HIH1401 - Approaches to History
2021/2 Module description
| Staff | Dr Vivienne Xiangwei Guo - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 15 |
| ECTS Value | 7.5 |
| NQF Level | 4 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 2: 11 weeks; |
Module description
How do historians write history? How do approaches vary and what questions can historians ask? This module introduces and explores key issues and concepts discussed in the study of history across many periods, including power, gender, wealth and poverty, religion and class. It will thus introduce you to the working practices and interests of the academic staff and to the variety of possible approaches to history that you can explore in the rest of your degree programme.
Module aims
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 geography.
Lectures will be given by different members of staff each week to demonstrate the variety of approaches to history. Seminars will encourage you to explore these issues in more depth through reading and discussing individual articles and through researching and presenting particular topics to your group.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Present work in the format expected of historians, with accurate footnoting and bibliographic references
- 2. Be aware of some of the recurring themes of history such as class, gender, ethnicity, religion and war
- 3. Recognise the variety of approaches taken to historical study
- 4. Describe at a basic level the philosophical problems confronting historians (the difference between history and the past, the difficulties of total objectivity, the value of debate, the uses of history)
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 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
- 8. Demonstrate critical skills and communications skills (written and oral)
- 9. Work both independently and in a group, including the presentation and discussion of material in groups
- 10. Digest, select and organize material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument developed through the mode of assessment
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:
- Lectures will introduce key historical themes and concepts such as power, archives, identities, gender, beliefs and ideas, emotions, the body, micro and macro histories and periodization.
- Seminars will give the students an opportunity to research and discuss some of these themes in more depth. The seminars also include a book review workshop to prepare students for this part of the assessment.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 11 | 11 x 1-hour lectures exploring concepts such as archives, gender and power |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 14 | 7 x 2-hour seminars exploring particular articles and concepts in more depth |
| Guided independent study | 125 | Preparation of work for seminars, presentations, book review and seen examination |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar discussion | Ongoing through module | 2-4, 6-10 | Oral or written from tutor and other students |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 40 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation and Participation [comprising: group presentation (16%) and attending all seminars in which presentations take place (4%)] | 20 | 20 minutes (for 4 students or 5 minutes per student if group sizes are different) | 1-4, 7-11 | Oral and written |
| Book Review | 40 | 1000 words | 1-5, 7-11 | Written |
| Assignment | 40 | 1000 words | 1-4, 6-11 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation and participation | Script as for individual part of presentation, equivalent to 5 minutes (16%) and one page review of another presentation (4%). | 1-4, 7-11 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Book Review | Book Review 1000 words | 1-5, 7-11 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Assignment (1000 words) | Assignment (1000 words) | 1-4, 6-11 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
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
Basic reading:
- 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).
- Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions of Modern History (Harlow: Pearson Education, 2006).
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
16/01/2013
Last revision date
20/09/2021
Key words search
Approaches, concepts
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