Task: Complete Portfolio (Summative Assessment)

Word length: 4,000 words [+/- 10%] * [3,600 to 4,400 words]

Weightage: 100%

Deadline: Fri, 14 February 2025, 11.59pm (SG Time)

*Note that the word length does not include headers, sub-headers, the list of references and intext citations (please refer to RU word count policy).

A portfolio task is associated with each lecture / seminar topic. You will be asked to select four portfolio tasks out of eight and write 800 words for each. A collection of four such tasks (3,200 words) plus an introduction and conclusion (400 words each) represents a complete portfolio (4,000 words in total [+/-10%]) which is assessed and marked at the end of the module:
• Introduction (400 words, +/- 40 words)
• Four tasks (800 words each, +/- 80 words each)
• Conclusion (400 words, +/- 40 words)
The eight module topics cover differing perspectives in the study of consciousness (e.g., scientific, functional, and philosophical perspectives).

The introduction and conclusion provide a ‘frame’ for your four pieces of writing. Theintroduction should aim to set out some initial observations about the psychology ofconsciousness and provide a context for the short pieces.

The four short pieces of writing should then follow. Each piece must be identified with its title.

The conclusion is required to include strong evaluative reasoning (compare and contrast) and needs to identify clearly your own position with respect to understanding consciousness.

The submission of the portfolio is compulsory.

Opportunities for feedback along the way: Portfolio Task (Formative Assessment)

You will have an opportunity to receive feedback on one portfolio task. For this Formative Assessment, you will prepare a 400-word draft of your answer (i.e., half the length of one of your task answers that you would include within your portfolio). As the draft is only 400 words long, you are allowed to sketch out your answer and fill in the details later when you are more familiar with different topics. You have considerable freedom in terms of organising your draft. You might decide to produce a scaled-down version of the full answer (a brief intro, main body of the answer and a brief conclusion) or you might opt for answering a part of the question in more detail. If the latter, you should signpost the arguments/evidence you’d left out using bullet points.

Deadline for draft submission into RU Moodle: Wed, 8 Jan 2025, 11.59pm (SG Time).

Portfolio Overview

• Introduction and conclusion, 400 words each (+/- 10%)
• Four individual tasks, 800 words each (+/- 10%)

Introduction:  Should frame the overall portfolio. Introduce some philosophical and psychological perspectives on consciousness (see Chapter 1 – Blackmore & Troscianko, 2018). Tasks may be very briefly introduced. Broach themes and questions that are common to all tasks, e.g., what is consciousness? How does it happen? Etc. In-text citations are still expected  For each task:
a) Introduce the issues addressed in the title
b) Review some sources of evidence and arguments that have been made by others in relation to the title
c) Come to some sort of conclusion based on the arguments you have presented
d) Conclusion: Sum up ideas

Don’t simply repeat previous conclusions from each task. Consider commonalities or differences across different tasks and make connections between tasks – this provides an opportunity to show strong evaluative reasoning.
Conclusion: You may identify your own position with respect to understanding consciousness and consider how your ideas may have changed or developed having taken this module. It is therefore acceptable to write some of the conclusion in the first person.
References:
There is no set number of references. It depends on the tasks and how your answers are written. You should usually have at least 4 references per section/task. All references cited in the text must be listed in the reference list at the end of the portfolio and vice versa.
*APA Style must be used.

Portfolio formatting:

Formatting should be consistent. We recommend using 11 or 12-point Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri font with 1.5 line spacing of text. A paragraph should be longer than three sentences and shorter than a page. Begin each new paragraph by indent – this looks better than separating paragraphs.

Please make sure that each task answer starts with the task question/title.

You must indicate the word count for each of the six sections i.e., introduction, conclusion and four tasks.

Overall grading:

Third class portfolios (40-49)
To achieve a pass, students should at least demonstrate engagement with the topic. Engagement with the task may be predominantly descriptive. However, evaluative and critical language should be present in at least one task. Logical errors may be present but the student should demonstrate an attempt to answer the question associated with the task; failing to do so on multiple tasks should result in a fail. The use of personal pronouns may be more common and citation errors may be more common.

Lower second-class portfolios (50-59)
In these answers a good and clear understanding of the topic addressed in each task should be demonstrated. Critical evaluation may still be less common and language may likely be descriptive in nature. A good demonstration that the student understands the question and has attempted to address this directly should be present. The use of personal pronouns should be infrequent. Deviation from the topic and question is to be expected but shouldn’t constitute the majority of an answer.

Upper second-class portfolios (60-69)
Descriptions should be brief and the answer should focus on a critical evaluation informed by previous research and literature. Descriptions present should mostly be accurate and articulated clearly. Few misunderstandings should be present and deviation from the topic really should be at a minimum. The language should be clear, well written and with few logical errors.

First class portfolios (70 and above)                                                                                     The portfolio should be confident with and well written; free of obvious misunderstandings, logical errors and glaring language errors. Clear evidence of critical and evaluative thinking should be present. Sophisticated evaluation of evidence and theoretical perspectives should be present. An ability to explain and describe subtleties in arguments should be present in at least
some of the portfolio tasks.

Overall, the portfolio is confident and well written. It is largely free of obvious
misunderstandings, logical errors and glaring language errors. There is clear evidence of critical and evaluative thinking. Sophisticated evaluation of evidence and theoretical perspectives are present. You have also demonstrated an ability to explain and describe subtleties in arguments
in most of the portfolio tasks.

Portfolio Tasks

Portfolio Task A:	Key questions on the nature of consciousness. Answer only ONE of two key questions: Q1: What is the mind-body problem? Is it a problem? Q2: Do you have free will?
Portfolio Task B:	Is ‘self’ best understood in terms of ‘individual cognition’ or ‘social construction’? Discuss with reference to relevant literature.
Portfolio Task C:	Discuss some of the ways ‘unconscious perception’ has been demonstrated experimentally and some of the challenges to this evidence.
Portfolio Task D:	‘Commodified self-help’, or, ‘means of liberation through self-awareness’? Evaluate how mindfulness can be best understood in the light of relevant literature.
Portfolio Task E:	How has cognitive neuroscience enhanced our understanding of consciousness?
Portfolio Task F:	What can we learn about consciousness from studies of the abilities of non-human animals?
Portfolio Task G:	Design a conscious robot. (How would you go about building such a machine and what qualities and characteristics would it need to have? Briefly evaluate whether your robot would indeed be conscious.)
Portfolio Task 8:	Is a science of first-person experience possible? Discuss with reference to the Chalmers-Dennett debate.