Unit rationale, description and aim
This capstone unit examines key conceptual and practical tools that historians use to create and debate history, and provides history graduates with an overarching understanding of the profession. The unit introduces students to key historical techniques and conceptual approaches to writing history, demonstrates how these can be applied to specific case studies, and explores the ways in which historical skills can be applied to a range of social debates. It then leads students through the process of applying this knowledge to their own independent original piece of historiographical work which will engage with at least one of the key theories or methodologies of the unit through community engagement or other active research approaches, and may be presented in written, oral or multi-media formats. By allowing students to apply what they have learned about the past to significant contemporary conversations about history, this unit aims to equip history graduates with the skills to critically examine assumptions about the nature of history and to understand the role of the historian in real world applications and across a range of professional contexts.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Discuss broad and deep theoretical and applied kno...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain ideas and concepts to a specified audience...
Learning Outcome 02
Locate, evaluate and appropriately reference a var...
Learning Outcome 03
Critically analyse historical evidence, synthesise...
Learning Outcome 04
Interpret and reflect on key historical theories a...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Melbourne and Brisbane
1. Topics will include the following historiographical topics:
- What is history? (explored through at least 3 of the following):
- Understandings of the nature of history in ancient, medieval and early modern societies
- The development of modern history as a discipline
- Empiricism and its critics: fact, opinion and interpretation
- Community and national identities – history’s role
2. Testing the boundaries of history (explored through at least 3 of the following):
- Marxism and its legacies: history from below, social history and cultural history
- The erasure of certainty: Postmodernism and post structuralism
- Post colonialism and subsequent theories of people, power, place and race
- Gender and history
- History and power: owning and telling the past in society and communities
3. The historian at work (explored through at least 3 of the following):
- Archival history
- Oral history
- Community engaged history
- Ethics of historical research
- Presenting history to popular and scholarly audiences
- History in museums
4. Indigenous historiography in Australia and the world.
Sydney
1. What is history? (explored through at least 3 of the following Ancient History topics):
- Understandings of the nature of history in ancient, medieval and early modern societies
- The development of Ancient history as a discipline
- Fact, opinion and interpretation: Thucydides and Herodotus
- Methodology of ancient historians, their reliability, literary aspects of their work, portrayal of other cultures, role of the audience, impact of their own intellectual and cultural environments, and the question of 'truth' versus fiction
2. Testing the boundaries of history (explored through at least 3 of the following Ancient History topics):
- Writing history of the ancient world from below, social history and cultural history
- Writing about people, power, place and race in the Ancient world
- Gender in histories of the Ancient world
- History and power: owning and telling the past in society and communities
3. The historian at work (explored through at least 3 of the following Modern History topics):
- Archival history
- Material History: archaeology and material objects
- Oral history
- Community engaged history
- Ethics of historical research
- Presenting history to popular and scholarly audiences
- Contested history
- History in museums
4. Indigenous historiography in Australia and the world (Modern History topic)
Assessment strategy and rationale
The historical theory and skills based challenge is designed to lead students through the process of mastering key historical techniques and methodologies, drawing on the knowledge and skills developed through the active learning class activities. As the capstone project requires advanced skills in project design and planning, the capstone proposal requires students to scope and plan their individual project and respond to feedback. The capstone project asks students to apply these techniques and methodologies to their own individual historical project on an approved self-devised topic. This project may, as appropriate to the resources available, include a project which engages with a community group or organisation, and will require students to show that they understand the role of the historian in the process of creating, debating and communicating history. In order to provide students with an opportunity to present a nuanced and sustained historical narrative or argument in dynamic and innovative ways, this project may be submitted in written, oral, multi-media or exhibition formats.
Formative Learning Task(s)
This unit includes formative learning tasks. These tasks or activities are marked on a pass/fail basis and are required to pass the unit but do not contribute to the final grade. The formative learning activities will provide students with an opportunity to explore key information and skills essential to the discipline which will then be applied to the capstone project.
Overview of assessments
Formative Learning Task(s) The purpose of this a...
Formative Learning Task(s)
The purpose of this assessment is to allow students to consolidate the key skills and knowledge required to successfully complete the capstone project.
Pass/Fail
Historical Theory and Skills-based Challenge(s) ...
Historical Theory and Skills-based Challenge(s)
The purpose of this assignment is to allow students to consolidate their understanding of key information and skills which they will then apply in their capstone project.
35%
Capstone Project Proposal The purpose of this a...
Capstone Project Proposal
The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with a scaffolded process to scope, plan and pitch their research plan and to receive formal feedback prior to undertaking the initial individual research project.
15%
Capstone Project This historiographical projec...
Capstone Project
This historiographical project requires students to research and develop an independent project to communicate its findings in written, oral, multi-media or exhibition formats.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This 10 credit-point unit is delivered as a face to face class in order to immerse students in Active Learning through activities which allow students to practice and refine skills fundamental to the discipline of history and the work of historians in real world settings. This unit engages students in active learning activities, such as reading, writing, debate and discussion, to promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Students use archive and digital history workshops to explore key case-studies from Australian and international settings.
Students in this unit will be encouraged to develop specific skills in reading and understanding how primary sources are recorded, collected and selected and begin to understand the dynamics of historical and historiographical debate and how to assess secondary material when conducting their own research and analysis. This unit introduces students to historical strategies for understanding how to interpret a broad sweep of history.
This unit has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as lectures, tutorials, reading, reflection, discussion, film/video screenings (where relevant), skills workshops, and assignments etc.