HKU SPACE Community College

CCSS4005 Social Problems in Contemporary Societies

2023-24 Semester 2
Instructions on group exercise (10%) and individual discussion paper 1 (20%)

A. Group exercise/ individual discussion paper questions

Question topic:
The same set of questions applies to both the group exercise and individual paper.

Minimum number of reference articles:

For the individual discussion paper, each student needs to utilize a minimum of four articles to
answer any one of the following questions. For the group exercise, however, each group needs
to refer to only two articles. You can use the article(s) provided for the group exercise.

1. With reference to course materials (L1 and L2) and empirical information from at least four
news articles (two already provided for you – refer to Appendix A)1, identify and present the
multiple claims regarding elderly suicide as a social problem. Conclude with your analysis2
on the issue.

Source: https://csrp.hku.hk/statistics/

2. Many factors contribute to the glaring income and wealth gap (refer to Appendix B) in Hong
Kong, and policies have been implemented to tackle the challenge. Critically evaluate the
effectiveness (or anticipated effectiveness) of one of the following policies in reducing social
inequality in Hong Kong:

a) Light public housing (簡約公屋) or

b) Statutory minimum wage (法定最低工資)

Draw on course materials (L3 and L4) and empirical information from at least four articles3.
Conclude with a reflection on the role of the economy and the state.

1
You are allowed to look up any credible source as you work on this paper. However, use only news articles (i.e.
primary data from news reports) to meet this article requirement. Do not use editorials, secondary analysis, or research
articles for this purpose.
2
Develop an argument – not an opinion – that rests on logic and empirical evidence.
3
You can utilize either news articles or research articles to meet this requirement for question 2. There is also no need
to confine yourself to only English sources.
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B. Group exercise (L5) (10%)
The group exercise during Lecture 5 (hereafter L5) is designed to help the class brainstorm on these
questions. Students will be assessed on a group basis. The exercise accounts for 10% of your total
course score.

Prior preparation

To facilitate the group exercise:

- ALL students should review the two questions and course materials before attending L5.

- Each group should do some informal preparation and think through both questions before L5.
There is, however, no need to prepare formal slides before you come to class because you will
not know which topic your group is working on until you arrive.

Arrangement in L5

- Punctuality and full attendance are expected as this is a regular class.

- Each group will be randomly assigned one of the questions during the first 5 minutes in class.
Groups that arrive late will not be able to draw lots. A topic will be assigned to them. No extra
time will be given to preparation either.

- Each group will be given 50 minutes to prepare a presentation of no more than 5 PowerPoint
slides (excluding cover slide and reference list).

- Your instructor will walk around the room and give you necessary feedback as (s)he sees fit.

- Each group will take turns to do a 10-minute presentation. Time yourself well. Identify the key
points, leave additional details for the Q&A session. Groups that overrun will be penalized.

2
B. Group exercise (L5) (cont’d)
Rundown (Be on time!)
50 min - Discussion and preparation of PowerPoint slides

- Your instructor will create a link for uploading your Ppt. to SOUL. Each group must
upload a copy of their slides during the first 5 minutes of the break to their SOUL
10 min break class page. Your instructor will have ALL the files downloaded to the classroom
computer before the presentations begin. *
- To avoid wasting time, please attach a readable presentation file (pptx, not pdf).
Group - Presentation: 10 min x 3 groups (randomly selected#) = 30 min (no overtime
presentations allowed)
(50 min) - Q&A + feedback: 20 min

Group - Presentation: 10 min x 3 groups (randomly selected) = 30 min (no overtime

presentations allowed)
(50 min) - Q&A + feedback: 20 min

Remaining time (10 min): Concluding feedback from instructor

*Put down the full name of everyone in your group on the cover slide. Missing names will count as absentees and
receive zero score for this entire exercise.
#
If the first presentation group works on question 1, the other two groups assigned question 1 will present next.

Rules on plagiarism and citation format

Although in-text citation is not required for the presentation (but which is mandatory for the
written paper), all groups must provide a full reference list at the end of the PowerPoint. The
work you present as a group must also reflect your original work. Group presentations that rely
heavily on AI-generated summaries will be strictly penalized (and risk getting a zero score).
Make sure you process the materials on your own and prepare your own summary and analysis.
Read the instructions on “Avoiding Plagiarism in both Group Presentation and Individual Paper”
carefully.

Grading criteria

Each presentation counts towards 10% of your final score. Refer to the next page for the grading
rubric.

After the exercise

ALL students should download and fill out the peer evaluation form on an individual basis.
Upload your form to your SOUL lecture page within 48 hours after the presentation. There is NO
need to discuss the form with your teammates.

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Grading rubric for the group exercise (10%)
Grading criteria Superior
Structure and coherence
Structure, coherence, Work has a strong, clear, and
and effectiveness of unified focus & purpose that
argument effectively addresses the
question.
Application
Utilization of concepts Effective and through
from course materials utilization of relevant
concepts from course
materials
Application to the case Use specific and convincing
and use of evidence examples to illustrate and
develop the argument
Independent and Original and critical reflection
reflective thinking on the case and subject
matter
Presentation
Delivery and ability to Steady performance, speaks
respond to questions loud & clear & at the right
pace, good eye contact and
rapport with audience
Effective team collaboration
Effective and thoughtful
response to questions
OVERALL Superior (>8.5)
Penalty for failure to email the instructor your Ppt file before presentation:
Good
Work has a clear and unified
focus and purpose that
satisfactorily addresses the
question.
Satisfactory utilization of major
and relevant concepts from
course materials
Use relevant examples to
develop the argument
Critical reflection on the case
and subject matter
Steady performance, speaks
loud & clear, looks up during
most of presentation
Satisfactory team collaboration
Effective response to questions
Good (7-8.5)
Average
Work has some clarity of
focus and purpose, and which
delivers a general response to
the question.
Work presents some
reference to relevant
concepts from course
materials
Use examples to develop
most of the argument
General reflection on the case
and subject matter
Speaks clearly most of the
time
Team collaboration is
acceptable but relies too
heavily on a few members
Ability to provide a general
response to questions
Average (6-6.9)
Unsatisfactory
Work has limited clarity of
focus and purpose, and the
response to the question is
too general or at times
incoherent.
Work presents limited
reference to concepts from
course materials
Use incomplete or vaguely
developed examples to only
partially support claims
Lack of reflection on the
case,
more like a regurgitation or
summary of class notes or
secondary materials
Cannot hear presentation
effectively at times, relies
on notes too much, poor
rapport with audience
Poor team collaboration
Weak/incoherent response
to questions
Unsatisfactory (4-5.9)
Unacceptable
Work lacks focus and
purpose.
The answer to the question
is incoherent or unclear.
Minimal or absence of
reference to relevant
concepts from course
materials
No or near-absence of
relevant examples, claims
made are unsupported and
irrelevant to the topic
Absence of reflection and
independent thinking
Barely audible, does not
look up, lack of interaction
with audience
Poor team collaboration
Confused and fails to
address questions
Unacceptable (below 4)
Total score: /10
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C. Individual discussion paper (20%)

You need to write on one of the two questions. You can choose to write on the same topic assigned
to the group, or the other question your group is not assigned to present on. Each paper counts
towards 20% of your final course score.

All questions are problem-based. To complete and do a decent job on your paper, you need to do
some basic and independent research. This exercise assesses your ability to apply what is taught in
class and reflect on the materials. A mere summary of what others have said would not suffice, nor
is a general response to the question that makes little reference to what is discussed in class. Take
the time to review your course materials and develop your ideas as you apply relevant concepts or
themes to the case. Refer to the grading rubrics at the end of this document for more details on
the grading criteria.

Basic instructions

- Write an individual reflection paper of around 750 words (max limit: 1,000 words) on one of the
questions in Section A.

- Deadline: The individual paper will be due one week after the group exercise (e.g. if your group
meets on 28 Feb, your paper is due on 6 Mar, whether that is a public holiday or not). Upload it
to your SOUL lecture page. Papers submitted after 11.59pm on the due date will be penalized.

- There is no need for a cover page, but you need to put down your student number (not your
name) and question number on the front page of your assignment. Use your student ID as your
file name (e.g. 20024533.docx) and include a word count (excluding references and footnotes)
at the end of your paper.

- Format: All assignments must follow the following format: font size 12 point, double spacing,
and normal margins. The pages must be numbered.

- As with other formal academic assignments, you need to provide complete reference (in-text
citation and bibliography at the end of the paper) referencing in this paper.

- Submit your assignment in word or pdf format. Documents submitted in any other format will
not be graded and may not be recognized by the SOUL system. Assignments with the wrong
format and which require resubmission after the due date will be counted as late.

- Read the instructions on “Avoiding Plagiarism in both Group Presentation and Individual
Paper” before you submit your paper.

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Grading rubric for the individual paper (Base of 100, to be converted to 20%)
Grading criteria Superior
Structure, coherence, Address the question
and effectiveness of effectively and analytically
argument
Writing is clear, concise, and
well organized.
Ability to synthesize ideas
into a coherent and logical
argument
Breadth and Effective and thorough use of
comprehension of relevant course materials
relevant
concepts/themes Demonstrate an advanced
and thorough understanding
from class
of the subject matter
Application to case Use specific and convincing
and use of evidence examples to develop the
argument
Independent thinking Independent and in-depth
and depth of critical reflection on the
reflection subject matter and case
OVERALL Superior (>85)
Deduction of points for citation errors or lateness:
Good
Address the question fairly
effectively
Writing is mostly clear,
concise, and well organized.
Ability to formulate a fairly
coherent and logical
argument
Adequate coverage of
relevant course materials
Demonstrate a satisfactory
and thoughtful
understanding of the
subject matter
Use relevant examples to
develop the argument
Critical reflection on the
subject matter and case
Good (70-85)
/100
Average
Attempting the question
correctly but in a general
manner
Writing is generally logical and
clear, but occasionally vague
or repetitive.
Partial or uneven coverage of
relevant course materials
Ability to identify key ideas
and demonstrate basic
understanding of the subject
matter, but leans towards a
regurgitation or summary of
general or secondary
materials
Use examples to support
major claims but done in a
general way
General reflection on or
summary of standard points
Average (60-69)
Unsatisfactory
Failure to address the
question effectively
Writing is unclear and/or
disorganized. Thoughts are
not expressed in a logical
manner.
Sporadic application of
concepts/themes that are
somewhat relevant to the
question
Limited understanding of the
subject matter
Use incomplete or vaguely
developed examples to
partially support claims
Lack of reflection on the
subject matter and case
Mere regurgitation of course
materials or presentation
summaries
Unsatisfactory (40-59)
Total score:
Unacceptable
Writing is unclear,
disorganized, and incoherent.
Recall only a very limited
amount of relevant
knowledge
Opinionated claims with no
reference to relevant
concepts or materials
Lack of examples (or relevant
examples)
Claims are mostly
unsupported or irrelevant to
the topic
Discussion is shallow or
mechanical, absence of
reflection and independent
thinking
Unacceptable (below 40)
/100
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Appendix A - 1
Refer to the table on the next page
Appendix A - 2
Appendix B