CRIM107 Major Assessment Task
For your major assessment task, you will choose and respond to one of two topics. The assessment task will consist of two parts:(i) a presentation; and (ii) a reference list (with two annotated references).PART A: Make either an Explainer Video OR a Power Point / Prezi PresentationDistilling and presenting complex ideas or information to wide audiences is an important skill. How else can others learn from your research if the information is dense and unapproachable? When people see graphic representations of information and data, it is much more easily absorbed. Your task, then, is to choose one of the topics below, research it and then present your research findings in an explainer video or as a PowerPoint/Prezi.
TopicsYou are required to address ONE of the following topics:Topic 1 (Victimisation from Offender’s Perspective): How does looking at the offender help us understand victimisation?This topic is grounded in Week 4 topic (Victimisation from Offender’s Perspective), so you can consider this week’s lecture a good starting point for your research on the topic.
The overarching theme in your video/presentation should be around the consequences for victims of failing to consider the offenders’ perspective. This topic requires you to do the following:Consider ‘rational choice theoryOther relevant theoretical perspectives and empirical researchConsider how and why offenders make decisions about who (and what) they will victimise
Topic 2 (Situations & Context): How does structural context influence victimisation?This topic is grounded in Week 5 topic (Situation & Context), so you can consider this week’s lecture a good starting point for your research on the topic. The overarching theme in your video/presentation should be around how the behaviour of both victims and offenders is shaped and conditioned by social context. This topic requires you to do the following:
Consider ‘rational choice theory’Other relevant theoretical perspectives and empirical researchConsider how interactions between victims and offenders are often embedded in a larger set of circumstances which can often be unbeknown by the victims and offenders themselvesOption 1 – Explainer video:In your video, you should teach your audience about your topic. The claims, stats and so on in the video should be grounded in your research. An explainer video can take manyshapes: it can be strictly educational and to the point, it can include humour/creativity… it is up to you. You can use any program that you would like based on your familiarity/comfortability.
A very good program to use, however, is Canva (https://www.canva.com/) – you can sign up for a free account. There are heaps of templates to choose from andadapt (for either a video or a PowerPoint style presentation).There are plenty of examples out there in a variety of styles, but one example here is on the topic of prison reform (by the Vera Institute of Justice):
Option 2 – Presentation:You might opt for a more traditional PowerPoint / Prezi style presentation (with a narration if you like, but this is not compulsory). In this presentation, you should educate your audience about your topic. The claims, stats and so on should be grounded in your research – and use imagery and key words to symbolise/discuss important elements of your chosen topic. PowerPoint or Prezi presentations are probably the most common, but feel free to use video editing programs. Here again, Canva could be very useful in crafting an impactful presentation.
For this option: Your presentation should be between 6 and 10 slides.Regardless of which type of presentation you choose to create, it should 1) engage the topic using course material and your own outside research, 2) address a target audience – e.g., teach fellow students about something important, highlght your research to a Cabinet Minister, etc. Feel free to get creative with it!
This assignment is an alternative to a traditional research essay, but should be no less rigorous in terms of the quality of the evidence/research you use to support your topic.
Outstanding projects might be used as examples for future students or shared on school/faculty social media (with permission of course!)Be sure to include your name and student number of the first screen / slide along with your topic choice.PART B: Reference list and two annotated referencesStep 1: To support your presentation, you must find EIGHT high quality scholarly sources to discuss/support your topic in Part A – this is your research component!
Step 2: You need to annotate TWO of these sources you have found. These will be approximately 300 words each.An annotated bibliography is essentially a list of sources with a summary of each source. Annotated bibliographies are great tools for writing research papers or just to remember the important parts of a book/article/source that you have read.
You will analyse each of these two sources in a paragraph each: this will demonstrate that you understand the key points and significance of them.An annotation is more than just a summary of the source, it involves you analysing and evaluating the content.
Your annotation should provide:1. A full citation of the source (APA).2. A general statement about the author’s purpose for writing the source.3. A short summary of the content (should not dominate).4. An evaluation of the content (utilising the CRAAP test)5. Reflection on the usefulness of the source in relation to your topic.
The sources you choose (such as a book chapter) may be focused on a wider topic than the one you have chosen. Your annotation should be drafted to reflect its usefulness in relation to the specific topic you have chosen.