Sarah Jones

@callingdrjones.bsky.social

Historian @UoBrisHistory: sexuality, science, print culture, c19th/c20th. Increasingly nerdy about pedagogy. I love trifle. (she/her)

How do we enhance the engagement of history students in their degree programmes? A new article - 'Rethinking Engagement: Insights from UK History Departments' - bit.ly/4viEKru, by Sarah Jones and Simon Peplow offers discipline-specific proposals. Latest Open Access article in 'Transactions' 1/2

Front page of Transactions of the Royal Historical Society article: 'Rethinking Engagement: Insights from UK History Departments', by Sarah Jones and Simon Peplow.

Full abstract: 'This comment examines the shifting landscape of student engagement in UK history departments, drawing on research conducted at the universities of Bristol and Warwick. Moving beyond narrow definitions of engagement as attendance, the study explores the complex interplay of workload pressures, relationships and community, and the cultures and environments of learning that shape students’ everyday experiences. Student testimony highlights how financial precarity, mental‑health challenges and competing demands on their time profoundly influence how (and indeed if) they engage. At the same time, factors – ranging from staff/student interactions to seminar atmosphere and assessment design – are powerful determinants of whether students feel able and motivated to participate fully. While acknowledging the broader socio‑economic forces that constrain both staff and students, the comment proposes a set of principled, discipline‑specific approaches centred on reflection, communication, adaptability and compassion. It argues that, although no single solution can resolve the problem of engagement, history departments can meaningfully support students by cultivating inclusive, responsive and relational learning environments.'

Excited to launch, with @callingdrjones.bsky.social, 'History in Practice' - an informal space to collectively share, reflect, and collaborate on all things related to history teaching in universities Some excellent pieces to begin with, please do get involved! www.history-uk.ac.uk/history-in-p...

History in Practice

‘Doing the Readings’ – Will Pooley ‘Escaping the Lecture: Using game-based learning to engage History students’ – Rebecca Andrew and Sam Chadwick ‘Using Fo…

history-uk.ac.uk

'HIV and AIDS Archives: collections, research and responses' A free online workshop from UK National Archives featuring @georgesevers.bsky.social, Prof. Virginia Berridge and Prof. Matt Cook #histmed 📅 Tues 3 December online 10:00 am - 4:45 pm (UK time) ⬇️ register via the link

HIV and AIDS Archives: collections, research and responses

A free online symposium bringing together researchers and practitioners who have worked with HIV and AIDS related collections.

eventbrite.co.uk