Encourage students to think about the issue of applied history by examining the way we use and interpret the past in a contemporary context;

Familiarise students with current debates regarding the role of history in the heritage industry, policy-making and ‘popular’ history (including film, sites of memorialisation and the internet);

Make connections between the independent historical research undertaken by students for their dissertations and / or research essays and the specific thematic strands of this module, encouraging students to consider the type(s) of audience that would be interested in their specialist areas of research;

Use digital medium of a blog to communicate about a historical subject with the general public.

(LO1) An ability to read, analyse and reflect critically on works that address historians’ interaction with the public and with policy makers.

(LO2) An ability to read, analyse and reflect critically and contextually upon secondary evidence, including historical writings and the interpretations of historians.

(LO3) To reflect on the impact of historical research in social, political and cultural contexts.

(LO4) Awareness of the real-world contexts in which academic study of History has relevance.

(LO5) Understanding of why real-world skills covered in the module are important.

(S1) Confidence, independence of mind, responsibility, organisation and time-management.

(S2) The ability to work collaboratively and to participate in group discussion

(S3) Gathering, analysing and organising information, including online and digital resources.

(S4) Structure, coherence, clarity and fluency of oral, written and visual expression, using a range of appropriate software.

(S5) Ability to plan a marketing campaign linked to an historical research project, using a range of appropriate software.

(S6) Confidence to present academic experiences and skills in a non-academic context.

The module is organised in three strands: ‘The Popular Past’, ‘Policy and the Past’, and ‘Curating the Past’. Following an introductory week to this subject, we will examine how history is represented and used beyond the academy. Each strand has a pair of lectures, some given by external experts, and a dedicated seminar. The second half of the module includes training in software use and advice about how to market your work, in addition to a workshop and seminars that develop your skills in making
presentations and creating a poster that will get your work across to a wider audience.

The majority of teaching will be delivered face-to-face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.

Lecture:
As far as possible, the lectures will include an interactive element. They provide a framework for the module, introduce the main themes, concepts and historical debates, and provide the context for the in-depth discussions in the seminars. Lectures will also include industry practitioners and career-oriented interactions.

Seminar:
These focus on detailed group analysis of key aspects of the module. There will be separate groupings for HIST320 and HIST388 students so that instructors can focus on the assessments relative to each group appropriately.