This course engages with the critical issues surrounding oral history and heritage, and offers students the practical means to conduct their own oral history projects in a heritage management context. The course responds to calls in the literature to embed oral history in heritage practice, and considers the global trend in heritage legislation to more closely consider intangible heritage and social value in both the identification and management of heritage places and collections.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. engage with current debates (nationally and internationally) around memory and place, and the role of memory in identifying and managing heritage sites and collections;
2. conduct oral history interviews, with an eye to creating a record of the varied and changing uses and meanings of places over time; and
3. relate oral history to heritage practice and the heritage management sector, and articulate its attendant ethical implications.

Examination Material or equipment

Recommended Resources – Recording Equipment and Standards

For recording

Recording equipment will be made available – I have three ZOOM 4/5 recorders and 2 external microphones, which will produce industry-standard recordings. This equipment will need to be shared/on rotation while you’re conducting oral history interviews. If you are working with an institution/library they will also have recording equipment available for you to loan. Please check this (for example, The ACT Heritage Library have some ZOOM recorders available for our use). Alternatively, if you have your own recording equipment, you may use that. Ensure the sound quality is of a high standard. Please do not rely on your mobile phones; they won’t produce the sound quality required for most collecting institutions.

If you wish for your recording to be deposited and archived by an institution, be aware that they may have format restrictions (WAV not Mp3) and stricter sound quality standards Please confirm what these standards and restrictions are before conducting any interviews.

Oral History NSW offer very useful guidelines and suggestions on recording equipment, software and storage options: https://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/equipment - and we will go through these in our seminars. The National Association also have some useful resources: https://oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/guidance/practise/

For editing audio

(Cutting bits/rearranging etc): Audacity is free open access software and reasonably easy to use: https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/

For transcription

While you are not expected to write a full transcript of your interview, you are expected to write a timed/logged summary/index as part of your assessment. If you would like to have a go at transcribing yourself, the following is free and easy to use: Express Scribe (free from NCH website: https://www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Recommended Readings

All required and suggested readings will appear, in some form, on the Wattle page for this course.

Students are encouraged to read widely, and, for their assessment, to read beyond the required reading list. There are set readings for each seminar week, which are listed at the end of this course guide. The following is a list of top recommended readings, most of which we will also discuss in seminars:

Australia ICOMOS. 2000. The Burra Charter: the Australia ICOMOS charter for places of cultural significance: with associated guidelines and code on the ethics of co-existence, Australia ICOMOS, Burwood.

Byrne, Denis, Helen Brayshaw & Tracey Ireland, Social Significance: a discussion paper, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2003.

Hamilton, Paula and Linda Shopes. Oral History and Public Memories. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008.

Hutchison, M and P Grist, ‘Building on experience: the potential of oral history to conserve the ‘deep city’ in Australia’s national capital’, Deep Cities Routledge, 2020.

Perks, R. and Thomson, A., 2015. The oral history reader. Third Edition. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge.

Pocock, Celmara, David Collett, and Linda Baulch. "Assessing stories before sites: identifying the tangible from the intangible." International Journal of Heritage Studies 21, no. 10 (2015): 962-982.

Prinsen, D., “Oral history and attachment to place in cultural heritage management: A case study of the shack community at Era, Royal National Park, NSW.” Oral History Association of Australia Journal 35 (2013).

Thomson, Alistair. “Four Paradigm Transformations in Oral History.” The Oral History Review, 34, no. 1 (2007): 49-70.

Tbc - further

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Oral History: Connecting with Public History and Critical HeritageStudies – connecting concepts and theories in theliterature
2	Oral History and Ethics– ethicaland methodological challenges; ethical protocols and practices when workingwith interviewees and communities
3	Oral Historyand Research Practice – PRE-INTERVIEW:Researching and preparing an interview for an oral history project INTERVIEWING:Interviewing methods, practice interviews
4	Oral History and RecordingTechs & Specs – TECHNICAL WORKSHOP with Andrew Host of OralHistory NSW/ACT (sound engineer)
5	Oral History and Interpretation – Active listeningduring and after the interview / learning to listen / analysis exercises post-interview
6	SHOWCASE: Oral History and Library Projects / Your Assessment – the expectations of community projects Guest: Brigid Whitbread (Queanbeyan Heritage Library) Guest: Antoinette Buchanan (ACT Heritage Library) Creating resources for future use, and sometimes for clients (commissioned oral history work)
7	Oral History and Heritage Identification Work –place and the role of oral history in heritage management practices?
8	Oral History and Museums – sound/audio, spaceand visitor engagement  Guest: Mary Hutchison (ANUCentre for Heritage and Museum Studies) on ‘Sound and oral history in museumspaces: sound, oral history and agency’
9	Oral History and Archives – preservation andcollections management TBC - field trip NLA or NLA guest
10	Oral history, Genealogy, and Family History– nostalgia, affect and politics
11	Oral history and DigitalHumanities Projects - practice,preservation and dissemination
12	StudentPresentations

Tutorial Registration

n/a

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
ASSESSMENT TASK 1: PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET AND CONSENT FORM	20 %	2, 3
ASSESSMENT TASK 2: INTERVIEW RECORDING (AUDIO) AND SUMMARY/LOG	30 %	2
ASSESSMENT TASK 3: ESSAY	40 %	1, 2, 3
ASSESSMENT TASK 4: PRESENTATION	10 %	1, 3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

ASSESSMENT TASK 1: PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET AND CONSENT FORM

Details of task:

1. Participant Information Sheet, which: outline your project, its aims, and what you’re asking of the interviewee (template on Wattle)

2. Consent Form (template on Wattle) – which will be used in your oral history project, and provided to your eventual interviewee.

Word limit: max 1500

Value: 20%

Presentation requirements: uploaded to Wattle.

Estimated return date: 2 weeks after submission.

Assessment Task 2

ASSESSMENT TASK 2: INTERVIEW RECORDING (AUDIO) AND SUMMARY/LOG

You will be conducting your own oral history interview with an interviewee as part of a contribution to an existing project or collection – please see listed table (on Wattle) to pick a project/collection to which you will contribute. You can begin by conducting secondary research around the period/place/event that most concerns your interviewee and the project to which you will be contributing. You will need to contact the relevant person administering the project to get in contact with potential interviewees. Again, please see the table above. It is your responsibility to organise your interview and to communicate clearly with your interviewee, before the interview, as to the aims and outcomes of your interview with them. Part of this involves providing them with a Participant Information Sheet (Assessment One). This process will be discussed in class.

Please note, however, that if you choose to do one of the projects listed above, the relevant administering organisation will have their own Information Sheets, Consent Forms, sound quality standards, and processes for depositing interview recordings. PLEASE CHECK. ACT Heritage Library and Queanbeyan Library share forms (one Rights Agreement that covers both deposits) that clearly flag the future use of the recording (eg. For researchers accessing the library’s collections).

Information on conducting interviews (and the research beforehand) will be covered in Seminars in the first half of semester. You won’t go into an interview unprepared.

Details of task:

1. An audio copy of your interview recording (uploaded to Wattle, or, if too big, submitted to the course coordinator via a URL link)

a. And of course remember to submit it to the relevant institution/project for which it was conducted (ACT Heritage Library).

2. A timed index of your oral history interview. The index must include: place names, proper nouns and other names, important events or dates—all timed, and formatted in a table. Examples will be distributed in seminars (or ‘interview log’ – see Wattle documents for examples).

Word limit: [oral history interview should be at least 35mins, ideally 1 hour; index/summary should be at least 2 pages]

Value: 30%

Presentation requirements: uploaded to Wattle.

Estimated return date: 2 weeks after submission.

Assessment Task 3

ASSESSMENT TASK 3: ESSAY

Details of task:

Essay of 3000 words max on your oral history interview, the wider research context/historical narratives in which to ‘read’ the oral history interview, and/or the project/collection to which it contributes.

Your essay should critically engage with the oral history and heritage studies literature.

Please choose one of the following questions to answer in your essay:

1. How might we extrapolate personal stories to larger, social stories? That is, how does your oral history interview confirm or contradict popular or official historical narratives about particular social phenomena/places/events/groups?

2. Reflect on the interpersonal relationship and process of conducting an oral history interview as an insider/outside to the community—how has this shaped the resultant oral history?

3. You may also choose to explore further any one of the tutorial/seminar questions listed below (in the course guide) – with reference to your own oral history interview.

Place of Heritage-Specific Questions

4. How does your oral history contribute to/fit into a wider heritage project, conservation concern or historical question? eg. the heritage work (interpretation and valuation) around a particular site, suburb, local area, or heritage collection.

5. Does the interview identify any cultural landscapes or places that are of ‘significance’ / have ‘social value’? (according to Burra Charter principles) – how can you ‘read’ your oral history from a heritage management perspective? (see literature)

Word limit (where applicable): 3000

Value: 40%

Estimated return date: two weeks after submission

Rubric

Criterion A - effectively understood and reflected	Criterion B - engaged with relevant critical liter	Criterion C - consistency in presentation, formatt	Criterion D - skill in expression and language

Assessment Task 4

ASSESSMENT TASK 4: PRESENTATION

Details of Task:

During our last lecture in Week 12, you’ll be given the opportunity to present on your work throughout semester. Please speak for 10 minutes detailing the research, approach and outcomes of your oral history project, paying particular attention to your interviewee and the contribution you’ve made to the wider heritage project, and the social values identified.

Submit your powerpoint presentation to Wattle after you’ve given your presentation.

Value: 10%

Estimated return date: two weeks after submission

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students