Unit Outline

Science is our most successful attempt to understand the world around us, and it plays an extremely important role in contemporary society. As such, we should not ignore the possibility that science may have something to contribute to traditional philosophical debates about the nature of the world and our place in it. But nor should we, as philosophers or ordinary citizens, ignore the limitations of science and accept everything scientists tell us uncritically. In this unit we cast a philosophical eye over science, considering questions like What is science? What makes something a science rather than a pseudo-science? Are there limits to scientific knowledge? We may also cast a scientific eye on philosophy, considering what science might have to tell us about such issues as what it is to be human, the philosophy of time, the question of design in and of the natural world, and the nature of explanation. This unit will be of interest to philosophy majors, to students studying in a bachelor of science, or to anyone who is interested in the nature of science.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Understand some of the philosophical issues that lie at the foundations of science.
2	Analyse and critically assess philosophical arguments.
3	Engage with a range of philosophical views, synthesising perspectives to arrive at reflectively formed judgements.
4	Communicate your ideas and reasoning in a clear manner.
5	Appreciate the potential and limitations of scientific and rational enquiry.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Alterations as a result of student feedback

During each delivery of this unit the unit coordinator seeks feedback from students and alters the unit in an attempt to improve the quality of its content and delivery. If you have any feedback concerning this unit, please offer that feedback either directly to the unit coordinator, or via the evaluation survey of the unit at the end of semester.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Essay plan	Refer to Assessment Description	5 %	LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 2:	Article summary	Refer to Assessment Description	15 %	LO1, LO2, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Take home exam	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 4:	Essay	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Essay plan

Task Description:

Task Length:

1-2 pages

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

5 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provide a clear statement of the intended conclusion	LO2, LO4
2	Outline the planned argument(s)	LO3, LO4, LO5
3	Give constructive feedback to at least one other student on their essay plan, either in tutorial discussion or on the appropriate discussion board	LO5

Assessment Task 2: Article summary

Task Description:

Task Length:

500 words

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Accurately summarise the main arguments of an assigned text	LO1, LO2, LO5
2	Write in clear prose aimed at a non-specialist audience	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Take home exam

Task Description:

For a full description of this task, including the due dates and times, see information in the Assessment Resources Folder in MyLO (accessed via the Content Tab in the Navigation Bar). Note that the order of the assessment tasks as listed in this unit outline does not necessarily reflect the order in which the assessments are due. So check the due dates in MyLO.

For a full description of this task, including the due dates and times, see information in the Assessment Resources Folder in MyLO (accessed via the Content Tab in the Navigation Bar).

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and issues that are relevant to the essay topic	LO1
2	Develop and argue well for a clear position relevant to the question	LO2, LO3, LO5
3	Express ideas and arguments in a way that is clear, coherent, and easy to understand	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Essay

Task Description:

Task Length:

2500 words

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and issues that are relevant to the essay topic	LO1
2	Develop and argue well for a clear position relevant to the question	LO2, LO3, LO5
3	Engage with likely objections to the position put forward	LO3
4	Express ideas and arguments in a way that is clear, coherent, and easy to understand	LO4
5	Structure and reference work properly	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.