BA History and Philosophy

Year 1

(Award available for year: Certificate of Higher Educ)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the Joint Honours Degree programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- understand and demonstrate coherent and detailed subject knowledge and professional competencies some of which will be informed by recent research/scholarship in the discipline;
- deploy accurately standard techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;
- demonstrate a conceptual understanding which enables the development and sustaining of an argument;
- describe and comment on particular aspects of recent research and/or scholarship;
- appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limitations of knowledge in the disciplines;
- make appropriate use of scholarly reviews and primary sources;
- apply their knowledge and understanding by initiating and carrying out an extended piece of work or project;
- conform to professional boundaries and norms where applicable.

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:

1. Demonstrate familiarity with /awareness of:
- how people have existed, acted and thought in a range of societies and cultures (hbp #12.1 and 17);
- techniques for close work on sources, both primary and secondary, acquired through dedicated skills and documentary modules (hbp #18).

2. Use basic generic and subject specific intellectual approaches, including
- Critical and empathetic reading and use of texts or other source materials (hbp 12.2)
- Appreciation of the complexity and diversity of past cultures (hbp 12.3)
- Appreciation of the problematic nature of historical interpretation and evidence (hbp 12.4)
- Critical evaluation of historical evidence (hbp 12.5)
- Intellectual independence (hbp 12.6).
- Marshalling and communicating of argument, both oral and written (hbp 12.7)

3. Demonstrate an ability to evaluate the appropriateness some of the different approaches to history (eg. social history, economic history, political history, cultural history, landscape history etc.) (hbp # 20)

4. Reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses as learners in the disciplinary context through individual and group work.

5. Demonstrate a basic awareness of the nature of history as an academic discipline and the problematic nature of historical knowledge. (hbp #19)

On completion of the year students should have provided evidence of being able to:

- use basic generic and subject specific intellectual qualities, ie
> assess arguments and detect irrelevance;
> construct and defend their own point of view;
> discuss that point of view in a reasoned fashion;
> write focussed and structured essays;
> show familiarity with some basic concepts, problems and arguments in some central areas of the discipline;

- be able to communicate the results of their work (the proctorial system trains students to prepare a product in the proctorial for communication to the tutor at the tutorial, across 4 modules)

- function as a member of the School, be familiar with its methods; know how to make it work for them; and take responsibility for their future learning within it

- demonstrate an ability to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to problem solving associated with the discipline; (First Level courses are in four sub-disciplines: logic, history, metaphysics and ethics)

- appreciate their strengths and weaknesses as learners (the proctorial system is structured so as to require active learning methods - students seen as self-evaluators, planners and organisers of their own activity within the structure).

Transferable (key) skills

The programme provides opportunities for students to practise and develop:
- the transferable/key/generic skills necessary for employment related to the area(s) studied;
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;
- analytical and critical thinking;
- the deployment of decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations;
- the communication of information, ideas, problems and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences;
- the ability to undertake further training of a professional or equivalent nature where appropriate.

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

1. Qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, such as independence of mind, initiative, teamwork, locating and handling information, analytical ability, problem-solving, oral and written communication, intellectual integrity, empathy (hbp #14)
2. Skills necessary for exercising of personal responsibility, including self-discipline and self-direction, peer and self-appraisal (hbp #14)

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment related to the subject area(s) studied (Communication, Group Work, Problem solving, Use of IT);
- skills necessary for the exercising of personal responsibility (Learning to Learn, Self Management).

Assessment

The achievement of the programme outcomes will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- demonstrating the ability to apply a broad range of aspects of the disciplines;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material associated with the disciplines;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of an ability to conduct independent, in depth enquiry within the disciplines;
- work that is both evaluative and creative.

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year / programme and will require students to:

1. Demonstrate the knowledge and application of standard historical concepts, information and techniques through:
- Bibliographic searching and presentation skills
- Book / article reviews
- Essay writing
- Formative assessment of oral presentations
- Examinations

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will typically include:

1. demonstrating the knowledge and application of standard concepts, information and techniques relevant to the discipline;
2. work that covers a restricted area of the discipline;
3. demonstrating emerging abilities, skills and competencies.