SSJ38290 Discrimination: Law & Society Assessment | University College Dublin

SSJ38290 Assessment Guidelines and Grading Criteria

Table of Contents

Overview………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1

Guidelines and grading criteria…………………………………………………………………………….. 2

Submission of assignment……………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Overview 

The assessment is flexible, so that you can pursue areas of interest within the parameters of the module. We canvass a wide range of scholarship addressing diverse themes, and you should use some of that scholarship to deepen your knowledge about a chosen topic related to the module content. Ideally, you should focus on something that you care about and can use in work or activism.

There is one assignment, and it is due before midnight on Monday 15 December 2025.

It entails producing a research brief about a discrimination law topic for an organisation, as explained further below. We will discuss the task during dedicated portions of classes across the trimester.

You are encouraged to work on the assessment in pairs. If you opt to collaborate with another person, you will both receive the same grade.

Please use the module office hours to discuss your progress and obtain verbal feedback on draft work.

Because reading and writing are critical to the process of learning and understanding, you are not permitted to use generative AI to produce your assignment.

Guidelines and grading criteria

This assignment entails producing a research brief about a discrimination law topic for an organisation.

You should identify a ‘real’ organisation that you believe would benefit from the research you’re undertaking. The organisation can be drawn from any sector and based in any country. It may be a government department or other public sector body, a national equality body, an NGO (non-governmental organisation), a teachers’ organisation, a students’ union, a grassroots collective, etc.

With this assignment, you are engaging in what is often referred to as ‘public scholarship’, an exercise in ‘translating’ academic knowledge into a format that is useful for the broader public.

The scope of the paper/presentation will depend on your analysis of what module-related topic the organisation would benefit from learning about. You might address a single concept you have come across on the module or may want to focus on a broader theme. Some of the research for this assignment will inevitably involve assessing how your chosen organisation currently grapples (or not) with the theme/ issue/ concept at the centre of your analysis. This may involve consulting material on its website, such as publications like policy papers, annual reports or strategic plans.

You can opt to present the brief either as a written paper or as an audi0-visual presentation. This assignment should be approximately 3,000-3,500 words or 18-21 minutes in length. Footnotes/endnotes are counted in the word length for written papers; the table of references/ bibliography is not.

It is advisable to structure the brief as follows:

1. Introduction and rationale: Introduce the substantive topic and explain the rationale for the brief, grounding it in your analysis of how the organisation has or has not grappled with a given theme/ issue/ concept.
2. Body of paper/presentation: In the body of the paper, you should draw on relevant scholarship to outline, in an accessible manner, the theme/ issue/ concept you are briefing the organisation on. Use sub-headings throughout this part as appropriate.
3. Conclusion: Set out recommendations/ advice for the organisation, which may include directing it to additional sources of information and support.

4. Bibliography/ list of references: At the end of your paper/ presentation, you must list all texts you have cited (i.e., include a bibliography/ list of references). If you’re submitting a presentation, you can either include the list of references in a separate document or include them on the final slides of the presentation.

Your assignment will be assessed using the criteria set out on the next page.

Grading criteria

 Understanding and knowledge:

You should demonstrate that you have carried out sufficient research and have critically reflected on relevant scholarship.

Do you demonstrate knowledge of your chosen discrimination issue? Have you have engaged with material covered in the module? Do you have a clear understanding of the themes addressed, and of how different authors have dealt with them? Have you conveyed your understanding of relevant issues, concepts, and approaches?

Common problems: Failure to incorporate material addressed in the module about discrimination. Overuse of direct quotes: if you quote extensively from the work of other authors, it is more difficult to demonstrate that you understand the material you are discussing. Direct quotes are generally used for the following purposes: to set out a definition; to convey a specific term or expression created by an author; to refer to a particularly effective, powerful, or controversial statement. For further guidance, please see the link to the University of Adelaide’s resource in the My Learning Materials – Assessment folder on Brightspace.    

Structure:

You should submit a well-structured assignment with a clear purpose. You should explain what the purpose of the paper/ presentation is at the outset.

Is your assignment divided into distinct sections and well structured? Does it have a clear direction? It is highly advisable to use sub-headings for each section/slide and to include sentences or words that link the various sections of the paper/ presentation to each other.

Common problems: Failure to include an introductory section explaining the trajectory of the paper/ presentation and introducing the key arguments/ points to be addressed in the body of the paper/ presentation.

Coherence and clarity:

Have you expressed your analyses clearly? The coherence element of this criterion is easier to ‘get right’ if your assignment is well-structured (see above). Managing clarity of expression in oral presentations can be difficult and you will want to avoid having to re-record wherever possible.  For that reason, it is best to use a written script or notes for each slide. It’s entirely natural to stumble over words or correct yourself in an oral presentation, so please don’t worry about that.

Common problems: Failure to explicitly connect various sub-sections of the paper/ presentation, e.g., concepts referred to in opening section are not subsequently developed or applied. Issues with clarity in written work, include using very lengthy sentences and including too much material in a single paragraph. Problems with clarity of expression in an oral presentation include speaking too quickly and omitting to link the sections of the presentation to one another.

Accessibility and usefulness:

Accessibility: Is the paper/ audio-visual presentation accessible to the intended audience? Does it avoid unnecessarily complex or inaccessible language? Does it explain concepts in an accessible way? This will vary depending on the organisation concerned and the topic e.g., if it is for a grassroots organisation that has not engaged at all or very much with the topic, you cannot assume any prior knowledge of the subject matter; if it is aimed at organisation that has produced work on the theme you should not replicate what it is already knowledgeable about but aim to add value through your brief. You can also assume background knowledge relevant to the organisation’s agenda.

Usefulness: Is it useful for the intended audience? Does it provide clear and comprehensive guidance/ advice on the topics addressed, as appropriate to the organisation? Does it direct the organisation to other sources of advice and information, if relevant?

Common problems: using technical language or concepts without adequately explaining them (bearing in mind the intended audience). Pitching the material at too high or low a level, again depending on the organisation you are briefing.

Range and use of sources:

In the body of the assignment, whether it is a presentation or a written paper, you must cite all texts you have used. Please use whatever referencing style you are comfortable with, just make sure to use one style consistently.

Have you used academic sources to support your main claims and arguments?¹ Have you provided evidence for each of the main points you make? Have you ensured that your assignment is free from plagiarism? Are all sources accurately and fully cited, in an appropriate manner?

Common problems: Making assertions of fact without providing any evidence in support. Omitting to cite material throughout the presentation or article.

‘Academic sources’ are academic journal articles, academic book chapters, and peer-reviewed reports. See this guide to academic sources by Massey University  Researching for your assignment

Presentation:

How well is the assignment presented? Have you checked it for spelling and grammar? Have you used one referencing system and ensured that all material in the bibliography is referenced in the same style?

Common problems: Several basic spelling or other grammatical errors; incomplete table of references. In presentations: too much text on slides.

Submission of SSJ38290 Assignment

Please ensure you are familiar with the university’s policies on academic integrity and late submission of coursework before submitting your assignment (see links to the UCD policies in the Assessment folder on Brightspace).

Please submit your assignment via Brightspace on or before Monday 15 December 2025 (any time before midnight). You are not required to submit a hardcopy.

If you are doing a presentation, please convert the PowerPoint or other form of slide presentation, to an MP4 format (other formats cannot be uploaded to Brightspace).

Requests for extensions should, wherever possible, be made prior to the due date. In the interest of fairness, assignments submitted after the deadline, unless granted an extension, will be subject to a penalty in line with the UCD policy on late submission of coursework (also linked to in the Assessment folder).

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