Becoming a Historian: Extended
Module title | Becoming a Historian: Extended |
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Module code | HIH1139 |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
Credits | 15 |
Module staff | Dr Rebecca Williams (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 10 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 300 |
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Module description
Building on the skills you have developed in Becoming a Historian (core), this module provides you with the opportunity to extend that learning further. You will consider further the approaches and ideas that historians use to study the past. You will have the chance to research in more detail topics that particularly interest you, and apply your skills to them, building, via independent project work, the research and critical thinking abilities that you will need in the subsequent years of your degree. By the end of the module, you will be able to reflect upon the ways in which the skills you will develop throughout your degree will be useful to you in the workplace beyond university, and upon the ways in which history can be practised, presented, and communicated.
Module aims - intentions of the module
How do people write history? Why does history matter? How do approaches vary, and what questions can historians ask? This module explores key concepts discussed in the study of history across many periods, such power, gender, “race” /ethnicity, wealth, religion, and social status. It will thus introduce you to the working practices and interests of academic staff in the Department, and to the variety of possible approaches to history that you can explore in the rest of your degree programme. It will also allow you to consider why history is relevant today, and how key concepts in the study of history relate to ongoing social, cultural, and political issues.
This module aims to:
- explore a variety of approaches to history
- investigate some of the overarching issues encountered, and concepts used, by historians.
- encourage you to make comparisons across time and space
- develop your understanding of the relationship between history, and the present
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Present work in the format expected of historians, with accurate footnoting and bibliographic reference
- 2. Be aware of some of the recurring themes of history
- 3. Recognise the variety of approaches taken to historical study
- 4. Describe at a basic level some of the philosophical problems confronting historians i.e. the difficulties of total objectivity, the value of debate
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Comprehend how to undertake the accurate referencing of sources in written work
- 6. Draw thematic comparisons between material from different sources
- 7. Demonstrate an awareness of contrasting approaches to research, an understanding of the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, and an awareness of some of the basic philosophical questions arising from the study of history
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Demonstrate critical skills and communications skills (written and oral)
- 9. Work both independently and in a group, to compile, present, and discuss material
- 10. Digest, select, and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument developed through the mode of assessment
Syllabus plan
While the content may vary from year to year, it is expected that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Power
- Identity
- Gender
- “Race"/ethnicity
- Religion
- Wealth
- Archives
- Periodisation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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26 | 124 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | Workshops (10 x 1 hour) |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 16 | Seminars (8 x 2-hour) |
Guided Independent Study | 124 | Preparation for seminars and assessment |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Presentation proposal | 10 minutes | 2-4, 6-10 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Group presentation | 35 | 20 minutes + supporting materials | 1-10 | Oral and Written |
Essay | 60 | 1500 words | 1-10 | Written |
Seminar attendance | 5 | Attendance at all seminars | 8, 9 | n/a |
0 | ||||
0 | ||||
0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Group presentation (20 minutes + supporting materials) | Individual presentation (recorded) + supporting materials | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Essay of which 5% is attendance at seminars 1500 words) | Essay of which 5% is attendance at seminars 1500 words) | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
An individual presentation (recorded) replaces the group presentation, representing an individual’s contribution to the original piece of group work.
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Carr, Helen and Lipscomb, Suzannah, (eds.), What is History Now? (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2021)
- Claus, Peter, and John Marriott, History: An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice (Harlow: Pearson Education, 2012).
- Jordanova, Ludmilla, History in Practice, 2nd ed. (London: Hodder Arnold, 2006).
- Rublack, Ulinka, ed., A Concise Companion to History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
- Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions of Modern History (Harlow: Pearson Education, 2006).
Credit value | 15 |
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Module ECTS | 7.5 |
Module pre-requisites | Available to Single Honours BA History students only |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 4 |
Available as distance learning? | Yes |
Origin date | 31/01/2023 |
Last revision date | 23/05/2023 |