Royal High School-University of Edinburgh collaborative visit day
On Thursday 4 June, a group of 6th year pupils from the Royal High School of Edinburgh came to the William Robertson Wing to experience what the School of History, Classics and Archaeology has to offer (Published 8 July 2015).
A collaborative project made possible by the Wolfson Foundation and an Innovation Initiative Grant, the Royal High School students were able to experience aspects of university life, in addition to gaining valuable skills that will be of use, both in and out of education.
An introduction to university life
The day aimed to improve the students’ knowledge of research methods as well as providing them with experience of university facilities and practices.
Pupils first spent the morning in the Centre of Research Collections (CRC) at the University of Edinburgh Main Library. At the CRC, the students were able to view and handle primary source material and experience the challenges faced by Palaeographers first-hand. After this, they composed presentations based on secondary material and were assessed to an undergraduate standard.
Organisers Gary Hutchison (University of Edinburgh) and Domonic Forbes (Royal High School of Edinburgh) were able to provide feedback from secondary and undergraduate perspectives, highlighting the differences and similarities in these approaches.
To end the day the students took part in an undergraduate-style tutorial, in which they engaged with the material they had examined, giving a taste of the academic discussion many will embark on in the next few years.
