Tutorial letter 301/3/2016 HSYALLX Semesters 1 & 2 DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

HSYALLX/301/3/2016




Tutorial letter 301/3/2016



HSYALLX

Semesters 1 & 2


DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY


IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Preparation for learning at a distance in the
Department of History: general tutorial letter for all
History students

, CONTENTS


Page

1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME ............................................................................................ 3
2 PURPOSE OF THIS TUTORIAL LETTER .................................................................................... 3
3 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS ..................................................................................... 4
3.1 Lecturers and e-tutors ................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3 University ...................................................................................................................................... 5
4 OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY .................................... 5
4.1 The nature of Open Distance Learning (ODL) ............................................................................... 5
4.2 What the Department of History expects of you ............................................................................ 6
4.3 What you can expect from the Department of History ................................................................... 7
5 LEARNING STRATEGIES ........................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Estimate your time ........................................................................................................................ 8
5.2 Reading for understanding ............................................................................................................ 8
5.3 Making your own glossary............................................................................................................. 9
5.4 Re-using effective learning strategies ........................................................................................... 9
6 ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 9
6.1 General information on assignments ............................................................................................. 9
6.2 The purpose of assignments ....................................................................................................... 11
6.3 Understanding the question ........................................................................................................ 12
6.4 Collecting sources for your assignments ..................................................................................... 16
6.5 Planning and writing an essay .................................................................................................... 17
7 ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR AS A STUDENT ................................................................................... 18
8 REFERENCE TECHNIQUES AND CITING OF SOURCES ........................................................ 21
8.1 Reference techniques: footnotes................................................................................................. 21
8.2 Reference techniques: bibliography ............................................................................................ 24
9 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 25
10 MODULES OFFERED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ................................................... 30
11 PLAGIARISM DECLARATION................................................................................................... 35




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, HSYALLX/301

1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

Dear Student

Welcome to the Department of History! We are very pleased that you have chosen to study
History and we hope that you will complete your studies successfully. We also trust that your
study experience in the Department will be interesting and rewarding.

This tutorial letter contains important information that will assist you in your studies in the
Department of History. Please read it carefully and refer to it when working through the study
material, preparing the assignments, and communicating with your lecturers.

Read all tutorial letters you receive during the semester immediately and carefully. The
information they contain is always important and sometimes is urgent. They often contain
additional study material and many are very relevant in revision for the examination.

Good wishes and enjoy your studies!



2 PURPOSE OF THIS TUTORIAL LETTER

The purpose of Tutorial Letter 301 is to:

 orientate you to open distance learning (ODL) in the Department of History;
 outline some study skills that will enable you to study as independently and effectively as
possible; and
 answer some of the common questions you may have.

In all of the modules in the Department of History, you will receive:

 Tutorial Letter 101/3
 A study guide

You should immediately read the Tutorial Letter 101 of all the modules for which you are
registered. This tutorial letter will provide you with all the essential information you need and
how best to study the module, as well as the assignments set for the module. It will also tell you
which prescribed books, if any, you need to buy.

The study guide covers the basic syllabus of each module. You should regard it as a set of
lectures that covers the main themes of the module.

Note the submission dates of the assignments for all the modules for which you have registered
in 2016. Also note other important dates such as examination dates. Plan your study
programme in such a way that you will be able to submit all your assignments on time.

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, 3 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS


3.1 Lecturers and e-tutors

At the beginning of the semester, you will receive a tutorial letter with the contact details of all
lecturers assigned to different modules.

If you are registered for the modules HSY1501, HSY1502, HSY2601, HSY2602 and HSY2603,
you will also be placed within an e-tutorial group and assigned an e-tutor. Each e-tutor is
expected to be in regular contact (each will be online for six hours per week) with you, through
online guidance and support via the myUnisa portal of the University. You will also be able to
engage meaningfully with other students through your e-tutor sites.

Please activate your myLife account so that you can participate in your e-tutorial groups from
the beginning of each semester. Details on how to activate your myLife account and other
online services can be found in the brochure my Studies @ Unisa.


3.2 Department

If you have any difficulty in contacting your lecturers, you may contact the secretary of the
History Department, Mrs A Theron, and leave a message for us. Contact her on:

Tel: 012 429 6842
Fax: 012 429 6656

If you prefer to write to us, letters should be sent to:

The Module Coordinator (provide relevant module code)
Department of History
PO Box 392
UNISA, 0003

If you do write to us or email us, please make sure you provide your student number as well as
the module code. Lecturers work on a number of modules each, and you will receive a clear
answer to your questions if you provide accurate details about your own student number, the
particular module you are registered for and the nature of your query.

The Department of History has its own homepage on the Unisa website, and through it you can
find out more about the Department’s many activities:

http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=157




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