Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 2
SE1101E: Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
It has often been said that out of all the modules in the Asian Studies basket, SE1101E is the most interesting and manageable. However, there were huge changes made to the module for this semester, because of complaints received through the module feedback that the module was too “easy” and “light”. Because of that, the lecturers decided to up the ante, adding fieldwork to this module for the very first time, and making finals more complicated and difficult to boot. Many of us found the new workload startling and cumbersome, given that we were expecting something easier.
While both lecturers were funny and engaging, the topics taught were extremely broad and there was very little depth covered, with most concepts being dealt with at a touch-and-go basis. As a result, the mod came across as very fluffy and insubstantial, with students not really discerning any patterns in the content and therefore not knowing how to study for it. It felt like the module did not really come together as a whole as well as it should have.
The fieldwork was difficult, as we were required to go to a location in Singapore, make observations and conduct interviews in order to find more about a certain theme. It is possible to get a theme in which you’re absolutely lost on how to approach the question, and it’s all randomized, so you don’t have the luxury of choice in this regard. You will have to write an essay and do a presentation on your findings as well, to top it off, which makes the workload pretty heavy, in my opinion.
I had been looking forward to this module, as I like SEA as a region and I find it interesting, but the module wasn’t as interesting as I’d hoped it would be. If you’re looking for an Asian Studies module that is easy to score in, this may not be the module for you, although I think it’s possible to do well if you know what to look out for, especially for the finals.
Assessment: It consists of tutorial participation (10%), field work that comprises the group essay (25%) and a group presentation (25%), and finals (40%).
For fieldwork, the lecturers specified that we would be unable to form our own groups or choose our own locations, although my tutor allowed us to form our own groups. The standards for these group projects varied depending on the group, and a lot of people put a surprising amount of effort into it, resulting in a very polished performance. If you came into this module expecting that a lot of people were hoping to SU it, you may be disappointed.
For finals, the lecturers decided to make an MCQ section, short answer section and an essay section to boot – all of which you had no options to choose from. There was a collective groan when the lecturers announced this. The MCQ section consists of testing the map, and the content of the readings, which was unfortunate, given that I had barely read any of the readings as I was under the impression that I could escape. I only studied the locations of each SEA country; however, you must be sure to study the key terms that they provide under the syllabus, because I didn’t, and they actually tested the locations of the rivers and the seas and what not, upon which I died. The short essay section was a torture, requiring you to list out four things that would demonstrate a certain phenomena, and it was hard enough to think of one example, let alone four. The essay section was on a specific topic, and although they told us repeatedly that we’d all have to put in effort for the group project (as a way to disincentivise slackers) because that content would come in handy for the essay, it most certainly did not. In fact, if you were unlucky to have not studied a certain topic by trying to spot, you might have been faced with the prospect of not knowing what to write at all. As much as I hate to say this for a level 1000 module, you’d be much safer studying everything, unless you get lucky somehow.
Workload: The workload was heavy, and my friend and I spent a really long time slaving over the group essay and trying to do a good job on it. My tutor happened to be fairly lenient, which was wonderful, but it was still very time-consuming and required a lot of preparation. I’m not sure if I would opt to take this module again if I could rewind back the time, and may have taken another Asian Studies module instead.
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Showing posts with label se1101E. Show all posts
Showing posts with label se1101E. Show all posts
Module review for SE1101E/GEK1008: Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 2
SE1101E/GEK1008: Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
I took this module thinking it would be an easy option, but was (not-so-pleasantly) surprised by the workload this sem. While students were previously assessed based on a single individual essay, we were faced with an extremely time-consuming fieldwork project. There is a small plus point however – the content for this mod was rather interesting (especially if you have a penchant for anything Southeast Asian), and the lecturers were humourous and engaging. It may sometimes get too “fluffy” and vague (maybe that’s SEA for you), but that was okay since everything was neatly organized into clear and distinct topics.
Assessment
10%: tutorial attendance/ participation
50%: fieldwork project (25% for presentation, 25% for group paper)
40%: finals (MCQ, short answer questions, essay)
For the project, we were sorted into groups of 2-3 people and assigned a fieldwork location. Don’t bank on grouping with your friends because (depending on your tutor), you may not get to choose your group mates. Also, the fieldsite allocation is completely random, and done by drawing lots – good luck if you’re stuck with something a bit more difficult.
We were given a few questions to guide our field study. Try to answer those questions as best you can (both in the paper and presentation), because you’ll be graded largely based on that. Observe, take pictures, and if there is a need, conduct interviews.
The final exam was a bit of a nightmare. The MCQ consists of a map section, and you’ll be expected to know the rough locations of countries, capitals etc. You’ll also have to read almost all (or at least scan) the readings, because they may test on the smallest of details in the MCQ. Although, I doubt anyone will have the time and willpower to plough through every single one of them. The short answer questions were killer as well. We were asked to give at least four examples for every question, so be prepared to mug as many as possible. Lastly, there was one essay (no options!) to complete. Again, examples are important and since the question requires that you draw on content across multiple topics, you basically have to study everything.
Workload
Being an intro mod, SEA studies definitely has an insane workload. I would say that unless you’re interested in majoring, think twice about taking this mod. You’ll have to be willing to spend a lot of time on the project, on top of your other more important core mods.
Source
SE1101E/GEK1008: Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
I took this module thinking it would be an easy option, but was (not-so-pleasantly) surprised by the workload this sem. While students were previously assessed based on a single individual essay, we were faced with an extremely time-consuming fieldwork project. There is a small plus point however – the content for this mod was rather interesting (especially if you have a penchant for anything Southeast Asian), and the lecturers were humourous and engaging. It may sometimes get too “fluffy” and vague (maybe that’s SEA for you), but that was okay since everything was neatly organized into clear and distinct topics.
Assessment
10%: tutorial attendance/ participation
50%: fieldwork project (25% for presentation, 25% for group paper)
40%: finals (MCQ, short answer questions, essay)
For the project, we were sorted into groups of 2-3 people and assigned a fieldwork location. Don’t bank on grouping with your friends because (depending on your tutor), you may not get to choose your group mates. Also, the fieldsite allocation is completely random, and done by drawing lots – good luck if you’re stuck with something a bit more difficult.
We were given a few questions to guide our field study. Try to answer those questions as best you can (both in the paper and presentation), because you’ll be graded largely based on that. Observe, take pictures, and if there is a need, conduct interviews.
The final exam was a bit of a nightmare. The MCQ consists of a map section, and you’ll be expected to know the rough locations of countries, capitals etc. You’ll also have to read almost all (or at least scan) the readings, because they may test on the smallest of details in the MCQ. Although, I doubt anyone will have the time and willpower to plough through every single one of them. The short answer questions were killer as well. We were asked to give at least four examples for every question, so be prepared to mug as many as possible. Lastly, there was one essay (no options!) to complete. Again, examples are important and since the question requires that you draw on content across multiple topics, you basically have to study everything.
Workload
Being an intro mod, SEA studies definitely has an insane workload. I would say that unless you’re interested in majoring, think twice about taking this mod. You’ll have to be willing to spend a lot of time on the project, on top of your other more important core mods.
Source
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