in their anthropological science major to the task of collaboratively contributing to a scholarly research project. This year’s project focused on Christchurch as an urban landscape in the period from 1850-1920. Students worked in groups and individually to investigate chosen themes that could include demography and epidemiology, urban development, social change, migration, industry, and architecture of the period. The 2024 cohort decided that their project output would be an edited book, with each student contributing a research paper as a chapter.
Course Overview for 2023:
In this capstone course in 2023, students had the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in their anthropological science major to the task of collaboratively contributing to a scholarly research project. This year’s project focused on evidence of “finger fluting”. Reference: Sharpe K. and Van Gelder L. (2006) The Study of Finger Flutings. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 16:3, 281–95.
Students worked in groups and individually to:
1) Identify core principles underpinning the issues to be investigated;
2) Conduct background research to explore the basis of those principles and their application, as well as the strengths and limitations of existing research on this semester’s topic regarding evidence for and implications of who produce the form of cave-art referred to as “finger fluting”;
3) In light of the evidence from step two, develop hypotheses and ways to test them;
4) Define operational variables and gather data cooperatively;
5) Analyse these data using techniques learned, and write up sections of a scientific manuscript;
6) Develop effective ways of translating the scientific information acquired for academic and non-academic audiences;
6a) Draft sections of a scientific manuscript (Introduction, Participants and Methods, Results, Discussion);
6b) Design a communications resource on their selected sub-topic for other students and the public (e.g. a PowerPoint presentation, infographic, short video or animation that effectively summarises their research).
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Use critical thinking skills and analytical acumen to evaluate scientific evidence. (Capability 3 and 4)
- Interpret and communicate ideas and findings in effective and innovative ways using the literacy and numeracy skills central to anthropological science. (Capability 3, 4 and 6)
- Work professionally and ethically peers, staff, and community in a New Zealand research context. (Capability 1, 7 and 8)
- Demonstrate an ability to work both independently and as part of a team to develop ideas and communicate to a diverse audiences using a variety of formats. (Capability 5, 6 and 7)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 36 contact hours, 18 hours of small group/laboratory work, 36 hours of work towards assessment and 60 hours of self-directed learning.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities to receive credit for most components of the course.
This course has no lectures; other learning activities including class meetings will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions unless decided upon by the students as a group, for student group meetings as part of the collaborative project groupwork.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Relevant readings will be provided via the Talis reading list.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
We have just finished our first few years of the capstone which has involved extensive contact between staff and students. This model appears to be appreciated by the students as it prepares them for the transition to smaller, seminar-style courses at the postgraduate level.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.