History Beyond The Classroom (HSTY3902)
In this University of Sydney unit students produce an independently framed and original researched project drawn from a 10-hour engagement with communities and organisations outside the University. Students explore history in action in a variety of contexts and think about different ways of creating and disseminating history other than the traditional research essay that might appeal to a public audience. Lectures and field trips help students frame relevant community-based questions, adopt appropriate methodologies, and explore new ways of presenting arguments or narratives. In tutorials we workshop every stage of the students' individual projects.
Part of the aim of this unit is to introduce students to history as a lived and lifelong practice and to appreciate history as a vital individual, community, and organisational practice. Together, we explore a variety of histories in action via time spent working with or alongside community organisations outside the University and discuss the challenges and opportunities of history beyond the classroom. In keeping with this idea, we also explore different formats for presenting our histories that might reach a wider and more public audience. In doing so, we also discuss the vital questions around the issue of whether reaching for a wider audience means changing or diminishing academic standards.
In 2019, a project developed by student Kieran Bonin for History Beyond the Classroom was awarded the Macquarie University Centre for Applied History Award by the History Council of NSW.
Examples of Student Projects
Parramatta Female Factory Friends: Documentary
By Michael Rees (2015)
Temple Society Australia: Cook Book & Instagram
By Steph Beck (2015)
Redfern Legal Centre: Website
By Sara Golru (2015)
NSW Writers’ Centre: Walking Tour
By Cassandra Watson (2015)
About the Unit
Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
Also drawing on skills and knowledge gained in senior intermediate units, students will independently frame and research a historical question of their choosing, identify and analyse sources, and construct an evidence-based argument. In lectures and workshops guiding students through this process, the unit aims to develop:
independent learning
a firm grasp of the principles, practices and boundaries of the discipline of history
awareness of the historian’s ethical responsibilities towards colleagues, research subjects and the wider community
the ability to use appropriate media, tools, and methodologies to locate, access and use information
oral and written skills of communication
A student who completes this unit will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of a period, place or culture of the past
Demonstrate an understanding of one approach to interpreting the past
Identify and interpret written, visual and material primary sources and secondary materials such as monographs, scholarly articles, websites and documentaries
Examine historical issues by undertaking research that begins with a problem, establishes its historical context, and uses methodologies chosen from a range of disciplines to solve that problem
Analyse historical evidence, scholarship and changing representations of the past, using the skills of sifting through information to weigh its significance and close reading of various texts
Construct an evidence-based argument or narrative and present it in one of a variety of forms