STM4A1
The HistoricalContext of Sustainability

AssessmentGuidelines

Inthismoduleyouwillbeassessedbymeansofoneindividualprojectworth100%ofthe modulemark.Inview ofdevelopingtheproject,youwillhavea formativeworkshop,whichis notcompulsory normarked,butishighlyrecommended asyou will receiveinstantqualitative feedback from yourseminar tutorbeforeyou progresstothesummative (marked)project. ThesummativeassessmentisanindividualProjectthatyouhavetodevelopandsubmitin writingbyendofweek10.Youarealsorequestedtobrieflypresentthehighlightsofyour projectthatsameweekoraweeklater,toshareyourkeyfindingsandrecommendations withtheclass.Inthisway,everyoneintheclasswillgainbetterinsightsintoeachother’s countries  natural  resources  and  the  key  aspects  of  its  socio-economic  historical
development.

a)FormativeAssessments

?Selecta specificnaturalresourceusedasrawmaterial,ideallyfromyour own country.

Examples:  cotton,wool,fur,wheat,corn,barley,milk,meat,fish,salt,gold,diamonds, quartz, marble,silica, steel,aluminium, ironore,coal,oil sands,water….
NOTE:Onlyonetopicperstudentallowedforthesamecountryinthesameseminar group,ona‘firstcome-firstserved’basis.Forexample,ifyouarefromAngolaand choosediamondsasyourtopic,thenanyotherstudentfromAngolainyourseminar groupwillberequestedtochooseadifferenttopic.However,otherstudentsmaystill selectthetopicDiamonds,aswellaslongastheycomefromadifferentcountry.Thisis in order toavoid submission ofpotentiallyverysimilarprojects.
•VisitMuseums(e.g. theBritish Museum),businesscompanies,check reliable videos (e.g.

HistoryChannel,BBC)andanyothersourceorlocationyoumay thinkcouldprovideyou with furtherinformationonthe resource andits useandperceivedvaluesthrough history (inyourcountry andothercountries).Reference atleast3sources fromyourRUL database.
•Startdevelopingthestructureofyourproject:whatwillyoufocuson,howabundantthe resourcewas (and is)inyourcountry, howfarbackin historycan youtrace it…

•Youwillhavethechancetocontributetotheformativeworkshopinclassinweek7by meansofpresentingabriefinformaloverview ofoneofyourcolleaguescountry’snatural resourcesandgive the class ahintofwhat theirprojectwill be about.
•Yourseminartutorwillprovideyouinstantfeedbackandfeedbacksuggestionstohelp

you continue yourresearch andfinalize yourproject (summative).

b)SummativeAssessment:PROJECT(100%of TMM)

?The individual project should draw from and fully integrate and reflect upon the knowledge, awareness and skillsacquired during the lectures, seminars, and  the feedbackyougotduringtheformative stage.
?Theindividualprojectmustalsorefertotheapplicableconceptsandtoolsacquired through the semesterin thelectures,intheseminarsand inyourownindependentfurther study.
?YourProjectshoulddemonstrate thatyouhavegainedawarenessandunderstandingof theinterconnectednatureofglobalbusiness practiceanditsmanagementtowards sustainabilityinthemanagementofthespecific natural resourceyouselectedaswellas itshistorical context.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

Basedonyourresearchandtacitknowledge,youaretodevelopaProject(NOTan essay) that will set a recommendation for businesses, industries or even local governmentonthespecificcountry natural resourceyouselected,toadvise themonhow tomakebetterandmoresustainableuseofthatspecificresource.Youshouldsetthe sustainabilitychallengethatyou areaddressingwithin itshistorical context.
•It could bebymeansof addressingCSRissues( workers, animal welfare,fair trade);

•Oritcouldbebyaddressingthewaysinwhichtheresourceisextractedfromamine (humanhealthandwelfare,use ofwaterorenergy,environmentalimpact causedby the exploration,etc.)
•Orthewayinwhichthebreedingprogrammesaresetfortheanimalstobeexploitedas

food,orfur/wool/feathers…

•OrtheissueswithCO2emissionsbecauseofthe transportinvolvedintakingthenatural resource fromitsextraction/production/naturalorigintothe processing/manufacturing/storage/distributionsites;
•Ortheissuesabout illegal trading

•Or anyother issuesrelated tobusinessethicsandsustainability

Example:Supposingthat you chosea specificfur-type (mink forexample)as yourtopic.You foundoutduringthe research that many industriesmake useofmink fureventhough itisa highlypolemicresource.So,firstyouwouldanalysetheevolutionofthatspecificfur-type tradinginyourselected country andcompareitwithothercountriesthathavethesame resource.Whathavebeenthetrendsthroughhistoryandwhy?Isthemarketgrowingor declining,andwhy?Aretheremoresustainablewaysofproducingtheminkfurinthe requiredqualityandquantity tomeet marketdemands? Arethere anyalternatives?

The ProjectistobesubmittedinWeek10 (Tueswk11)via Turnitin:

AbriefoverviewofyourProjectistobepresentedinclass(inyourseminarclass)inWeek

10or11, depending on class numbers,sothat the whole classsharestheir findings.Thiswill also enable you to developpresentationand argumentative skills.
ThissummarypresentationshouldbenolongerthanTHREEminutesandshouldhighlight thekeyaspectsofyour Project.
It maybepresented in PowerPointoralternative format.

Itissupposedtobeengaging,conciseandstraight-to-the-pointandgiveabriefpersonal overviewofthetopicyou researched uponandthefindingsyougathered.
TheoverallwrittenProjecthastobesubmittedviaTurnitinbyendofWeek10(Tueswk11). No deadline extensions.

Thisissupposedtobeaproject(notanessay)maximum1500wordslong,withthe followingINDICATIVE structure (thewordlimitgiven foreachsectionisalsoindicative):
i.    Executive summary(thebasisforyourpresentation)_200 words

ii.    Keywords(aselectionof5wordsthatyouconsiderfullydescribethetopicand your findings)
iii.    Overviewofresource/businessandhistoricalcontextofthesustainabilitychallenge

(500 words)

iv.    Developmentoftheideaandbriefjustificationofyourrecommendations(whichcan be presented asbulletpoints)(600words)
v.    Reflective analysisandConcludingremarks  (200words)

Illustrative setof thoughts that mightshape your report:

i.    Abriefoverview onthenaturalresourceselected andwhatmay haveledpeopletostart usingitandtrading it,eitherperseorasa componentofafinal product;

ii.    Whathasbeentheimpactontheavailabilityofthatsameresourcethroughtime(e.g. was the resourcelocated in averyspecific area ofthe world ordiditexistalmost everywhereonEarthwhenpeoplestartedusingit? Isthe resource stillavailable nowadaysinthoselocations,isthereashortageoftheresourceandis sowhenand where did itstart?)
iii.    Whathavebeenthesocialimpactsoftheexploitationofthatresourcelocallyand globally? (e.g. apprenticeships, jobs)
iv.  Whathavebeentheenvironmentalimpactsofthetradingoftheresource(e.g.ifithas tobetransported fromhow farandusingwhattypesoftransport? Orifhas tobe processedin someway,does theprocess leadtodust/noise,etc.)
v.    Furtherconsiderationsonhowbusinessesnowadaysperceivetheresourceandwhat have theyconsidered doing (ifanythingat all tohelp decreasetheimpacts)
vi.  Ifyouwereabusinesspersonleadingabusinessthatwouldrequiretheuseofthis specificresource(eitherastheresourceitselforasacomponentofany product/service yourcompanyweretoprovide)whatwouldbeyourrecommendationsforthecompany to besustainable.
vii. Adetailedreflectiononhowthedevelopmentofthisassignment(identifyingthekey stepsofyourresearchfromweekonetothepresentationdayinweek10)hashelped you gain further insights on the role of businesses on natural resources and on
enhancingqualityoflife locallyand globally.

IndicativeAssessment Criteria

CRITERIA

i.    Structuringandcoherenceofthefindingspresented

ii.    Demonstrateddepth,scopeandfocusoftheresearch

iii.    Reflectiveanalysis

iv.    Argumentativeskillsduringthepresentationofthehighlightsoftheproject

v.    Bibliography(usingHarvardreferencingsystem)

Marking scheme(indicative)

0 t029%    Thestudentdoesnotaddressthetopic/formatrequested,ORclearlyfailstoaddress
eventhemostbasicideas/concepts.Farbelowanyacceptablestrictminimum.
30to39%    Thestudentidentifiesonlythemostbasicconcepts,addressingitfrom averybasicand incompleteperspectiveORprovidesa veryrudimentarydefinitionbasedcoursework
exclusivelyfrom theliterature.
40to49%    Thestudentidentifiesthemajoraspectsoftheconcept,andaddressesthecoursework
respectingtherequirementsbutfrom abasicperspective,showingnoevidenceof any furtherengagement.
50to59%    Thestudentidentifiesthemostimportantaspectsoftheconcept/situation,provides
basicillustrativeexamplestosustainhis/herproposalbutdoesnotelaboratefurther.
60to69%    Agoodreply,withclearpersonalinputandaclearunderstandingoftherequested concepts,additionalresearchandabletoprovideinformationandrecomendationswith
supportingreasonsthatshowpersonalinput.
70to79%    Thestudentis clearlyateasewithalltherelevantaspectsoftheconceptandshowsa
fairlyextensiveadditionalresearch/knowledgeandinterestinthetopic.Theprojectis veryfocusedand wellstructured.Theexamplesprovidedandtherecomendationsare verywellchosenand integrated,extensivelyandclearlyjustifiedandprovidingsome clearpersonalcriticalinsightsintothematter.A verygoodproject,witha veryclearand maturepersonalinput.
80to89%    Anoutstandingproject.Thestudentprovidesextremelyclear,wellstructured,insightful
andverywellillustratedrecomendations,withexamplesvisiblydrawnfrom arather extensivepersonalresearchandgrowingawareness/knowledgeintothe issues, showingproofofamatureandinterestedlearningprocessonthesubject..
90to99%    Thestudentoverexceeds.Theoverallassignmentsareperfectlypresentedand
excellentlystructured,withaverystrongpersonalinputthroughout,includingreflexive analysisandcoherentcriticalthinking.Theillustrativeexamplesprovideandthe recommendationsputforwardshowadditionalproofof extensiveknowledge/research andarefullyjustified/ discussedtofullymeetthegoalofthequestion.Basicallya “publishable”exemplaryprojectfortheapplicableundegraduatelevel.
100%    Aboveallexpectations.Suggestionsfrom neutralexternalexpertsshouldberequiredto
decideon nextstep.

Mappingofassessmenttaskstolearningoutcomes

Assessmenttasks    LearningOutcomes
A6    B7    C6    C8    D8
Formative:research-based activities            x    x    x
Summative:individual project    x    x    x    x    x