Frequently Anticipated Questions

How much work is this class?

ECER is a class of 5 EC, which corresponds to 140 hours of work total. That means that, in addition to attending lectures and tutorials, you should plan on spending an average of 12 hours per week on readings, homework, and assignments.

What will we work on?

According to the official course listing, you will be able to do the following when our time together comes to a close:

1. Critically reflect on ethical dilemmas presented by various kinds of materials gathered in ethnographic research.
2. Apply ethical principles and practical skills to process data in a way that is accountable to academic norms and codes of professional conduct.
3. Understand how power and knowledge are related in social scientific inquiry.
4. Articulate how computational approaches and new forms of data both integrate with and call into question the practice of ethnographic research.

We designed the lectures, tutorials and assignments and chose the readings with these objectives in mind.

Is attendance mandatory?

Attendance during lectures is voluntary but strongly advised. Participation in tutorials is obligatory. You may miss one session, but your tutorial instructor may ask you to complete an additional assignment to make up for the missed session. Students who miss more than one session without valid reasons will have a penalty of half a grade point applied to their final grade.

What is my grade based on?

Assessment in this class is based on three assignments:

1. Your research report on a data walk (50 percent).
2. Your group contribution to the Hacking Ethnography collection (pass/fail, 10 percent).
3. Your answers to essay questions relating the course content to Dealing in Desire (40 percent). This assignment is self-assessed.

We will discuss all three assignments during tutorials and lectures.

Can I retake any assignments?

Yes, if you do not pass an assignment after making an honest first attempt, you are entitled to a retake. If you think you will not be able to submit an assignment by the deadline, please let us know well in advance and/or consult the study advisor. We will require you to appeal to the exam board before we can allow you to retake an assignment for which you did not submit a first attempt.

What happens if I don't pass this course?

Completing this course is required to register for the second-year courses Fieldwork NL, Research Preparation, and Multivariate Analysis. If you do not earn a passing grade, that may result in a delay in your studies. If you are worried about your progress, please do not hesitate to reach out to the course coordinator and study advisor.

Why do I have to grade my own work?

Yes, it is true: Assignment 3 is self-assessed, which means you will give yourself a grade. Two big reasons we've adopted self-assessment are (1) it enables metacognition (thinking about thinking), and (2) it gives some more control to you, the learner, over the learning process.

Can I redo any of the assignments?

In accordance with Institute and Faculty policies, you can redo an assignment if your overall grade is lower than 5.5. Your revised assignment will need to be a noticeable improvement over your original assignment to be considered for an improved grade. Be sure to incorporate any feedback provided on your first attempt.

Revised assignments will be due within two weeks after the grades for assignment 3 have been published. If you decide to redo an assignment at that point, please let the course coordinator know which one you intend to redo.

How should I format my assignments?

Assignments 1 and 3 should follow the Institute's Style Guide, employ consistent references, and include a list of works cited. Aim to write clear prose, using paragraphs and subheadings to organize your writing. Use your creativity in assignment 2---no formal criteria apply (though you should still make sure to credit your sources!).

I'm a pre-master's student, what can I hope to get out of this class?

We will tailor tutorial discussions to issues you are likely to encounter as a master's student.

Your question here!

Got more questions? Contact us and we'll do our best to clear everything up!