Please find the link to the vidcast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSYb8fQct40
There were some very good marks in this assignment. The two parts of the assignment tested some different skills which may account for the variation of marks between the two assignments.
This is my first vidcast for Y180. Have a look at it and view it as an preliminary to our first conversation.
Let me know if you would like more vidcasts and other support you might want.
Hot off the heels of my vidcast yesterday is a further vidcast about TMA 03. Do use it and take note of the advice, especially about orientating the discussion and planning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfKvCMqlcC0
Update: 23/5/11
At the tutorial last week, a number of students asked about the material that could be used as primary sources. You will see that there is actually a narrow choice within chapter three if you are going to be able to focus on the material relevant to the English civil wars (3.11 to 3.17). Don't exclude the possibility of using sources which might not seem to be directly related to the English experience; there are references to other kingdoms, but these may have some relevance in the English civil wars context.
Centre your responses on the primary sources and what utility they have. Build in relationships to what you know of the historical and historiographical issues where relevant.
Don't be tempted to be distracted by historical narrative. Only mention narrative insofar as it is relevant to the question.
Please find my vidcast feedback. The assignment was one which students generally found difficult. We will need to consider the implications as this sort of question could come up again. I hope my feedback is helpful but get back to me if you have any specific questions. Feel free to leave comments here or send me an e-mail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnrxXYn6pM
Assignment advice update!
The working connections this time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOSH_IoeaCw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggvgw7AmcoU
Please click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B0qj98k3X4
Let me know if you need any further advice.
Best wishes
Nick
Please visit my vidcast for advice. I would be grateful for your feedback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgJHTf55reM
Hello all
Here's my vidcast. I'm concerned that the video and audio doesn't seem properly synchronised, which is a shame. I'll try to work out if I can do it better.
Let me know if you like this way of learning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzNwIUkHvPk
Hi all
We had a great staff development session last week in the Gateshead centre.
There were about 40 Arts ALs and senior managers present.
Let me know if you like the format of these or if you would prefer something else.
Click the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfnQJXm_uWI
The deadline for the assignment is 17 March. It comes in two parts and you need to answer each in about 500 words.
The idea here is to practice your skills in using primary sources and you will need to demonstrate awareness of issues in using them, as well as understanding of these sources in the context of issues discussed in Block One. You can draw on the information on the units, my tutorial on using primary sources, my Block One tutorial, and also the Tutor Forum (my commentary on a Charles the Bold source might be a good starting point).
Part 1: The guidance notes are really good here. Make sure you read Curry and Allmand to give you some context as well as relevant sections of Block One on France. Think about the historical debates about using this type of evidence and think of the strengths and weakness of using such sources in history.
Part 2: Some of you may find this a bit more difficult because it's not a written source of evidence but you are given information about how you can engage with sources in the guidance notes. There are quite a long list of thing you can consider. Make sure you also comment on the strengths and weaknesses of this as a source, perhaps comparing it with others of its type in some way.
Blog update: 14/3/11
One of my students has asked me how much emphasis they need to place on secondary sources. My reply was:
'What you need to do is make sure that you use the secondary sources to help you understand the context of the historical issues surrounding the sources which should help you to answer the about what you can learn from the sources. If you find yourself simply summarising Chris Allmand, for example, you will find that will not be answering the question. Use the secondary sources to help you to decide what you learn and how useful the source is as evidence related to the historical issues.'
Please note that at tomorrow's 9 AM tutorial we will cover Marlowe & Faustus and look at the assignment.
We will run through the basics of Elluminate again. Make sure you have your microphone and webcam handy, if you have these.
On Saturday between 1.30 and 3.30 at Northumbria University we will be looking at some relevant issues in Block One.
Part of the presentation from me will involve a summary of the main issues in relation to state formation and power in Burgundy in the fifteenth century. We will also cover France if there is time.
I also want students to have some time to practice analysis of primary sources so I have two sources for our discussion. PLEASE BRING YOUR ANTHOLOGY AND VISUAL SOURCE BOOKLET.
The last part of the tutorial will involve discussion of the forthcoming assignment - TMA 01 - so do bring your questions for me.
I have arranged the following dates for tutorials. These are provisional and could be subject to change, but do keep the dates handy.
All tutorials will run from 9 to 10.30 British Time.
The dates:
April 9, May 7, June 4, July 2, July 30, September 10.
To help students in what I would have to consider I've broken my students down into area so you can see. The Hague seem to be the place where the majority reside.
Luxembourg 2
The Hague 11
Copenhagen 1
Brussels 1
Helsinki 1
Students in other groups may live too far away but I can check if there is sufficient interest.
Next Saturday (19 Feb) at 4 pm will be the first online tutorial. I'm new to this and so will many students so we can learn together. I'm proposing to take us through a short tutorial on using the system and then we'll have time to discuss some issues about the coruse generally and the material on Cleopatra. I'm proposing to 'set up' fifteen minutes before so the web room will be ready to use at 3.45 British time.
To access the forum students will need to go to the online tutorial option under course resources. There will be some prompts to get you on the system. You may need to download software throught the process (all free). I recommend that you do this by 3.30 on the day of the tutorial to make sure this is all achieved in time. Let me know if you have trouble.
You may find it useful to have with you a microphone and webcam. The microphone my be useful if you want to contribute to the discussion verbally.
It was good to meet students yesterday and we had a very interesting discussion about using primary sources and writing history. This was designed as means to introduce studying history and to ensure that students were aware, at the start of the course, of the important part that consideration of these issues will have in the course and for studying history more generally.
Sometimes students don't put enough emphasis on the issues surrounding using evidence or to recognise different methods of enquiry and schools of thought in their work, so it was useful to spend time helping to raise students' awareness.
A copy of the tutorial notes can be found on the combined tutor forum.
Every year about this time students ask me about the exam. My advice is this...
Don't worry too much about the exam just yet, but you're right to think about it. You will get some specific help with revising later but, in the meantime, make sure you keep notes that you can use later for revision; in other words, make sure that you organise your notes in such a way that they can be read and understood later on.
Students sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of material they get at the beginning of the course. As this is the Introductory Week, you should concentrate on familiarising yourself with the sort of material you going to be using and and follow discussion in the course materials. If you're feeling unconfident, the worst that you can do is start to flick through materials your going to be looking at in the weeks or months ahead. Make sure you check the online forums, particular the tutor-led discussion forum. Postings are already being submitted and you need to begin now to start to use it.
Another year is upon us at the OU. This is my ninth! I am looking forward to working with my new groups for AA100 and A200. Y160 is coming to an and this is my last presentation on this course before it's replaced with Y180 in June.
It's always a good time sorting out the student lists and preparing my office files for the year ahead. Now I need to start thinking about my first tutorials and forum postings.
Nice to see a few familiar names from past courses and to come across people I've known from outside the University too.
I had some really good training today (1st Feb) on Elluminate, an online way of delivering tutorials, which seems really excellent, particularly for my AA100 students all in the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Luxembourg and Belgium.
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