Programme Specifications

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

A1. An understanding of the core elements of the discipline, with a focus on cultural heritage, including its historical context, and how it interacts with its technological, social, political, professional and economic environments.

A2. An understanding of the user perspective, including the ability to identify, analyse and evaluate the information needs of different groups and make informed decisions to satisfy them, such as methods of user education and outreach activities.

A3. A knowledge of legal and regulatory issues and, where relevant, of statutory requirements and an ability to identify and apply appropriate measures to the creation, capture, storage, dissemination, retrieval and destruction of information within the statutory and regulatory framework.

A4. The ability to use finding aids or retrieval tools and a knowledge and understanding of the techniques and standards for their creation

A5. The ability to select and acquire materials appropriate to the needs of the users, and the skill to make informed decisions about what should be retained and what can be safely discarded without jeopardising the knowledge base of future generations.

A6. An understanding of the measures necessary to preserve information and materials and how to implement those measures to ensure the future availability of resources

A7. An understanding of the principles of Information and Communications Technologies and their application within an appropriate professional context. Effective interaction with technologies applicable to a wide range of professional tasks, and the ability to evaluate systems, and to explain to technical experts requirements in relation to perceived needs

A8. A understanding of research methods to provide the ability both to undertake independent projects and to evaluate the work carried out by others,

A9. An awareness of professional, legal and ethical concerns connected with information, records and archive-keeping

A10. Knowledge and understanding of human societies in the past through the study of a range of historical periods and themes in more than one country, and in different cultural contexts.

A11. The ability to frame historical questions, and to search for and locate appropriate secondary and primary evidence in diverse forms, including the electronic

A12. The understanding of the social value of History, and the fostering of a lifelong enjoyment of History as a subject.


Learning and Teaching

1. Documentation provided to each student for each course, including course requirements, copies of relevant articles (subject to copyright clearance), and pointers to useful learning resources
2. Formal and time-tabled contact with course tutors, module tutors, lecturers and personal tutors as necessary
3. Lectures, seminars and tutorials. Presentations by practitioners and study visits and tours
4. Independent time for searching, reading, thinking and writing, as well as for group project work
5. Wide range of types of assignments
6. Practical experiments with documents of all kinds in a variety of media to exercise their skills particularly the on the use and interpretation of archival material
7. Consistent and constructive feedback throughout the course
8. Use of computers for, for example, Web searching, Web page design, database creation, access to online hosts, OPACs, electronic journals or for other information-related projects

Assessment Strategies and Methods

The programme includes a variety of assessment methods, including the following:

1. Assignments oriented on the professional environment including, presentations, reports, critiques, briefing documents and action plans – all prepared and presented using appropriate word-processing and other software applications

2. Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work

3. Essay assignments of various lengths

4. Collaborative project work, coordinated through the use of appropriate computer technology

5. Practical exercises in the application of computer software as research tools

6. Development of research proposals through a knowledge of professional skills and the value of investigating them

7. Completion of a dissertation (c.10,000 words) – utilising electronic resources to research the subject area and present the findings (this might include database / spreadsheet and graphical components, in addition to word-processed content)

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

B1 The cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, including the ability to relate and marshal facts, ideas and theories in a well-structured argument. Students will develop the skills to Identify and classify principles and ideas and analyse facts and theories systematically, critically and effectively.

B2 The application of subject knowledge, skills and understanding critically and effectively to real-world situations.

B3 An understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods and their application and utility in the context of evidence-based policy and practice. They will learn to gather, sift and organise material independently and critically, and evaluate its significance.

B4 The ability to manage and reflect on their own learning, including an awareness of personal learning styles. They will learn to manage information and argument in a critical and self-reflective manner.

B5 The appreciation of professional and ethical frameworks, requirements and mechanisms for continuing professional development and lifelong learning.

10.2.2 Professional practical skills / Discipline Specific Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

C1 Information skills, sufficient to be information literate and have the ability to understand user needs and educate users as appropriate, and information retrieval skills in the use of primary and secondary sources irrespective of medium

C2 Familiarity with information sources, in an appropriate range of media and formats, and the ability to identify and use relevant ones effectively. This will include a knowledge of the of the techniques necessary to access them, whether these be linguistic or technical skills

C3 The ability to evaluate information, to identify that which most closely meets the needs of the user and present it in a form that facilitates its use

C4 Effective interaction with the information and communications technologies applicable to a wide range of professional tasks, and the ability to evaluate systems, and to explain to technical experts requirements in relation to perceived needs

C5 The ability to contribute to the management and development of information and heritage services development, and an understanding of research in the work place, predominantly as a tool in professional practice.

Discipline specific skills and knowledge will be developed in and through conventional teaching and learning methods as described in Section 10.1. In addition, students will learn about contemporary professional issues through visits from practitioners and visits to appropriate library and information services.

Assessment strategies as described in Section 10.1 which will include practical work, group work and the expectation of reflection on professional issues and professional practice. The development of presentation, verbal communication and report writing skills is particularly important in relation to professional and discipline based skills.

D1 Autonomy and the ability to learn: Students should demonstrate the ability to link and integrate theory, practice and work experience, undertake independent research; reflect critically on their own learning; seek and make effective use of all manner of feedback; work to deadlines; and interact effectively with tutors and peers

D2 Management skills: Students should demonstrate an ability to: recognise the importance of good management practice, including human and financial resource management, in a variety of contexts; comprehend the relationship between information and organisational structures, functions and goals; make an appropriate selection and application of principles and procedures for the solution of a range of issues; recognise and define problems, and identify suitable resources that can assist in their management or solution; and act independently in time management and planning a programme of work or study.

D3 Communication Skills: Students should demonstrate an ability to: communicate in a clear, systematic and concise way for a range of different purposes and audiences in the language of study: write fluently and effectively; give effective oral presentations in a range of contexts; engage in discussions in a professional and cogent manner; work in groups or teams as a leader or participant in a way that contributes effectively to the group's tasks; negotiate and interact effectively and impartially with individuals and groups in particular communities.

D4 Information and Communications Technology: Students should demonstrate an ability to: create, manipulate and format documents using appropriate software; design presentations using appropriate software; use a range of electronic information systems such as Web browsers, OPACs and online hosts and communicate electronically.

D5 Research Skills: Students should demonstrate an ability to: apply qualitative and quantitative research methods; use research techniques and knowledge of information resources to support service delivery for organisational, client or personal research projects to provide new findings and data, including knowledge of research methods, literature searching, citations, statistics and statistical analysis, and report writing; understand and use a range of research methods and data collection appropriate to academic and professional research, leading to writing of professional quality.

Key skills will be developed through workshop and practical activities and through assessment methods such as oral presentations, group work and presentations. The dissertation element, in which the student is supported by their personal supervisor, allows for the development of professional research skills.

As described in Section 10.1 .Students demonstrate their learning skills through the successful completion of established assessment methods such as essays and reports. Communication skills are assessed through written and oral assessment. Most modules in the programme engage with ICT skills to some degree, and the assessment of many modules includes ICT elements.