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Unit outline_

HSTY1001: History Workshop

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

A new British empire emerges from a year of scandals on the southern tip of Africa. Maori debate conscription in World War I. Shanghai erupts in protest and repression in 1927. The Great Depression re-shapes race relations in Sydney. In this unit you study a significant episode in history in a semester-long seminar with an expert in the field. This experience introduces you to key aspects of historical thinking that have broad applications: evidence, change, and context.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit History
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Miranda Johnson, miranda.johnson@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Participation
n/a
15% Ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2
Assignment Source-based assessment
n/a
25% Week 05 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Essay - preparatory exercise
n/a
20% Week 09 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Research essay
n/a
40% Week 13 2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 What is history workshop? Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 02 Time Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 03 Place Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 04 Sources Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 05 Problems Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 08 In history's workshops Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 09 The historian's toolkit Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 10 Arguments in history Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 11 Writing history Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 12 Final lecture and essay tips Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 13 Class party Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. construct critically aware historical arguments based on evidence
  • LO2. demonstrate proficiency in analysing primary sources in their historical context
  • LO3. demonstrate critical understanding of the varieties of historical explanation by examining varied aspects of a single time and place.
  • LO4. Develop deep knowledge of a historical event grounded in time, place and context
  • LO5. Gain experience in working as a group to interpret evidence and solve complex historical problems
  • LO6. Develop proficiency in essay writing, including formulating a problem or question, conducting independent research, crafting a persuasive argument and communicating it effectively

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

In History’s workshop, you’ll work with the raw materials of history – books, charts, newspapers, diaries, artefacts, memories and more. In a small seminar group, run by an experienced historian and relating to their own research, you'll get a real sense of how history happens. You'll sift through traces of the past, working together to look, listen, compare, speculate, and extract meaning from odd fragments. Gradually, out of the fragments, you will recreate a past world. Designed to spark your curiosity and build your expertise, the seminars have something for everyone, whether you are new to history, wanting to hone your skills, or just keen to plunge deep into a new place and time.

Central timetabling has allotted you to a specific workshop. If you want to select a different seminar within your course code, you may – as long as you do so by the first week of the semester. But we invite you to go along for the ride, no matter where you find yourself. By the end of this semester you’ll have deep knowledge of an absorbing period of history, a fresh understanding of how historians approach their craft, and hands-on experience of making history yourself.

While much of your learning takes place in your weekly two-hour seminar, there's a one-hour lecture each Monday at 10am for all History Workshop students, where you'll have a chance to see what's going on in other seminars, learn useful skills of research, argument and writing, and think at a broader level about how, exactly, historians make history. 

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.