Overview
History 486: The Industrial Revolution focuses on the ways in which a series of changes in technology transformed peoples lives. The shift from domestic production to factory production that lay at the heart of the Industrial Revolution involved much more than simply a change of workplace. New ways of looking at the world—philosophically, politically, and scientifically—were part of this process, as were new relationships between women and men as well as between employee and employer. Subsequent events as disparate as the European expansion into Africa and the campaign for free trade in nineteenth-century Britain owed much to the changes wrought by industrialization. Early British industrialization (“the industrial revolution”) was a profound event that deserved careful and critical study.
Learning outcomes
After completing HIST 486 you should be able to
- Understand the general outline of the Industrial Revolution.
- Assess multiple perspectives on each issue.
- Synthesize the course content and formulate some of your own conclusions.
- Discuss each of the topics below and come to a well-argued conclusion on:
- How the Industrial Revolution changed British social order and British demography.
- How the Industrial Revolution impacted the role of children and women in British society and in the workforce.
- The relationship between the Industrial Revolution and the modern labour movement.
- The dynamics that created the Industrial Revolution overall.
- The latest historiographical trends in the Industrial Revolution.
Evaluation
To receive credit for HIST 486, you must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent on the final examination and a composite course grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 15% |
| Assignment 2 | 15% |
| Assignment 3 | 20% |
| Assignment 4 | 20% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Rule, John. The Labouring Class in Early Industrial England, 1750-1850. London and New York: Longman, 1986.
Other Materials
Besides the textbook, HIST 486 is taught by a combination of other online materials, including a Study Guide, journal articles, and academic support.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the HIST 486 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent)on the examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form