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HIS10390

Academic Year 2026/2027

Creating History (HIS10390)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sandra Scanlon
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This is a module about the importance of critical thinking to the study and the writing of history. It will examine the relationship between what happened (or what might have happened) in the past and how we think about it now. We will attempt to look behind the scenes of the history books, articles, documents, films and other sources that you will encounter during the course of your studies and ask how history is written and debated. Also, we will ask what history is, what a historian is, and what exactly historians do. Seminars are led by faculty, who provide advice to students about studying History at UCD. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their studies and their academic plans and to discuss these in a meeting with their seminar leader who will also serve as their academic advisor.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students will:
1. Understand the fundamentals of studying history in a university
2. Be introduced to the basic skills used by historians
3. Be able to write an essay to the standard of a level 1 student of history
4. Be able to contribute to historical debate within the classroom
5. Understand the importance of critical thinking to the study and writing of history

Indicative Module Content:

Each seminar group examines a different topic decided by the seminar leader who provides detailed bibliography and assessments within the overall module handbook. Each seminar is led by a member of faculty, who also provides advice to students about the wider opportunities for studying History in UCD.

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. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

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

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. Novice

Strategic

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

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. Novice

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Novice

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 2
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

0
Seminar (or Webinar)

10
Specified Learning Activities

60
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Total

130

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a seminar-based course which places a high premium on student engagement. It provides every history student in first year with a faculty seminar leader, who gives advice about studying history in UCD. Attendance and participation is mandatory at seminars and the grading scale for participation is outlined in the module handbook. Set reading is supplied by the seminar leader before each class and students are expected to have read and to be prepared to discuss these readings in the course of the seminar. A variety of different class techniques are used by individual seminar leaders to provide insight into the specific course material for their group.

Students are not permitted to use generative AI for any part of their assignments.

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 In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-term reading analysis. Week 6 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay from a menu of set titles. Week 11 Graded No
50
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students participate in class discussions of the reading set for each seminar. Week 11 Graded No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided by appointment to each student following their completion of the assignment. This will include feedback on their performance in the class participation element. Peer review activities are incorporated into the in-class group work.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Marc Caball Tutor
Dr Declan Downey Tutor
Assoc Professor Elva Johnston Tutor
Assoc Professor Mark Jones Tutor
Dr David Kerr Tutor
Professor John McCafferty Tutor
Professor Ivar McGrath Tutor
Professor Tadhg O' Hannrachain Tutor
Dr Susannah Riordan Tutor
Professor Paul Rouse Tutor
Assoc Professor Jennifer Wellington Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 2 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 3 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 4 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 5 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 6 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 8 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 10 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 11 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 12 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 13 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 14 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
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