Study information

History in Public: A Workplace Project

Module titleHistory in Public: A Workplace Project
Module codeHISM039
Academic year2023/4
Credits30
Module staff

Professor Henry French (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

11

7

Number students taking module (anticipated)

12

Module description

This module will enable you to undertake a project in association with a non-university partner organisation, totalling up to 100 hours over 2 months. You will have responsibility for finding a partner organisation, although the department has contacts with a large number of relevant organisations in the region that will help with this process. The module provides an opportunity for you to develop a ‘History in Public’ project with a partner organisation, by designing a project brief, working with the partner organisation to deliver this project, and to reflect on the process of adapting academic skills to other working environments. The module will allow you to develop an understanding of how the skills and knowledge acquired as part of a History Master’s degree are applicable to the workplace and to extend relevant work-based skills and knowledge in a reflective way. It will also give you an understanding of a non-academic work environment through practical activities and enable you to gain experience in the use of relevant methods, technologies and applications commonly used in such organisations.

Module aims - intentions of the module

Workshops: you are required to attend an introductory meeting and project workshops, co-ordinated by the Module Convenor. Sessions include: sourcing and selecting work placements; managing relationships with project partners (including initial contacts, letter-writing, CV-writing); project brief design; delivery plan; project evaluation criteria and techniques.

One-to-one consultations: you will be able to have a consultation with the Module Convenor, in which an appropriate placement will be discussed, and obtain feedback on the assessed project brief.

Seminars: you will participate in an end-of-placement Presentation detailing the project objectives, main activities, outcomes, challenges and solutions, and lessons learned.

Independent work experience and study: with the assistance of the Module Convenor, you will be required to organise your own ‘History in Public’ projects, including preparing appropriate CVs and cover letters, and to produce, and agree, a project brief with the external partner before the beginning of the activity period. You will work for at least 100 hours in an agreed professional setting and will reflect on that experience within the context of the module's assessment. It is your responsibility to keep the Module Leader informed of progress in the workplace and of problems that have arisen.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Establish connections between the subject-knowledge, interpretation and presentation skills acquired as part of a Master’s degree in History and the skills required in the workplace
  • 2. Formulate a project with an external partner organisation, review it in light of feedback, deliver this brief with the partner organisation, and reflect critically on the application of academic skills in the workplace
  • 3. Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on practical experiences gained, and the impact they may have on his/her views and actions

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 4. Demonstrate your skills in the research, selection and evaluation of specific jobs and the structural context of those jobs
  • 5. Demonstrate your ability to use discipline-specific critical approaches acquired in Master’s level History degree to deliver an agreed project brief in an employment setting
  • 6. Demonstrate an ability to communicate (in writing and in speech) in a manner appropriate to the particular workplace context
  • 7. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and reflect upon the discipline-specific practices used in delivery of a project with an external partner

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 8. Develop / enhance practical work-based skills and experience
  • 9. Negotiate the different types of working relationships with staff within the workplace, and others - directly or indirectly - relevant to the placement
  • 10. Demonstrate the ability to identify and reflect on personal challenges and to learn from their resolution
  • 11. Demonstrate the ability to use a range of technologies and applications relevant to the external partner organisation

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Term 1

Initial meeting between History in Public Project Module Tutor and students, to introduce the module, and to get you to identify non-HEI project partners.

Project Brief Workshops – Workshops with Module Tutor to develop project brief.

Term 2

2,000-word Project Brief moderated and returned to you; copy sent to non-HEI partner, as the agreed, finalised project description. Project Development Workshop to discuss issues arising from projects; plus one-to-one consultations with Project Module Tutor.

The main working period with the non-HEI partner will occur in term 2

Term 3

Project Presentation – 20 min. Individual presentation detailing the project objectives, activities, and outcomes, and reflecting on personal challenges and lessons learned.

Project Report, 4,000 words – Reflection on how the specific project addressed the methodological issues of working with non-HEI partner, and producing outcomes for non-HEI audiences. Supporting materials will include non-HEI partner’s feedback.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
11189100

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching3Workshops
Scheduled learning and teaching5Tutorial meeting
Scheduled learning and teaching2Feedback
Guided independent study189Private study
Placement100Placement
Scheduled learning and teaching1Individual presentation and feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Project brief202000 words2, 4-5, 9Written/Oral
Project report504000 words1, 3, 5-7, 10-11Written/Oral
Project presentation3020 minutes1, 3, 5-7, 10-11Written/Oral

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Project brief (2000 words) Project brief (2000 words) 2, 4-5, 9Referral/Deferral period
Project report (4000 words)Project report (4000 words)1, 3, 5-7, 10-11Referral/Deferral period
Project presentation (20 minutes)Script and slides as for 20 minute presentation1, 3, 5-7, 10-11Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

The re-assessment consists of the project brief and report, as in the original assessment, but replaces the project presentation with a written script and accompanying visual aids that could be delivered in such a presentation and which is the equivalent of 20 minutes of speech.

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 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

 

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

  • Black, Graham, The Engaging Museum (Routledge, 2005).
  • Crooke, Elizabeth, Museums and Community (Routledge, 2007).
  • Dresser, Madge, ‘Politics, Populism, and Professionalism: Reflections on the Role of the Academic Historian in the Production of Public History’, The Public Historian, 32, 3 (Summer 2010), pp. 39-63.
  • Durbin, G., ed., Developing Museum Exhibitions for Lifelong Learning (London,1996).
  • Falk, John H., and Lynn D. Dierking, Learning from Museums (Altamira Press, 2000).
  • Hooper-Greenhill, Eilean, Museums and Education (Routledge, 2008).
  • Lord, Barry and Gail Dexter Lord, The Manual of Museum Exhibitions (Altamira, 2002).
  • Marincola, Paula, ed., What Makes a Great Exhibition? (Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative, 2006).
  • Ravelli, Louise, Museum Texts: Communication Frameworks (Routledge, 2006).
  • Serrell, Beverly, Exhibit Labels: an interpretive approach (Altamira Press, 1996).
  • Serrell, Beverly, Judging Exhibitions: a framework for assessing excellence (Left Coast Press, 2006).
  • Thelen, David, ‘Learning community: lessons in co-creating the civic museum’, in Gerard Corsane, ed., Heritage, Museums and Galleries (Routledge, 2005).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

Public history, work placement

Credit value30
Module ECTS

15

Module pre-requisites

[Revised History MA Core Module]

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

7

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

15/03/2017

Last revision date

02/09/2022