Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Global History

Credit Points: 12.00

Important Information:

In 2024, this course is titled 'Global History and Security'.

From 2025 this course is titled 'Global History'.

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
SOCU1026	City Campus	Undergraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 1 2014, Sem 1 2015, Sem 1 2016, Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 1 2024, Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Dr Alexis Bergantz

Course Coordinator Phone: +(61 3) 9925 8203

Course Coordinator Email: alexis.bergantz@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 37.5.34

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

In this course you will explore the making of the modern world and of our global society. The course begins with the expansion of the Silk Road and the devastating impact of the Black Death on Europe and Asia. We will examine the development of an international order of sovereign states during the Age of Revolutions and of Global Empires. The course ends with the convergence and interactions that have shaped the twentieth century and our contemporary era of globalisation.  

This course focuses on key historical events, people and processes through which the world became increasingly interconnected. We will problematise and analyse the concept and phenomenon of globalisation and pay attention to the networks of people and ideas that have driven global transformations. You will gain a historically-informed understanding of contemporary society by examining the interactions between colonial and Indigenous powers, the development of a system of sovereign and independent states, and the development of social, economic and cultural relationships between Oceania, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. You will learn to analyse, compare and critically assess first-hand perspectives of historical actors through a variety of texts and images.

 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes 

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

PLO2. Navigate international complexity using disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, practice and research.  

PLO4. Address challenges to international security, society and development in ways that are holistic, ethical and respectful of diverse knowledge systems. 

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

CLO1 Critically evaluate and assess the pertinence, usefulness and contribution of historical sources and arguments to historical understanding.
CLO2 Analyse and reflect on the effectiveness of different modes of historical communication in academic and public contexts.
CLO3 Evaluate and compare the ways history is communicated to identify strengths, limitations, and audience impact.
CLO4 Examine history as a discipline to understand its role in interpreting globalisation and globalising processes across different contexts.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be engaged in learning that involves a range of activities in a variety of settings including lectures, group problem-solving exercises and debates. A structured tutorial program is provided to give you the opportunity to explore global issues in greater depth through active participation in small group discussions and collaborative activities.

Overview of Learning Resources

There is no required textbook, RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.   

You will be able to access  a wide range of library resources and online learning tools and content for your course from the student portal, myRMIT.  

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Reflective Journal, 25%, CLO1, CLO3, CLO4.

Assessment Task 2: Annotated Bibliography, 35%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3.

Assessment Task 3: Video Presentation – Critical Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Essay Question, 40%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.