UNSW Home > Future Students > Undergraduate > UNSW Life > Learning & Teaching at UNSW > Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
FUTURE STUDENTS
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The School of History conducts an innovative introduction to Australian History in its first year course offerings. Associate Professors Rae Frances and Bruce Scates bring history to life by taking history out of the classroom and by the use of role playing to give students an appreciation of the choices facing the participants.
Every year over 200 students explore historic houses, walk historic street scapes, view exhibitions, sites and artefacts and meet the people responsible for their care.
These excursions also make use of local resources by introducing students of Australian Environmental History to the University’s Permaculture Gardens and by conducting walking tours of Randwick to explore the suburb’s past to remind students that history lies all around them.
The excursions continue into upper level courses where a weekend excursion to view the War Memorial galleries in Canberra is conducted as well as visits to the former Hermannsburg Mission and other remote settlements in Central Australia to foster an appreciation of indigenous histories.
Role playing exercises include acting out scenarios based on responses of the unemployed to the 1890s depression among other topics. Students have rated this exercise as extremely effective in promoting a better understanding of the period they were studying and thought the exercise ‘brought history to life’.
Associate Professors Frances and Scates were awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for teaching excellence in 2002 for their innovative approach to teaching Australian History.
Every year over 200 students explore historic houses, walk historic street scapes, view exhibitions, sites and artefacts and meet the people responsible for their care.
These excursions also make use of local resources by introducing students of Australian Environmental History to the University’s Permaculture Gardens and by conducting walking tours of Randwick to explore the suburb’s past to remind students that history lies all around them.
The excursions continue into upper level courses where a weekend excursion to view the War Memorial galleries in Canberra is conducted as well as visits to the former Hermannsburg Mission and other remote settlements in Central Australia to foster an appreciation of indigenous histories.
Role playing exercises include acting out scenarios based on responses of the unemployed to the 1890s depression among other topics. Students have rated this exercise as extremely effective in promoting a better understanding of the period they were studying and thought the exercise ‘brought history to life’.
Associate Professors Frances and Scates were awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for teaching excellence in 2002 for their innovative approach to teaching Australian History.
