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BA (Honours) Humanities With History - Learning Outcomes

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Educational aims

Edited: The History specialism aims to provide you with:

  • an introduction to the academic study of History, to some of its philosophies and methodologies, to the nature of historical change, to the nature of historical evidence and to the appropriate ways of handling primary and secondary sources
  • the opportunity to study some aspects of the British Isles, Continental Europe and their Empires, and the Atlantic world from the later Middle Ages to the present
  • the chance to engage in independent historical research and writing
  • progression within the discipline from second- to third-level study.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

Edited: When you complete your studies for this specialism, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • history as a systematic and reflective discipline producing bodies of knowledge about the past, these being constantly subject to controversy, debate, refinement and correction
  • aspects of the history of the British Isles, Continental Europe and the Atlantic world from the later Middle Ages to the present
  • some relevant concepts and theories, particularly with reference to the comparative method, economic theory, econometrics and political science
  • some of the processes of historical research and the evaluation and use of primary and secondary sources
  • the nature of historical change
  • the insights historians can derive from interdisciplinary work.

Cognitive skills

Edited: When you complete your studies for this specialism, you will be able to:

  • read critically and think logically
  • distinguish between objective knowledge, hypotheses and opinions
  • apply knowledge and understanding and cognitive skills to the solution of problems of a familiar and unfamiliar nature
  • synthesise information and ideas obtained from a variety of sources.

Practical and/or professional skills

Edited: When you complete your studies for this specialism, you will be able to:

  • seek out, collect and select relevant information in a systematic manner using information literacy
  • evaluate and analyse evidence of all kinds, secondary and primary
  • present historical discussion appropriately and provide scholarly apparatus (according to conventions within the discipline) and proper acknowledgement of relevant work by other scholars.

Key skills

Edited: When you complete you studies for this specialism, you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

Communication

  • discuss a complex subject in an appropriate manner in writing
  • read and synthesise substantial amounts of material (frequently not intended for student use)
  • participate competently in group discussion about a complex subject.

Improving own learning and performance

  • study and learn independently, including planning and executing a study programme;
  • seek and use feedback from your tutor, and through reflection and self-assessment activity, improve performance in the academic context.

Information literacy

  • compile a focused bibliography, using accepted conventions.

Application of number

  • know where this skill is relevant and how to apply and interpret statistical information in a historical context.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

Edited: In the History specialism a range of different types of assessment are used, in accordance with the recommendations of the national history benchmarking statement. Most modules adopt the normal OU weighting of 50% continuous assessment and 50% examinable component. The tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) that make up the continuous assessment component may take the form of traditional essays, extended essays, short-answer questions, statistical and computer exercises, drafts of independent work, and book reviews, depending on the module and the level. (For example, you are more likely to be asked to complete an extended TMA based on independent study at Level 3 than at Level 2.) The examinable component may take the form of a traditional three-hour unseen examination or a project or dissertation or other piece of independently researched work. If you opt to attend the history residential school, your oral participation in group discussion and other work may be assessed.

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