The subject will analyse in depth a series of current affairs in Spain and Latin America, as well as the impact of world current affairs on the Spanish-speaking world. A set of current and historical topics and their social and historical contexts will be analysed. The approach will be thematic rather than chronological, but within each topic, a chronology of events needed to understand the present will be explored. Throughout the course students will analyse radio and TV news, as well as material drawn from the Spanish-speaking press. An mp3 player with relevant interviews and radio programs on the genres or artists studied through the course will be lent to students.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Obtain and summarise relevant information from extended sequences of spoken Spanish (including radio programs, radio documentaries and lectures)
2. Analyse news as cultural and historical texts, using, integrating and applying the relevant historical, ethnographic, political and sociological information contained in the course materials and other sources.
3. Present and discuss current affairs topics in oral and written form.
4. Examine and understand the accent, vocabulary and grammar of different Spanish varieties as reflected in TV and radio programs.
5. Research, select, combine and integrate information relevant to a Spanish current affairs topic and its socio-historical context, and present it in a coherent fashion.

Research-Led Teaching

The modules of this course have been created using pedagogical and second language acquisition research, both conducted by the convenor and by other researchers. The course convener has published papers and book chapters on the use of podcasting and mp3 players for teaching Spanish in Australian and international venues, and received grants to develop the materials for this course. One of his publications related to this topic (written with Elizabeth Beckmann from the ANU Centre for Higher Education, Learning and Teaching) was included in the book Berge, Z.L., & Muilenburg, L.Y. (Eds.) (2013). Handbook of Mobile Learning. Routledge. The book was awarded the “Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Division of Distance Learning (DDL) Distance Education Book Award.” in the AECT annual meeting in the USA in 2014

Required Resources

Students will borrow an iPod nano mp3 player for the duration of the semester in this course. The device contains the sound and video files for the lectures for weeks 1 to 10 in mp3 and mp4 format. The audio files and videos are organised and labelled in playlists of audio files and videos assigned to each lecture, as will be explained in the first class.

Staff Feedback

The assessment rubric sheet related to individual oral presentations will be given to students at the beginning of the course and will be placed in the Wattle site of the course.

Completed assessment rubric sheets showing the mark that students have obtained will be given to students in class a week after they have presented. This would allow them to request, in the case of the individual oral presentation in the tutorial, an additional presentation to have a chance to improve their grade in this assessment component of the course, if they wish so. If students choose to do an additional presentation, they will get as a final mark the maximum of the two marks obtained.

Assessment rubrics for summary, the chronology and the exams will also be distributed in class before the assessment take place, and will be placed in the Wattle site of the course.

Students will also be given individual support and feedback on the topic and preparation of their chronology, as described above. There will be also specific sessions in the lectures to discuss the questions of the term test and final exam. This will take place in the lecture time of week 5 for Term Test, and in the lecture times of week 11 for the Final Exam. 

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Latin America's left turn and reactions to it History, Political Theory, International Relations Development Studies, Neoliberalism, Social Change, Influence of "Socialism for the 21st Century" in Latin America
2	Historical Memory in Spain International Law Transition to democracy, Human Rights, Rewriting history
3	Transgenic crops in South America Globalization, Genetic manipulation of plants International commerce, ecology, biofuels
4	Violence against Women in Guatemala Gender Studies State corruption, Civil Wars in Central America, Gangs
5	Review for Term Test 1
6	The future of Cuba Political history Impact of new technologies, The Cold War, Political and economic influence of the US
7		TERM TEST 1 (20%)
8	Education in Chile Middle and higher education Transition to democracy, Educational Rights, the Inheritance of Pinochet dictatorship	Summary of chosen extra topic for the final exam
9	Colombia and the FARC Guerrilla movements Drug trafficking and drug eradication programs, International relations
10	New Constitution in Bolivia Indigenous Studies Political representation of minorities, State's control of natural resources, Anti-globalization movements, social conflict	Chronology of chosen extra topic for the final exam
11	Review for Term Test 2	Individual discussion of chronology assignment
12	Individual discussion of chronology assignment	Individual discussion of chronology assignment

Tutorial Registration

Will be organised in the first week of class

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Term Test	20 %	23/04/2019	08/05/2019	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final Exam	35 %	06/06/2019	22/06/2019	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Oral Presentation	20 %	19/03/2019	26/03/2019	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Summary of chosen extra topic for the final exam	5 %	30/04/2019	08/05/2019	2, 3, 4 ,5
Chronology of chosen extra topic for the final exam	10 %	15/05/2019	22/05/2019	2, 3, 4, 5
Class Performance and Participation	10 %	15/05/2029	22/05/2029	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Term Test

Students are required to sit two tests. In both test they will analyse topics discussed in class. The first tem test will take place in week 7.

Both tests in SPAN3100 will be “blind marked”. Students will be required to state only their student number in term tests, and if they are Intermediate students (that is, if they are currently enrolled in SPAN3001, or have completed only SPAN2002) or if they are Advanced students (that is, if they have already completed SPAN3002 or have equivalent level of Spanish proficiency). Only after the term test has been marked the staff will identify the name of the student. Tests in SPAN3100 are non-returnable assessment items. Students will be able to inspect Term Test in class two weeks after the test (unless circumstances beyond the lecturer's control prevent this) and return the test to the lecturer. Students will be able to photocopy the tests. The students should request the photocopying of the term tests to the course convenor.

At least two weeks before each of the tests a description of the test will be distributed to students in class. The description of the tests and materials associated with them will also be available in the Wattle site of the course.

The content of Term Test will be directly related to the lectures and forums of the Topics module in weeks 1 to 4. There will be a revision session in week 5 to help students prepare for the test.

Assessment Task 2

Final Exam

Students are required to sit two tests. In both test they will analyse topics discussed in class. The second will take place during the official exam period.

Both tests in SPAN3100 will be “blind marked”. Students will be required to state only their student number in term tests, and if they are Intermediate students (that is, if they are currently enrolled in SPAN3001, or have completed only SPAN2002) or if they are Advanced students (that is, if they have already completed SPAN3002 or have equivalent level of Spanish proficiency). Only after the term test has been marked the staff will identify the name of the student.

Tests in SPAN3100 are non-returnable assessment items. Students will be able to inspect the Final Exam up to fourth months after the completion of assessment in the course. Students will be able to photocopy the tests. The students should request the photocopying of the term tests to the course convenor. At least two weeks before each of the tests a description of the test will be distributed to students in class. The description of the tests and materials associated with them will also be available in the Wattle site of the course.

The content of Term Test 2 will be divided into three parts.

Question 1 will be directly related to the lectures and forums of the Topics module in weeks 6 and 8 to 10. There will be a revision session in week 11 to help students prepare for this question of the test.

Question 2 will be related to a new topic chosen by the students, who will have to prepare it on their own. There are two associated assignment which consists on writing a brief summary of topic chosen by the student (due in week 7), and the writing a chronology of the historical and social events of the topic (due in week 11, see below). Students will have an opportunity to discuss individually with the lecturer a draft of this chronology in weeks 11 and 12.

Question 3 will be related to the work carried out in the Radioclips module. 

Assessment Task 3

Oral Presentation

Students will be required to make a minimum of one oral presentation during the semester. Students will be asked to discuss a radio clip from the web site http://www.radialistas.net and other websites that allow to download audio and video files such as http://es.rfi.fr/programas/noticias-de-america’ and https://aler.org/

Assessment Task 4

Summary of chosen extra topic for the final exam

Students have to submit a one page (350 words) abstract on the essay they plan to write for question 2 of the Final Exam. This will be of either a topic not covered in the lectures or a subtopic in the lectures that the student would like to investigate further. In other words, to write on a sub-topic or a similar topic of some of the lectures is allowed, with a previous negotiation with the lecturer. Normally, however, students will explore a topic that isn’t covered in the lectures 6 and tutorials. Students are not allowed to write on the same topic of their oral presentation (in the Radioclip module) in question 2 of the final exam.

Assessment Task 5

Chronology of chosen extra topic for the final exam

Students will have to write a chronology of the main events related to the essay they plan to write for question 2 of the Final Exam. They have to choose only the events that are relevant to their exam essay. The first version of the chronology is due in week 11, and will form the basis of a discussion with the teacher in Week 12. The minimum length of the assignment is 1,050 words. Students can choose to write a second version of this chronology, incorporating the teacher’s suggestions. This optional second version is due one week and a half before the date of the final exam. On the day of the exam, the teacher will give students corrected versions of the chronology (either the second version or the first if the second was not submitted) to help them write their essay for question 2 of the Final Exam. 

Assessment Task 6

Class Performance and Participation

The descriptors for class performance are as follows:

• 9-10 Thorough preparation of audios and videos prescribed for each class; excellent contribution to and participation in class discussion; full involvement in lecture discussion and structured tutorial activities; shows sensitivity to classroom dynamics.
• 6-8 Good preparation of audios and videos prescribed for each class; alert and interested in the interactive and group discussions; good contribution to participation in class, regular involvement in lecture discussion and structured tutorial activities.
• 2-5 Some preparation of audios and videos prescribed for each class; shows some interest in the interactive and group discussions; little contribution to and participation in class; performance and participation in lecture and tutorials limited.
• 0-1 Rare or very little preparation of audios and videos prescribed for each class; shows no interest in the interactive and group discussion; no contribution to or participation in the lecture or tutorials.

The performance mark will be multiplied by an index constructed from attendance.

Additional oral presentations and active participation in tutorials and forums will enhance the final mark for this component.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) as submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

OR

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Tests in SPAN3100 are non-returnable assessment items. Students will be able to inspect Term Test in class two weeks after the test (unless circumstances beyond the lecturer's control prevent this) and return the test to the lecturer. Students will be able to inspect the Final Exam up to fourth months after the completion of assessment in the course. Students will be able to photocopy the tests. The students should request the photocopying of the term tests to the course convenor. 

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Completed assessment rubric sheets showing the mark that students have obtained will be given to students in class a week after they have presented. This would allow them to request, in the case of the individual oral presentation in the tutorial, an additional presentation to have a chance to improve their grade in this assessment component of the course, if they wish so. If students choose to do an additional presentation, they will get as a final mark the maximum of the two marks obtained.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students