Student skills development programme
It is the aim of the Programme to ensure that each student taking History will acquire a set of skills which we regard as mental tools that are essential for the practising historian and for the properly educated person. Hence, at the very least, all our students should be aware of what these skills are. The skills development programme takes the form of a spiral curriculum so that the skills learnt at one year form the building blocks for the acquisition of a higher level of skills in the next.The skills are not learnt separately from course content but comprise an integral part of the content.
Each course guide should list under its aims the skills it intends to teach, and explicit reference should be made to which skills are being taught in tutorial/lectorial guides and in class by the tutor or lecturer. If you are not clear about what skills are being taught in a course, you should discuss the matter with the course co-ordinator. Our view is that you are entitled to know what they are, to learn them and be able to apply them.
The programme
100 – Level (Year One History Skills)
Knowledge
Basic scholarly conventions and ethics (eg: avoiding plagiarism)
Recognising the different modes of historical communication
Basic knowledge of key concepts and vocabulary in historical studies
Broad knowledge of one or more periods or problems in world history
Basic knowledge of bibliographic research principles
Skills
Time-management, meeting deadlines
Evidence I
Locating information (library, databases, websites, etc.)
Critical appraisal of secondary sources
Ability to précis or summarise information accurately
Understanding the nature and uses of primary sources
Using secondary sources to provide context for primary evidence
Critical Thinking I
Distinguishing evidence-based facts from opinions
Identifying anachronism, bias, propaganda
Identifying causal explanations and relationships
Identifying key ideas & hypotheses in rival interpretations
Argument and Essay Writing I
Understanding the question, defining key terms & concepts
Assessing ideas and evidence in order of relevance and reliability
Selecting relevant examples
Logical arrangement, using topic-sentences & linkages
Constructing a coherent evidence-based argument
Communicating in good academic prose
Obeying the word-limit
Using correct format for footnotes & bibliography
Oral skills: answering questions in tutorials, debating interpretations
Attributes
Respect for high academic standards
Respect for critical reasoning and expert knowledge
Respect for other beliefs and cultures
Disciplined study habits
Self-motivated love of learning
Willingness to improve and learn from mistakes
200 – Level (Year Two History Skills)
Further development of all 100-level skills and attributes
Knowledge
Specialised knowledge of several historical periods or problems
Familiarity with major schools of historiography
Familiarity with major theoretical approaches to the past
Broadening knowledge of world history
Skills
Evidence II
Ability to contextualise primary sources
Ability to test claims in secondary sources against primary evidence
Critical Thinking II
Identifying component parts of an argument (structure, linkages, etc.)
Testing the logic of rival arguments
Identifying theoretical assumptions in secondary sources
Argument and Essay Writing II
Further development of essay-writing skills
Testing the strength of causal explanations
Oral skills: short presentations in tutorials/seminars
Working on a problem in small groups or pairs
Attributes
Effective written and spoken academic communication
Flexible and adaptive use of academic skills
Development of intellectual curiosity
Willingness to think laterally and question orthodoxies
300 – Level (Year Three History Skills)
Further development of all 100 and 200-level skills and attributes
Knowledge
Specialised knowledge of several more historical periods or problems
Greater understanding of values and beliefs in past cultures
Specialised knowledge of more than one school of historiography
Familiarity with several landmark historiographical texts
Understanding of several national histories in the context of world history
In-depth grasp of more than one theoretical approach to the past
Broad general knowledge of world history
Skills
Evidence III
Creating new interpretations using primary evidence
Assessing non-written primary sources (oral and visual evidence)
Critical thinking III
Constructing causal explanations and testing their reliability
Formulating testable hypotheses
Formulating research questions to address specific problems or issues
Evaluation of one's own and others' knowledge claims
Argument and essay writing III
Further development of essay-writing skills
Oral skills: formal seminar/powerpoint presentation (assessed)
Collaboration in small groups or pairs to prepare seminar presentation
Attributes
Willingness to collaborate or work as part of a team
Application of historical analysis to present-day problems
Ideal BA History Graduate Profile
Knowledge
Broad general knowledge of major phases and movements in world history
Specialised knowledge of several key areas of the discipline
Broad general knowledge of types of historical evidence and their uses
Specialised knowledge of several major schools of historiography
Broad general knowledge of modes and types of historical communication
Scholarly conventions & ethical standards in historical research
Sound grasp of basic principles in a range of research approaches to the past
Ideally, a reading knowledge of a second language
Skills
Advanced analytic, evaluative and communication skills
Advanced research skills
Advanced reading, writing and debating skills
Ability to:
• locate, comprehend, and analyse relevant information
• discriminate between facts and opinions, and evaluate their importance
• identify anachronism, bias, propaganda, and distortion in historical evidence
• summarise or précis information accurately
• formulate questions and hypotheses to investigate historical problems
• grasp causal relationships
• identify theoretical assumptions in rival interpretations
• identify key issues in historiographical debates
• contextualise relevant primary sources
• construct a logical argument soundly based on reliable evidence
• evaluate one's own and others' knowledge claims
• debate and defend a particular argument or set of conclusions
Attributes
Effective written and spoken academic communication
Respect for high academic standards
Respect for the value of critical reasoning and expert knowledge
Respect for other beliefs and cultures
Self-motivated love of learning
Flexible and adaptive use of academic skills
Self-confidence and autonomy derived from disciplined study habits
Willingness to think laterally and challenge orthodoxies
Application of historical analysis and understanding to present-day problems
Willingness to collaborate or work as part of a team
Development of intellectual curiosity
Willingness to improve and learn from mistakes
Commitment to highest standards of professional behaviour