University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 1

Availability restrictions: As part of the module curriculum, students will receive instruction in the ethics and law of film and oral history.

Planned timetable: To be confirmed

This module seeks to understand the ways in which history is made visible and audible to non-professional audiences. Although it examines alternative ways of representing history, it explores, critically, common judgements which surround acts of selection, arrangement, and presentation of the past. Through a historical examination of documentaries from the early twentieth century to present, this module encourages students to be reflexive and reflective about the practices of history and archaeology - from research to treatment to script-writing to filming to editing. To this end, students will be taught theories and technical skills necessary to produce their own recordings; they will learn how to approach documentaries critically, and how to write about them effectively. By examining history in relation to the media, this module will explore cultural uses (and abuses) of the past. It is hoped that this module will foster stronger bonds between scholarly and "public" history.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 2 lectures (X10 weeks), 5 practical sessions (X5 weeks), 1 field visit

Scheduled learning hours: 42

Guided independent study hours: 270

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 0%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 100%

Re-assessment: 4000 word essay = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr J F M Clark
Module teaching staff: Dr John Clark, Mr Tom Dawson
Module coordinator email jfc2@st-andrews.ac.uk