Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3047: Oral History: Principles and Practice

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • What makes Oral History Different?
  • Voices from the Past: the Potential and Uses of Oral History
  • Oral History and Poisonous Knowledge: Trauma and Testimony
  • Perspectives from Practitioners: Q and A with oral historian
  • Memory and Oral History
  • Ethics and Risks workshop
  • Technical Skills workshop
  • Partners in Knowledge Production: Interview Skills workshop
  • Preparing for the Archive: Transcription and Editing workshop

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities2211 x 2 hour classes. You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate
Guided independent study555 hours per week for allocated readings and general seminar/workshop preparation
Guided independent study10First formative assessment (interviewing each other and group presentation)
Guided independent study5Second formative assessment (generating questions, clearing them with the teacher)
Guided independent study12Risk and ethics assessment
Guided independent study46Completing major assignment (interview, preparation of materials, presentation)

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Some relevant online Oral History projects and initiatives:

Middle East:

Al-Nakba’s Oral History Project

https://www.palestineremembered.com/OralHistory/

Arab Immigration Oral History Digital Collection

https://ufdc.ufl.edu/oharab

Arabic Communities: People Portraits by Duke Students

https://sites.duke.edu/arabiccommunities/

The Iranian Oral History Project

https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/projects/iohp

Young People From Diyarbakir and Mugla Speak Out (Gencler Anlatiyor)

http://www.gencleranlatiyor.org/static/english/main/v8.html


Local to Devon:

Telling our Stories, Finding our Roots: Exeter’s Multicultural History

http://www.tellingourstoriesexeter.org.uk/

Cornish Story

http://cornishstory.com/


General

The Oral History Society

www.oralhistory.org.uk

Oral History Collections of the British Library

https://sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history

Oral History Collections at the Library of Congress

https://www.loc.gov/collections/?fa=subject:oral+histories

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group presentation (reflecting on interviewing each other)15 mins1-5Verbal feedback from peers and teacher
Draft list of interview questions and interviewee profile (teacher must sign off before interview)1000 words1-3Verbal (if requested, written) feedback from teacher

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
30070

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Ethical and Risk Assessment301500 words1-2Full written (verbal on request)
Oral History Interview and Reflective/Analytical Presentation60Materials from the interview, comprising: transcribed clip of up to 5 minutes, edited version (sound/film) of the interview suitable for digital archiving; written draft of presentation with any relevant images. 15-minute presentation (individual or group, as appropriate)3-8Full written (verbal on request)
Class participation1011 x 2hr seminars1-2, 5Written
0
0
0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Ethical and Risk AssessmentEssay to be set by module convenor (2000 words – 30%)1-2August/September reassessment period
Analytical EssayEssay to be set by module convenor (3000 words – 60%) 1, 4-5August/September reassessment period
Seminar ParticipationSee notes (10%)1-2, 5See notes

Re-assessment notes

There can be no referral/deferral of the seminar participation element of assessment (10% of mark) – the original mark will be carried over in the event of referral/deferral of other elements of assessment.