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This 3 year project involves 6 partners from different European
countries. It has three main aims. One is to exchange knowledge
and experience of teaching practices. The second is to enhance the
teaching and learning of national history by developing the European
context and perspective. Finally, there is the aim to develop different
teaching materials, including a website which can be accessed internationally.
The first meeting of the project brought together individuals from
institutions equivalent to FE Colleges in Italy, Sweden, Portugal,
Spain and Romania plus myself from Stevenson College. It was clear
from the first that the project was an ambitious one in that we
all have different modes of delivery, different levels of resources,
curricula and so on. However, it was also clear that we could learn
from each other and 'think outside the box' into which habits
and other organisational constraints have put us.
The meeting reflected two poles of thought - one which was aiming
at a common methodology and approach, another which wanted complete
flexibility. Obviously, we will need to find a means of trying to
find a compromise between these two approaches. A common methodology
is impossible given the various teaching systems involved, while
complete freedom would leave little need for a project.
After considerable discussion and suggestion of the various themes
that people were interested in working around I put forward a sort
of matrix which was circulated and accepted. Hopefully this can
satisfy the needs of each by creating a common framework while allowing
flexibility. The partners can choose where they input material to
the matrix, how much, and to what level.
The general themes are:
1. People and power (totalitarianism and democracy)
2. People in movement (from countryside to towns, immigrants and
emigrants)
3. People at work (the labour process, impact of economic and technological
change)
It is suggested that each partner contributes material from their
national perspective on one or more of these themes. The material
for each of the themes is to be presented at 3 different levels
of complexity:
1. Summary
2. More developed
3. Source materials and documents
In addition, so that the inevitably artificial separation of the
themes is overcome, case studies which show how one or more of these
themes are interlinked could be added.
Although ambitious, with such a matrix, depending on resources
and time available, the different partners can contribute at least
at the summary level at first and deepen their material at a later
stage. Particular areas of interest can be catered for through case
studies. (For example, I am keen to do something on French history,
even though this is not my 'national' perspective). While it was
impossible to specify a particular historical period to focus on,
because we all operate differently, it was agreed that the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries would be the most fruitful areas to look
at.
As a start, we decided to produce a short piece on the development
of universal suffrage in our respective countries. This should prove
useful to those concerned. With other countries’ experiences
to look at this should be a useful and brief comparative study.
I was asked to produce the model outline and have done this. It
has been emailed it to the respective partners.
The next meeting of the project is set for 8-13 April in Bucharest,
Rumania. This falls during the Easter Holiday. I hope that it will
be possible to continue with what is a very interesting, and hopefully
fruitful project.
Donny Gluckstein
5.11.02
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