This historical research project can take multiple forms as agreed upon through staff consultation. Some students will work with local cultural institutions (partnership projects) to form a deliverable output; others will undertake a written project, but in a non-standard form such as a website, blog, news article, consultant report, textbook chapter, biography, short film/script, or another platform that engages with specific scholarly or disciplinary audiences. Students begin by developing a viable research question and integrating primary research with judicious use of secondary literature. The focus is on a completed project that produces (or is well-poised to produce) publishable output; or can be used as an historical resource appropriate for an industry partner or target audience. For this reason, this technique is suited to final year courses, especially in disciplines requiring professional portfolios. This technique scaffolds well with a project outline and research proposal. Students receive intermittent feedback through staff consultation, but can also work independently or regularly engage in collegiate discussions via 'topic groups' (comprising broad research interests including Indigenous historical issues, health and medicine, women's history or urban history). This task allows for various presentation styles and so transfers well to fields encouraging interdisciplinary communication and multimodal management.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 100-500
- CLASS LEVEL
- Third year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- High time
- GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
- In-depth knowledge in the field(s) studied, Independence and creativity
- CONDITIONS
- Work-related, Group
- FEATURES
- Authentic
- TAGS
- multimodal, scaffolded, student negotiated assessment, personalised learning
Advantages
A focus on practical research and/or industry partnerships gives students an opportunity to apply theory, research and creative skills in a variety of professional contexts beyond the classroom (as well as experience work integrated learning practices). Student-led projects allow individuals to pursue their own research interests through personalised learning pedagogies. In WRIT2613 this has been observed to cultivate student engagement and agency, often supporting improved student outcomes in terms of experience and calibre of work generated. This technique produces output that may contribute to students' professional portfolios (thus enhancing potential employability) and engages with a variety of modalities relevant to cross-disciplinary audiences (making it highly transferable technique).
Challenges
Some students require guidance selecting a topic. This is solved for by providing some broader categories (from which to develop a topic), or industry partners whom are seeking students for project-based work experience. This can be a time intensive assessment for staff (as they are required to regularly consult with individual students and industry partners), but highly valuable in terms of generating publishable output and building professional networks (for students and staff alike).
Tips for implementation
Marking can be complicated when dealing with multiple submission modalities. Rigorous marking criteria need to be established with this in mind to allow for continuity and fairness in grading.
How it supports academic integrity
This technique may deter academic misconduct by focusing on empirical research and industry partnership (difficult tasks to outsource); and emphasises academic integrity through work integrated learning opportunity.
Authentic learning characteristics
engagement, authenticity and student ownership
Associate Professor Geoff Ginn
g.ginn@uq.edu.au
Geoff teaches British history, urban history, historigraphy and public history in the School of Historical & Philosophical Inquiry. His biography of the English mystic, antiquarian, Freemason and museums pioneer J.S.M. Ward appeared as Archangels & Archaeology: JSM Ward's Kingdom of the Wise in 2012, followed by Culture, Philanthopy and the Poor in Late-Victorian London (Routledge, 2017, paperback edition 2019). His current projects include an ARC Linkage project (2019-2022) to develop a Queensland Atlas of Religon, as well as a book project on the intimate politics of social liberalism in Britain, 1880-1920. Since 2005 he has served on the Board of the State Library of Queensland (to 2008) and the Queensland Museum (2008-2013, 2017-present), and as a judge in the Queensland Literary Awards. Find out more