HR101-4-AU-CO:
Becoming a Historian
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2023/24
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 4
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
31 March 2021
Requisites for this module
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The module is designed to train students in the key skills necessary for university study, with specific emphasis on those skills specific to the discipline of history. By taking the module you will be given the opportunity to develop the following skills: research and information-gathering skills (including use of the internet); the critical analysis of primary and secondary sources; the construction and communication of ideas verbally and in writing; the ability to work in groups; and the development of a self-reflexive approach to your learning.
These skills are also transferable to the world of work. They are valued by employers and will be of benefit to you when applying for jobs in future. For this reason, the module will also help you to plan, to record and to reflect on your personal skills development. The aim is to ensure that this will be the start of an ongoing process that will continue throughout your university career and beyond.
The main aim of the module is to introduce students to the study of History as an academic discipline and equip them with the necessary tools with which to study the subject. Students will begin to develop the skills employed by professional historians, as well as developing key transferable skills useful for university study and beyond.
By the end of the module, students will:
1. Have deepened their understanding of the relationship between research, writing and history.
2. Be aware of the requirements of a history essay and how to write one.
3. Have discussed, practised and developed a range of skills relevant to the study of history at university level.
4. Have become more conscious of their strengths, as well as areas that need to be improved, and developed an awareness of the importance of regular reflection on the development of research and writing skills.
5. Have developed the confidence to work on issues individually and in groups.
General reading list:
Black, J. and Macraild, D.M., Studying History (Basingstoke, 2000).
Carr, E.H., What is History, 2nd edn. (Basingstoke, 2001).
Loughran, Tracey, A Practical Guide to Studying History: Skills and Approaches(London, 2017).
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Additional coursework information
Anticipated coursework assessment for 2021/22:
A 250-word Summary/Abstract (15%); a 750-1000-word Finding the Argument (35%); a Footnotes Exercise (15%); and a Group Presentation (35%).
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Tracey Loughran, email: t.loughran@essex.ac.uk.
Belinda Waterman, Department of History, 01206 872313
No
No
No
Dr Mark Williams
Cardiff University
Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History
Available via Moodle
Of 128 hours, 100 (78.1%) hours available to students:
28 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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