HIS31840

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding the course, conduct and consequences of the First World War.
2. Assess the historiography of the cultural history of First World War.
3. Present aspects of the historical debate on the war orally and engage in discussion.
4. Write scholarly essays appropriate for a Level Three student of History.

Indicative Module Content:

The course is structured to the first six weeks students learn what happened in the First World War happened year by year. The lectures provide a narrative of what happened, and there is also a focus on a theme in the readings each each week. Week 1: 1914 – origins and outbreak. Week 2: 1915 – atrocities. Week 3: 1916 – industrial slaughter and soldier experience. Week 4: 1917 – mutiny and revolution. Week 5: 1918 – winners and losers. Week 6: 1919 – peacemaking and demobilisation. The second half of the course focuses on themes, as students will now have enough knowledge to analyse them critically. Week 7: war literature. Week 8: propaganda, culture, and mobilisation. Week 9: shell shock and trauma. Week 10: mourning, memory, and memorials. Week 11: Empire.

Student Effort Hours:

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

This is a small-group, seminar-based module. It is taught through a one-hour weekly lecture and a two-hour seminar. The weekly lecture provides an overview of the week’s topic, focusing upon key historical trends, debates and events. The weekly seminar is focused upon individual active / task-based learning by means of class debates, discussion and student presentations. Advanced research, writing and citation skills are developed through a combined individual student presentation, discussion board contributions, and a semester-long 4,000 word research project. Autonomous learning is advanced through student-led debate and discussion of set primary sources and / or student presentations each week.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Incompatibles:
HIS31700 - Origins of the First World War, HIS31790 - War guilt, 1914


 

Assessment Strategy

 

Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the presentation performance and text is given in writing with the returned assignment. Written and oral feedback will be provided on an ongoing basis on preparatory plans and primary and secondary source bibliographies for end-of-semester Research Papers. Feedback on the end-of-semester Research Papers will be given by appointment in one-to- one meetings