Unit information: Special Subject Project in 2008/09

Unit name	Special Subject Project
Unit code	HIST33103
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Emeritus Professor. Pemberton
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	HIST33102
School/department	Department of History (Historical Studies)
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This Project operates in conjunction with the Special Subject and enables students to develop a particular issue of their choice within the Subject at greater depth. The unit also plays an important role in the development of independent learning and research. Students are required to identify their own essay topic, produce their own title/question and put together their own bibliography. The Project will normally revolve closely around the use of primary sources. It will enable (and require) students to pull together and apply most (if not all) of the skills fostered in the degree programme. The Project will be supported and supervised at all stages by the Special Subject tutor, but the amount of tutor involvement will be strictly limited in order to ensure independence.

Aims:

The unit enable students to study a particular aspect of their choice relating to their Special Subject at greater depth and to demonstrate advanced independent learning and research skills. It will also enable them to demonstrate the range of subject specific and key skills acquired in previous units.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit students should have:

• deepened their understanding of a particular aspect of their Special Subject

• achieved a greater integration between the various components of that Special Subject

• produced an extended piece of historical analysis in accordance with high scholarly standards

• be more proficient in forming their own questions

• have demonstrated that they can compile their own bibliography

• the ability to work with primary sources demonstrating an awareness of the provenance and nature of those sources and how to draw reasoned and considered conclusions from them

• have put into practice most (if not all) of the learning outcomes listed under HIST13001 and HIST 23001

• have demonstrated the ability to work almost entirely independently in producing an extended piece of research linked to a taught unit

• have a greater understanding of the process of independent learning and research and have a clearer understanding of their own capabilities in those areas.

Teaching Information

• Introductory seminar

• Limited supervisory sessions with Special Subject tutor at key stages on the production of the Project

• Access to tutorial consultation with unit tutor in office hours

Assessment Information

8000 word project

Reading and References

The reading will depend on the precise topic chosen, but the bibliography will be constructed by the student in part from the Special Subject handbook but students will be expected to show considerable initiative in identifying and locating a wider range of sources, both primary and secondary.