This course explores one of the key issues historians confront: how to periodise the past? By examining the impact of phenomena as small as germs and events as great as atomic detonations we can see that dynasties and revolutions are not the only events that have marked historical turning points. Through seminars led by professional historians and peer workshops, students will develop their capacity to design and present their research projects. The course  will also train students to effectively communicate research orally.

 

Learning Outcomes

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

1. demonstrate understanding of periodisation in history;
2. demonstrate the capacity to apply the concept of periodisation to various fields and periods of history;
3. critically analyse the range of documentary resources and historical interpretations considered in the course;
4. demonstrate strong research, writing and analytical skills; and
5. present, discuss and evaluate historical material in oral form.

Research-Led Teaching

This course is delivered in two modules: the first is concentrated in Weeks ,1 and 2, with seminars held Monday-Friday. The second module - which will be of a more reflective kind, allowing students to reflect on their own work - will be held on the Mondays of weeks 11 and 12. The convenor will lead all classes, many of which will feature a presentation from a member of the School of History reflecting on their own area of research expertise. The staging of oral presentations will occur at a School symposium to be held during the examination period in November, exact timing TBC.

Field Trips

None

Additional Course Costs

None

Examination Material or equipment

None

Required Resources

Readings selected by the experts and the Convenor are available through the ANU Library and links will be posted on the course Canvas site.

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.

Staff Feedback

• The Convenors will provide written and verbal feedback to individual students and the cohort. However, students will also give and receive feedback from their fellow students.

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	Periodisation: Why do we do it and what does it do?	Readings completed in advance
2	Did Women Experience a transformation in the Roman World?	Readings completed in advance
3	The French Revolution and the Politics of New Time	Readings completed in advance
4	The Uses of Periodisation in Historical Writing	Readings completed in advance
5	Periodisation in Environmental History	Readings completed in advance
6	How to Periodise Colonisation	Readings completed in advance
7	Fascism in Temporal Perspective	Readings completed in advance
8	Feminism: 'Waves' or Periods?	Readings completed in advance
9	Periodizing the Cold War	Readings completed in advance
10	Sex and Secularism	Readings completed in advance
11	Peer review workshop	Feedback prepared in advance
12	Presenting your work(shop)

Tutorial Registration

Seminar class: all students are expected to attend each seminar session.

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage .

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Marking Time with Sources assignment	20 %	17/08/2026	1,2,3,4
Case study in Periodisation	30 %	21/09/2026	1,2,3,4
Thesis Presentation Text	25 %	*	1,2,3,4
Thesis Presentation	15 %	*	3,4,5
Contribution to Collective Learning	10 %	*	1,5

* 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 ‘Canvas’ 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.

Participation

All presentations will take place in person. Remote participation is allowed only under exceptional circumstances.

Assessment Task 1

Marking Time with Sources assignment

Choose two primary sources relevant to your Honours thesis for analysis. Compare and contrast these to explore issues of change and continuity over time in relation to your topic.

LENGTH: 1500 words, excluding bibliography and references.

Assessment Task 2

Case study in Periodisation

Choose a topic from your thesis OR an historical event, practice, idea, movement, etc. that is suitable for a case study in periodisation. Write an essay that uses periodisation to illuminate your case study OR uses the case study to explore issues of periodisation.

 

Students will be offered an opportunity to discuss their case study and approach with the course convenor.

LENGTH: 2500 words, excluding bibliography and references.

Assessment Task 3

Thesis Presentation Text

This text should be an overview of your thesis, which touches on all chapters and your most significant findings.

It must include:

1.    Your topic and its historical significance

2.    The problem or question you set out to solve

3.    The sources and methods you used to solve them

4.    Your key findings and their significance

Your text should include your full bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

 

LENGTH: 2,000 words (excluding bibliography)

Assessment Task 4

Thesis Presentation

Using the thesis presentation text as the basis for your ‘script’, your presentation should demonstrate your skills at oral presentation. Students will have a workshop to prepare them for this task.

 

LENGTH: 15 minutes

Assessment Task 5

Contribution to Collective Learning

For each session, you must complete assigned readings prior to the seminar, and come prepared to engage with your peers and seminar leaders on the topic or task of the day. In the latter part of seminars, students will be invited to engage constructively with each other's research and writing in peer-to-peer format.

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.

Returning Assignments

The Convenor will endeavour to return graded written assignments, with comments, no later than two weeks post submission. This time frame will not apply to late submissions.

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.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students may not resubmit assignments.

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