Macquarie University

Practicing Public History: Modern History PACE - MHIS306

This unit will explore and assess the ways in which history is created, practised and consumed in public. Students design a research project and undertake practical tasks in collaboration with their convenor and external partner. They identify the best way to achieve its objectives, find the relevant research materials and archives, and produce a professional piece of written work that communicates their findings in the most appropriate format. Students also work with people from different backgrounds, give and receive valuable feedback that improves their work, and communicate their findings orally in clear and concise presentations. Students will benefit from first hand engagement with public historians and the practice of history outside the university. The aim is for the PACE unit to encourage Modern History majors to evaluate how their discipline specific knowledge can be used in a variety of workplaces and to encourage students in other disciplines to engage with public history using their disciplinary expertise.