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ARCV41490

Academic Year 2026/2027

Placement (ARCV41490)

Subject:
Archivistics
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Julie Brooks
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
Yes
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module facilitates students undertaking a short work placement (one or two weeks) in an archives or records management service. The placement enables students to experience the day-to-day work of an archive or records service, reflect on how the theory, standards and best practice of the classroom relate to different workplace contexts, and consider the issues and challenges in running archives and records services.
The content of each placement will be determined by consultation between the student, the module coordinator and the host service but students will generally have the opportunity to see and hear about a range of functions as well as work on one or more small projects for the duration of their placement.
Placements generally take place in either January before the teaching recommences or in the March mid-term period. Students are provided with a list of services with which placements have been agreed and are asked to nominate a number of services where they would like to get experience. The module coordinator allocates placements and organizes the placement process in line with UCD’s internship and placement policies.
Where students would like to do a placement in a service with whom there is not an established link either in Ireland or abroad, the module coordinator will explore the possibility for a placement.
Note that the number of places in this option may be limited due to circumstances outside the School’s control in particular the ability of services to facilitate placement opportunities due to resource issues.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

•Reflect on the ways that their experience of working in an archive or records service connects to the theories and ideas of recordkeeping they are familiar with from their studies;
•Identify some of the main challenges facing recordkeepers in their day-to-day work and the kinds of strategies used to mitigate these;
•Develop a greater understanding of the range of skill sets required by recordkeepers.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will involve students taking a one or two week work placement. The content of each placement will be determined by consultation between the student, the module coordinator and the host service but students generally have the opportunity to see and hear about a range of activities as well as work on one or more specific projects for the duration of their placement. Placements generally take place in either January before the teaching recommences or in the March mid-term period.
Two sessions will be held over the course of the semester where each student will present a short piece on their placement to the rest of the class.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 1

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

6
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Placement/Work Experience

40
Total

106

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a placement module. Students will spend one or two weeks on placement in an archive or record service.
An initial information session for students registered for the module takes place early in the Autumn Semester and arrangements are made over the course of the autumn. A further meeting for students going on placement in January takes place in mid-December and for students going on placement in March, this takes place in late February/early March.

Placements take place in early January or mid-March for a duration of either one or two weeks.

Peer to peer learning is an important part of the module when students each give a short presentation to the class talking about their placement experience. These presentations and the accompanying write-up comprise the assessment for the module. Presentations by January placement students generally take place around Week 5 of the Spring Semester and presentations by March placement students generally take place around Weeks 12/13 of the Spring Semester. Presentation schedules are circulated to students well in advance.

While on placement, students may encounter ways in which generative AI is being used, or could potentially be used, by archivists and records managers, however generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: 10 minute individual presentation to the class with options for preferred mode of delivery (e.g. oral presentation in class; short video), accompanied by a written version. Week 14 Graded No
100
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written feedback on Brightspace is provided for the assignment following submission and grading. Individual oral feedback is also provided to students upon request at a one-to-one meeting.

Name Role
Dr Julie Brooks Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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