Students are introduced to archaeology, the study of the past, involving material relics, as a science. The historical development of the field and changes in the motivation for studying the past are presented, including interaction between archaeology and the surrounding society. The course introduces the central institutions and legal basis for archaeology in Denmark and internationally as a field of research and practice.
The course handbook is the students’ first encounter with a course, so it is important that the handbook is clear and transparent and prepares the students well for their studies. The motivation for the preparation of a detailed course handbook is the wish to have students who are ready to study and well prepared for this. The purpose is to ensure that the students know exactly what they need to do during the semester ― and why. This also makes it an important tool for the alignment of expectations with students.
The inclusive course handbook may be organised as follows:
The inclusive course handbook creates more confidence among the students as it tells them what is expected of them and enables them to adapt their study strategies and prioritisation of tasks accordingly. The course handbook makes it easier for them to begin their academic activities.
It may seem rather comprehensive, but the time that goes into preparing it is well spent ― both as regards the students and for the teacher, who then has a detailed activity plan. Once you have prepared a course handbook for one course, it is easy to prepare another for other courses. You may also reuse the course handbook for the same course year after year with minor adjustments.
This example of practice is developed in connection to "Projekt 1. studieår", where initiatives for retention at the faculty of arts at Aarhus University was mapped.
