94476 - Workshop On Academic Reading

Learning outcomes

This Teaching helps Student critically read assignments, to prepare for in-class discussions, and to properly relate to social science articles. Through suggestions, in-class exercise and home work, this Teaching provides the tools to be an active reader, to grasp main research questions and find out author's specific contribution

Course contents

The course is organized according to the model of the Structured Seminar. The course is composed by 30 hours taught online weekly in 2-hour slots. Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the class and active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS. The seminar organization is detailed in the program that follows.

Reading a Social Science text implies identifying  main research question, relevant arguments in support thereof, the author specific contribution to the argument, questioning coherence and distinctive significance. The Reader is not passively absorbing the text: instead, a critical method is endorsed to analyse and comment it. In Social Sciences, where different approaches and research tools abound, such skill is of particular relevance.

The course offers reading suggestions and strategies, discusses students’ most frequent problems in understanding assignments and handling a substantial amount of work in due time and allows in-class sharing and enrichment. Critical analysis of peer-reviewed articles, journal articles, research reports, working papers, chapters in edited collections, books, handbooks and similar is approached.

After some Professor-led Classes beginning of the Course, Students will be main players. Detailed programme will be offered starting from Fall Semester.

Office hours

See the website of Michela Ceccorulli