HIST 3056 - Doing History
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019
This history capstone course will provide students with an opportunity to experience historical research at an advanced level. The course will have two main components: an in-depth analysis of different types of historical sources commonly used by historians, including archival and digital research, and an exploration of historical methodologies - all directed toward an independent research project of the student's own choosing. Additional components of the course will include a discussion of ethics in working with historical sources and producing historical writing, and an introduction to the options available to history majors in the job market and for postgraduate study. The course is intended to build upon individual student research interests (gained through their previous study), but will extend knowledge gained in advanced level courses by providing suggestions for deepening their understanding of the methodological approaches to using available textual and visual materials.
The course will be intensive and seminar-based, with additional independent structured learning equal to six contact hours per week. In a typical week, students will engage in staff-led discussions of various types of historical sources, or visit an archive (either in person or digitally), discuss progress on assignment tasks, and complete assigned tasks with a research pod - groups of students sharing similar interests. Pods will research elements of weekly topics, analyse their significance for their own research, and relay their findings back to the larger class. Assessment tasks will a source methodology essay that bears on the research topic, a literature survey and research plan, and the final research paper.
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code HIST 3056 Course Doing History Coordinating Unit Historical and Classical Studies Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 6 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Prerequisites At least 15 units of History major courses Assumed Knowledge This course is designed as the capstone of the history major; it is expected students will have sufficient historical expertise through Level I & II courses to achieve this. Restrictions Available to students undertaking a History Major only Assessment Source methodology essay 20%, Literature Review and Research Plan 30%, Research Essay 50% Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Robert Foster
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Locate, identify and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources in order to construct evidence-based arguments.
2. Think independently and critically, using appropriate methodologies and technologies, to engage with historical
problems.
3. Communicate effectively, in a range of spoken and written formats, within the conventions of the discipline of
history.
4. Demonstrate a proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies both to communicate results and to communicate with others.
5. Demonstrate the skills of an historian which are appropriate for performing a range of professional roles, undertaking leadership positions, and sustaining lifelong learning, including: information technology skills to manage data and to communicate, skills in collaborative and self-directed problem-solving, a habit of academic rigour, and sensitivity to intercultural and ethical issues.
6. Show a sensitivity to the diversity of historical cultures and the ethical implications of historical enquiry within a global context.
7. Demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of history, based on respect and mutual responsibility.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1, 2 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
2, 3 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
3, 4, 5 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
3, 4, 5, 6 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
6, 7 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
A core reading list and list of resources will be available, and additional resources will be made available through MyUni. If appropriate a textbook or reader will be recommended.
Recommended Resources
Additional resources such web links, guides to library resources, essay-writing guides, and guides to referencing will be made available through MyUni.
Online Learning
Lecture recordings will be available. Lecture slides will be posted on MyUni, together with other material as required. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Contact Hours
The teaching in the course will take place in one three-hour session per week. How those three hours are used will vary from week to week, depending on the activity. The first hour will usually be a 'live' lecture, followed by a two-hour workshop. The lecture might be pre-recorded and made available on-line prior to the session, in which case we will meet for the two-hour workshop. At other times it might be a three-hour workshop, the first half of which is used preparing a presentation, with the second half used for presentations.
The Research Project
The principal objective of the course is for students to write a research essay based mainly on primary sources on a topic of their
choice. The assignments in the course and the activities in the workshops are designed to build your skills toward the successful
completion of that essay.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
WORKLOAD - STRUCTURED LEARNING TOTAL HOURS
1 x 3-hour lecture per week (incorporating Lecture 36 hours per semester
as required)
WORKLOAD - SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING TOTAL HOURS
6 reading hours per week 72 hours per semester
2 research hours per week 24 hours per semester
2 hours assignment preparation per week 24 hours per semester
Total = 156 hours per semester
WORKLOAD TOTAL HOURS
Seminars/Field Trips 3x12 26 hours per semester
General Reading 72 hours per semester
Research and Writing Assignments 168 hours per semester
Total = 312 hours per semesterLearning Activities Summary
The Workshop
The core teaching in the course will take place in the weekly Workshops where students will work in small
groups, or pods, organised by their 'area study' focus. What those 'Area Studies' are depends on the students preferences, it could be Australian history, American history, Russian history, British history. However, there is a practical limit to the size of the groups, ideally we will have about 6 or 7 pods of about 8-10 students in each.
Each week we will explore different historical skills but, as far as possible, from the perspective of each groups area interest. For instance, later in the course we will examine non-documentary types of historical evidence, such as oral history, visual sources, architecture, etc. The 'Australian' pod might be allocated oral history, the 'Russian' pod might do architecture, and the 'American' pod might be given visual sources.
The typical format of the workshop will be along the following lines. In the week prior to a session dealing with 'Other Types of Historical Sources', groups will be given their topic. Let's imagine the Australian group are given the topic 'Visual Sources', they will then work out a research strategy, allocating different tasks to different individuals in the group. Prior to the workshop students will go away and research that task (which might be as simple as each person identifying and reading an article pertaining to the topic). When the group then meets in class for the 'Other Types of Historical Sources' session they will use the first part of the session to discuss their findings and pull together apresentation, while the last part will be used to give presentations. That presentation, for instance, might choose to focus on the different ways in which visual sources might be used in the process of researching and writing history.
Depending on the number of Pods we end up with, there may not be time for all of the groups to give their presentations, so we will try to rotate the presentations each week to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to present. We will also upload all the presentations to MyUni so other students will be able see the fruits of everyone’s labour.
Specific Course Requirements
N/ASmall Group Discovery Experience
SGDE is fundamental to this project. The students will work individually, and collaboratively, under the mentorship of experienced historical researchers, to research and write up an original research paper. This training will not only prepare them for undertaking
historical research within the discipline, but also prepare them for more general research work in a range of professional capacities.
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Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
ASSESSMENT TASK TASK TYPE WEIGHTING COURSE LEARNING
OUTCOMESSource Methodology Essay Summative 15% 1,2,3,7,8 Literature Review and
Research PlanSummative 25% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Research Essay Summative 50% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Tutorial Attendance and Participation Summative 10% 2,3,4,5,6,7
Assessment Related Requirements
N/AAssessment Detail
Assessment #1: Literature Review and Research Plan (25%)
Rationale for assessment: This assignment makes clear the importance of situating their research in the context of the existing literature on the subject and devising a coherent plan to produce a professional piece of historical research.
Assessment #2: Source Methodology Essay (15%)
Rationale for assessment: A key objective of the course is for students to be able to evaluate primary sources. This is a building block skill necessary before higher level analysis can occur. This will encourage students to consider what their sources can tell them, and what the limits of their sources are.
Assessment #3 Final Research Essay (50%)
Rationale for assessment: This essay will pull together the skills honed in the course, allowing students to develop their own research question, to use primary sources, apply appropriate methodologies, and situate their findings in the wider literature. It will provide students with a polished product of their undergraduate studies.
Assessment #4 Attendance and Participation (10%)
Collaborative group work is an important feature of course.
Submission
Submission through MyUni and Turnitin.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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