Introduction and Video

I teach on the MA History of Family which is offered in blended and online format. In any given year there will be a mixture of classroom students as well as online students based not only in Ireland but also in countries such as Australia, Canada, the US and UK. Because students are in multiple locations, and access the classes in different ways, a key challenge for me as a teacher is to ensure that there is a good level of engagement in the class. In this video, produced as part of the Sharing Open Education Practices Using Technology (SHOUT4HE) Erasmus+ project, I describe a simple assessment used in a module I teach on migration history which is open to all MA students in the department of history. The assessment is based on the use of discussion forums and has two key aims – firstly to create an engaged online community, and secondly to encourage students to consider key concepts around migration by applying them to case studies. In the video two students, Bernadette Cunningham (MA History of Family) and Aisling O’Brien (MA Public History and Cultural Heritage) narrate their forum posts, demonstrating how this assessment encourages dialogue and discussion between students.

Supported Tools at UL

A variety of tools and technology resources are referred to in the SHOUT4HE video library which are intended to place the focus on the pedagogical approach and the transferability of the educational practice to other contexts. This does not imply endorsement of tools used and UL staff who teach are encouraged to use supported tools when possible.

In Rachel’s video the pedagogical experience is facilitated through online discussion forums and video. Some of the supported tools in UL to facilitate this are linked here:

About the Author

Dr Rachel Murphy teaches four modules on the MA History of Family. She also works as a post-doctoral researcher on Death and Burial Data: Ireland 1864-1922, a project led by Dr Ciara Breathnach, Associate Professor in History at UL, funded under an Irish Research Council Laureate Award. Rachel completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford. After completing an MA in History of Family at the University of Limerick, she moved to University College Cork where she achieved a PhD in History and Digital Humanities. During this time, she also completed a Higher Diploma in Geographical Information Systems. Rachel’s research interests include the history of family, local history, landed estates, spatial and environmental history.

References/Further Reading

Barkley, E. (2010) Student Engagement Techniques, A Handbook for College Faculty, San Francisco: Jossey Bass

Buelow, Janet R.; Barry, Thomas; Rich, Leigh E., Supporting Learning Engagement with Online Students, Online Learning, v22 n4 p313-340 Dec 2018