Explore UCD

UCD Home >

HIS21140

Academic Year 2026/2027

History Today (HIS21140)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Susannah Riordan
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 that explores the place of history in society. It looks at how historians work and how this work fits into the modern world. Historians have adopted a variety of different approaches to their studies and have often disagreed about the causes, meanings, and implications of certain historical events. For some, the pursuit of history has been a truth-seeking exercise, based on empirical evidence and objectivity. For others, ideas about the past have been shaped by political beliefs, by the application of political ideologies and philosophies, popular culture and by the desire to produce a more inclusive version of history, focusing on the experience of the working classes, women, racial minorities, and other groups marginalised in established accounts. This module examines how the writing of history has evolved over time and also assesses how individuals, communities, states, nations and institutions use history for their own ends. It asks how history is used, and is consumed, by the public. It asks, also, what informs people’s attitude to the past? Is it shaped by the history of historians? How and why do we remember the past? When and why do we invoke history? If historical memory evolves, what forces tend to influence it? Ultimately, what is the function of history and historians in wider society today?

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students who complete this module should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse academic viewpoints and methodologies;
2. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the development of 'History' within and without academia;
3. Assess the importance of history and its uses in wider society;
4. Analyse the problems and opportunities associated with different approaches to history;
5. Demonstrate a knowledge of research skills that are fundamental to historical inquiry and more broadly applicable;
6. Submit written work appropriate to a Stage Two student of History.

Indicative Module Content:

The module will be drawn from the following main topics:
Changing concepts of history; the development of history as an academic discipline; significant debates on the nature and purpose of history; the activist as historian; history from below; gender, sexuality, identity, race and ethnicity; newer areas of enquiry and methodologies; the historian as activist.

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. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

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

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

10
Seminar (or Webinar)

11
Specified Learning Activities

45
Autonomous Student Learning

45
Total

111

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module combines weekly lectures and seminars. In general, the lectures will give a broad overview of the week's topic and the seminars will focus on key historical trends and debates, and examples of these in practice. The seminars also focus on student-led debate and and small-group active / task-based learning using sources related to the weekly topic. Autonomous learning is nurtured through required preparatory reading each week, and formative and summative written assignments. Key historiographical, analytical and critical reading skills are explicitly incorporated into seminar work.

Generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module. Any questions about this should be addressed to the module coordinator.

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): Final essay Week 12 Graded No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Literature Review Week 7 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on their participation during the seminars; this includes engagement in small group work. This is not based on attendance, but rather active discussion and participation. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 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
Spring 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?

Feedback on the end-of-semester Essay Assignment will be given in writing.

Name Role
Dr Jenna Byers Tutor
Hannah Kempel Tutor
Nathan Millin Tutor
Dr Chiara Tedaldi Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 3 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 4 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 5 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 6 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 7 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 8 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 9 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 10 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 12 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 13 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 14 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 16 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 18 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 20 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 11:00 - 11:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.