Becoming a well-rounded historian depends on the acquisition of professional skills as well as the deepening of intellectual engagement. Key skills and capabilities include being able to situate one's own research within a broader historical field, identify the key 'question' or 'problem' which that project addresses, and communicate historical ideas and interpretations in appropriate styles, genres and modes. Historians now need to be able to engage with a wide range of audiences, to speak publicly about their own research in academic, pedagogical and public contexts, and to translate research into accessible - including digital and online - forms. They also engage with the work of others through various forms of reviewing (books, films, exhibitions and peer review of unpublished research). And they make connections between their own research discoveries and public and policy debate through opinion pieces, essays, expert advice, and media interviews and commentary. This course will offer instructional programs and activities designed to nourish and enhance the professional development of historians in the widest sense.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- understand the key principles and practices of communicating historical research and knowledge effectively to diverse audiences;
- translate a piece of their own historical research for a particular audience in a suitable format;
- articulate in succinct spoken and written form the key problem or question to which their research contributes;
- present a clear, concise and critical summary of their research project to an audience of peers, and respond effectively and appropriately to questions about content, method, argument, historiography, and contribution;
- contribute constructively to history-focused activities designed to deepen intellectual engagement, such as reading and writing groups, work-in-progress seminars, and conferences and workshops; and
- develop a repertoire of capabilities, and evidence of those capabilities, to enhance employability in academic and professional positions
