2. AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT

Aims

The aims of the module are to:

• Introduce the history, principles and concepts that relate to  museums and galleries
• Familiarise students with the key historical developments in museums and galleries
• Familiarise students with the principle functions of museums and galleries
• Familiarise students with museological theory underpinning the study of museums and galleries, objects and collections
• Familiarise students with major developments in museums and galleries in Qatar, the region and internationally
• Introduce students to the ethics and legislation that govern professional museum and gallery practice nationally and internationally
• Encourage critical thinking in relation to museums and galleries and their functions
• Expose students to the work of academics and professionals working in the field of museums and galleries in the region and beyond

Objectives

On successful completion of the course, the students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the history, principles and concepts that relate to museums and galleries, their history and development, and the full range of their functions
• Demonstrate an understanding of relevant theory in relation to objects and collections, and the institution of the museum/gallery
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the relevant ethical guidelines and legislation
• Demonstrate an understanding of museological developments in Qatar and the region
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the literature and how to access relevant resources

Learning Outcomes

The intended learning outcomes of the module are:

• Familiarity with established knowledge
• Familiarity with key sources and resources
• Capacity for critical thinking
• Capacity for independent enquiry
• Ability to read and understand a wide range of academic writing
• Ability to discuss academic topics in an academically rigorous manner, both orally and in written work
• Ability to research and organise written work

Coursework

The course is assessed through a 1000 word essay plan and a 3000 word essay. The essay plan is due for submission on Thursday 18^th October, and the essay on Thursday 13^th December.

Assessment tasks:

A written critical assessment of a museum, gallery or exhibition: essay plan (1000 words) and essay (3000 words)

Choose a museum, gallery or exhibition and write a critique of it from the perspectives discussed in the course, e.g. museums and nationhood, the development of collections and so on. The essay should not try to encompass all the themes discussed but should be selective in choosing the most appropriate. The essay should include a description of the institution or exhibition, the historical background to its development, where appropriate, and an analysis of relevant aspects of the architecture and exhibition style. You should consider including a comparative analysis to other institutions/exhibitions discussed in the course and/or ones that you are familiar with in Qatar or elsewhere.

The aim of the assignment is to encourage students to engage actively and critically with the historical and theoretical literature explored in the course, and to learn how to apply this knowledge to case studies. Students are encouraged to research the background of the institution, visit the case studies that they are writing about, talk to staff and take photos. Students may choose to write about an institution in Qatar, a temporary exhibition in Qatar, or an institution or exhibition from elsewhere that they are familiar with. Students are encouraged to focus on institutions and exhibitions in the Arab world and Middle East, but may use comparative examples from elsewhere.

Institutions in Doha that are relevant are listed below:

The Museum of Islamic Art: http://www.mia.org.qa/index.html

Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art: www.mathaf.org.qa

Mshereib Art Centre: http://www.echomemory.com/ 

Sheikh Faisal’s Museum: http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=415&pID=1042

Katara Art Centre: http://kataraartcenter.wordpress.com/ 

Please also check the temporary exhibitions showing at this time.

Essay plan: submission date Thursday 18^th October

The essay plan will form the structure for the assessed essay. It should consist of an introductory paragraph outlining the main themes of the essay, followed by a breakdown of these themes with key points that will be covered in each area and approximate word lengths for each section. At least ten bibliographic or other resources (such as websites, reports, lectures) should be included at the end, which will form the backbone of the reference section of the finished essay.

The word length, excluding the reference section, should not exceed 1000 words.

Essay: submission date Thursday 13^th December

The essay should follow as far as possible the structure and content outlined in the essay plan. Students are expected to pay close attention to spelling and grammar. Assistance in academic writing is available from the UCL Qatar English language tutors and students are encouraged to make use of this service - the tutors offer one-to-one advice by appointment.  Also note that UCL’s Moodle site offers an online course in academic writing: URL. All essays should be properly referenced – see the Citing of Sources section below.

The word length of the essay should not exceed 3,000 words excluding references.

Word length

UCL employs strict regulations with regard to word-length of coursework. If your work is found to be between 10% and 20% longer than the official limit, your mark will be reduced by 10%, subject to a minimum mark of a minimum pass, assuming that the work merited a pass. If your work is more than 20% over-length, a mark of zero will be recorded. The following should not be included in the word-count: bibliography, appendices, tables, graphs and illustrations and their captions.

Submission procedures

Students are required to submit hard copy of all coursework to the Course Co-ordinator’s  pigeon hole by the appropriate deadline. A blue coversheet (available from the ### office) must be completed and stapled to coursework before submission. Please note that UCL employs stringent penalties for the late submission of assessed coursework (see the Museum and Gallery Practice degree programme handbook for a summary). Late submissions will be penalised in accordance with these regulations unless permission has been granted and an Extension Request Form (ERF) completed.

Date-stamping of this course’s assessment will be via ‘Turnitin’ (see below), so, in addition to submitting a hard copy, students must also submit their work to Turnitin by midnight on the day of the deadline. Students who encounter technical problems submitting their work to Turnitin should email the nature of the problem to ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk in advance of the deadline so that the Turnitin Advisors can notify the Course Co-ordinator that it may be appropriate to waive the late submission penalty. If there is any other unexpected crisis on the submission day, students should telephone or (preferably) email the Course Co-ordinator, and follow this up with a completed ERF.

For further details about coursework and penalties, please see the Coursework Guidelines section at www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students. The Turnitin Class ID for this course is #### and the Class Enrolment Password is ####.  Further information is available at www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students.Turnitin advisors are available to help you via email if needed: contact ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk.

Timescale for return of marked coursework to students

You can expect to receive your marked coursework within four calendar weeks of the official submission deadline. If you do not receive your work within this period, or a written explanation from the marker, you should notify ####.

Keeping copies

Please note that it is a UCL Qatar requirement that you retain a copy (this can be electronic) of all coursework submitted. When your marked essay is returned to you, you should return it to the marker within two weeks. You should keep a copy of the comments if you are likely to wish to refer to these later.

Citing of sources

Coursework should be expressed in student’s own words, giving the exact source of any ideas, information, illustrations etc. that are taken from the work of others. Any direct quotations from the work of others must be indicated as such by being placed between inverted commas. Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious irregularity which can carry heavy penalties. It is your responsibility to read and abide by the requirements for presentation, referencing and avoidance of plagiarism to be found in the Coursework Guidelines document at www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students/handbook