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On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of Victorian culture
Identify and research an independent topic within the given subject area, making effective use of primary and secondary sources.
Apply appropriate conceptual and theoretical approaches to the critique and analysis of source materials of diverse types (i.e. literary; historical; visual; cultural, etc).
Communicate the research findings clearly and purposefully for a non-academic audience.
This module offers students a chance to define and carry out independent research into a cultural topic from the Victorian period that extends their discipline basis (literature and history) into a broader interdisciplinary basis. Students will be expected to work with source materials of diverse formats and types (literary, historical, biographical, visual, etc) and to identify and apply theoretical approaches to facilitate this.
The module will be research-led in that staff expertise will describe and analyse key research topics within the Victorian period and guide students toward new developments and approaches. Sample topics here might include medical history; travel writing; spectacle and display, and the cultural legacy of famous Victorians, such as the Brontes. The module is research-informed in that the focus is on the concepts and skills required to define and undertake such cultural research. The students should be equipped to generate new research or develop existing research and will not be required to work within the topics outlined and exemplified.
The module aims to cover 2 key areas. The first is on managing interdisciplinary research and the sessions will outline the particular research concepts, approaches, and issues relevant to interdisciplinary research. The second is on developing an understanding of the potential public impact of academic knowledge and the requirements for presenting academic knowledge in purposeful and striking ways in order to win attention and interest in that knowledge and the ideas it contains. The final assessment includes a TED Talk-style presentation. This is chosen because TED Talks have a clear structure for producing effective public presentations and good supporting materials for designing and preparing them. Students will work with this guidance to design and prepare their presentations and formative feedback will be offered on this aspect.
Seminars/workshops
Hours: 24
Intended Group Size: 30
Guided independent study
Hours: 176
Further details relating to assessment
Assessment 1 - Report: this is an initial proposal for the project, outlining the project hypothesis; that value of that hypothesis within the current debates in the subject area; the main primary and secondary sources; the methodologies to be applied, and a timetable (Gant-chart) for the project. These issues will be addressed in early sessions and formative feedback will be given before the report is submitted.
Assessment 2 - TED Talk-style presentation: detailed research projects normally result in an academic essay, but this assessment tests the ability to be nimble with knowledge and to develop ways of communicating complex information clearly and effectively to non-academic audiences. The standardised format for the TED Talks focuses student attention on identifying the potential impact or application for their findings and also on the process of presenting information clearly and concisely. The project explanation is a shorter report, submitted at the presentation, that explains how the elements of the initial proposal were developed and this is where the academic integrity of the project is secured - though again the deliberately short timescale means that students will have to think about the ways of presenting complex information with clarity.
Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level -
Credit Value -
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered -
