MUS 143 : Contemporary Music Culture
Creative Arts and Industries
2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
In addition to specialised skills for their degree, all University students are required to demonstrate and develop skills of academic writing. Music students also need to be able to write about their subject in a clear, concise and technically specific manner. Equally, all students are expected to become independent learners: to engage in basic research activities, utilizing relevant resources and thinking critically about a range of source material (in libraries and online). This course provides foundational knowledge and experience in both these areas: writing and research about music.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| 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
- Investigate and contextualize specific historical texts and musical works within contemporary music making (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
- Cultivate the skills of academic writing that will equip all music students (across all majors) in their University work (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 6.1)
- Introduce the practice of independent research, direct students to relevant resources, and encourage students to think critically about source material (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 5.1)
- Promote knowledge and critical skills of use in Stage 2 and beyond (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
- Conduct basic bibliographic tasks, using signposted resources and source material (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 6.1)
- Write clearly and concisely, using basic music-technical terminology where appropriate (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Discursive Essays | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| Research Skills Tasks | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 15% | Individual Test |
| Invigilated tutorial activities | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Discursive Essays | ||||||||||
| Research Skills Tasks | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Invigilated tutorial activities | ||||||||||
The official School of Music lateness policy applies: late work will be penalised 10% per day late. Late work can only be excused with independent evidence (such as a medical note).
Teaching & Learning Methods
Students are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials, to conduct weekly reading, writing and listening tasks, to engage in tutorial discussion, and to complete a series of coursework assignments and tests. Each tutorial will include an assessed component; physical attendance is required to complete those assessments.
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 24 hours of lectures, 11 1-hour weekly tutorials, 50 hours of reading and thinking independently about the course content and 70 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at lectures and tutorials. Each tutorial will include a live assessed component.
Lectures will be recorded. Tutorials will NOT be recorded.
The course will not include live online elements.
Tests will be offered online.
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.
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.
Students are encouraged to attend lecturers' office hours for extra support and to give informal feedback.
Other Information
Students are split into smaller tutorial groups. These tutorials will focus on enriching course content, writing skills, and research skills. They are an integral part of the course, a chance for students to engage in small groups with important material that is necessary for success in the rest of the degree. An invigilated assessed activity such as a quiz or question set will happen in each tutorial.
Attendance in class as well as engagement with course activities and readings is vital to academic success. Owing to the nature of music teaching and learning, consistent attendance is essential at all lectures, tutorials, and studio lessons. Students must make every effort to attend class and complete all the necessary in-class requirements. All planned absences of two weeks or more (such as overseas competitions, family events, masterclasses or work-related commitments) must be pre-approved by the Head of School. If approval is given, all Course Coordinators, Tutors and other teachers must be informed of your absence in advance. Unplanned absences relating to illness, bereavement, or other emergencies can only be excused with appropriate evidence from the University doctor, counsellor or other official source. It is students’ personal responsibility to make up all work missed, as individual catch-up classes will not be available.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework 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. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.
Students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity module in the first week of this course.
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
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 students may be asked to submit 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. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.