HIST 3815A: Group Practicum
Winter 2024
Instructor: Professor John Walsh
Introduction: This is an exciting new course being offered for the first time. Students will work collaboratively with the course instructor and an employer on a research project that will have a final deliverable to be presented as a group at the end of the term. It is intended to mimic the kind of project-based work done in research firms, the public service, and especially in the heritage and culture sector more broadly. Depending on the project, and details will be announced in Fall 2023, students will likely work both individually as well as in small teams with the course instructor mentoring and supporting the tasks. At various points across the term, we will share our research with the employer.
Eligibility: This course is restricted to all students with a third- or fourth-year standing in a History program, but you also need to get permission to register from the course instructor. To get permission, please contact the course instructor directly via email to express interest. In that email, please indicate whether or not you are enrolled in the Public History Concentration. Students who have already taken, or plan to take, HIST 3807: Practicum are welcome (and encouraged!) to also take 3815 since the experience in this course will complement rather than overlap the individualized learning and work done in 3807.
Class Format: The class is scheduled for one 3 hr block / week, and we will use that time in the first few weeks of the course to organize ourselves as a group as the project begins. In later weeks, that block of time will be used for students to meet and work with the course instructor either one-on-one or in small groups. However, students are also expected to be available for 5 more hrs / week to devote to the coursework. The total of 8 hours per week is the equivalent of a single work day per week. Since we are working with an employer, who is also in some ways our “client,” it is essential that the work is done weekly and this will be rewarded in the course grades allocated. Attendance to scheduled classes and meetings is therefore essential, and is thus a valued part of the final course grade.
Aims and Goals: Like HIST 3807, students in HIST 3815 will gain experience in how historians apply their skills and knowledge to work done outside the academic discipline. As such it provides a rare opportunity for reflection about what being a “historian” means beyond the academic definition of that term. Students also learn about the dynamics, opportunities, and challenges of working in professional workplace environments. Students will also get more hands-on training and experience with managing research projects, skills that will not only serve their academic goals but will also be an important feature on a professional resume.
Assessment: A final grade will be calculated based on attendance (15%), weekly tasks (50%), and the final project (35%).
Questions? Please email me at: john(dot)walsh(at)carleton(dot).ca