The methodological approach employed to facilitate the learning process is based on engaging the student with the information at their disposal. The educator’s responsibility is not only to provide the necessary information but also to direct the students towards resources where they can acquire it. The educator serves as a guide and mentor, ensuring that the learning process is executed effectively. To realize this objective, the course incorporates a mix of various activities. These include master classes, seminars, independent study, and collaborative work, both at an individual and team level. This diverse mix of activities is designed to foster a comprehensive and effective learning environment.

Master classes

Through these classes, students gain fundamental scientific and technical knowledge of the subject, which they are expected to supplement with personal study of the topics discussed. The theoretical sessions underscore and address the complex and crucial aspects of each instructional unit. Following this, students can enhance their constructed concept maps with bibliographic information derived from their individual work. Each theoretical session is designed to span a duration of 50 minutes.

Seminars

The mission of the seminars is to promote the capacity for analysis and synthesis, critical reasoning and the ability to solve problems. Various activities can be developed in the seminars, such as, for example, analysis and discussion of cases and problems, public presentation of works, commentary of videos, resolution of issues related to the topics covered, etc.

Tutorials

Tutorials will be conducte in a personalized way, either in person or through virtual sessions, which will be scheduled in advance. These tutorials serve as a platform to elucidate concepts, consolidate the knowledge gained, and aid students in their studies. Additionally, they provide an opportunity to addressany uncertainties students may have regarding the preparation of their independent learning tasks.

The specific and transversal competences of this course will be assessed through written examinations and presentations of the tasks assigned during seminars.

The written assessment may be passed either through the partial examinations, which are eliminatory, or through the resit examination. To pass each partial examination, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 out of 10. Any partial examination not passed with this minimum grade must be retaken in the final examination. The minimum grade required to pass the theoretical component is 5.0 out of 10 in the final examination.

Classroom Activities: Throughout the course, short classroom activities will be proposed after the completion of each thematic block in order to reinforce the contents covered and encourage active student participation.

These activities may include short-answer questions, case-study resolution, quizzes, or group-based activities. Participation and performance in these activities may contribute up to 0.4 additional points to the final course grade, provided that the student has obtained a minimum grade of 5.0 in the theoretical component. This bonus is not recoverable and does not replace any of the compulsory assessment items. The additional score may not increase the final course grade beyond the maximum mark of 10 points.

Seminars: Assessment will be based on the quality and accuracy of the students’ reasoning and argumentation regarding the proposed questions and problems. Seminar assessment accounts for 20% of the final course grade. Attendance at seminars is compulsory, and seminar activities are not recoverable. Absences will only be justified under the circumstances established by UAB regulations.

To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum final grade of 5.0 out of 10. The final grade will be calculated as follows: 80% from the theoretical component and 20% from seminar assessment. A minimum grade of 5.0 in the theoretical component is required in order to calculate the weighted average with the seminar grade.

Honours Distinction (Matrícula d’Honor): Students obtaining a final grade equal to or higher than 9.0 may be eligible for an Honours Distinction. The number of distinctions awarded will depend on the total number of enrolled students. Students who take the final examination will not be eligible for an Honours Distinction.

Students wishing to improve their final grade may do so by taking the final examination. In this case, it is understood that the student renounces all previous examination grades, and the final grade will be calculated based on the new final examination grade combined with the seminar grade. Final grades cannot be improved through assignments or any other activities, except for the classroom activities described in this course guide.

A student will be considered Not Assessable (NA) if the assessment activities completed represent less than 67% of the final grade. Therefore, students who do not complete any of the scheduled assessment activities will be classified as Not Assessable. Likewise, if a student completes only one of the examinations or submits only two of the seminars included in the continuous assessment system, but fails to complete the remaining examinations or assignments, the student will be considered Absent/Not Presented.

Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI tools, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course guide) that may lead to a significant alteration of the assessment outcome will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment activity. If the course guide establishes that obtaining a minimum grade in that assessment activity is an essential requirement for passing the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in different assessment activities within the same course, the final course grade will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student involved in such irregularities.

Special Cases

In the event of justified circumstances (illness, death of a first-degree relative, accident, etc.), and upon presentation of the corresponding official documentation, students will have the right to take the assessment on an alternative date agreed upon between the student and the teaching staff. The Degree Coordination Committee will intervene if no agreement can be reached. Likewise, if, for the same justified reasons, a student is unable to sit the assessment at the scheduled time, alternative arrangements may be agreed upon with the teaching staff.

Single Assessment

Students opting for the single assessment system will not be required to attend seminars. However, they must complete 3 of the 6 seminars included in the course under the continuous assessment format. The teaching staff will determine which seminars must be completed by students following the single assessment pathway. Seminar assignments must be submitted on the same day as the synthesis examination.

The single assessment consists of a single synthesis examination (including essay and concept-integration questions) covering the entire theoretical syllabus of the course.

The synthesis examination accounts for 80% of the final course grade, while seminar activities account for the remaining 20%.

The single assessment examination will take place on the same date scheduled for the final continuous assessment examination, and the same resit system applicable to continuous assessment will apply.

To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 out of 10 in each component (the synthesis examination and the seminar assessment).

To passthe subject, it is necessary to obtain a minimum final grade of 5 points out of 10 in each of the parts (synthesis test and seminars).