History (A' Level Full AS + A2) - A Home Study, Distance Learning Course

History edexcel a' level (as/a2)

a distance learning course is the ideal way to gain an a level in history. Whether you're looking to go on to further education, improve your job prospects or expand your knowledge, distance learning a level history is a flexible and convenient course, which allows you to comprehensively prepare for an exam through home study. What's more, because the distance learning a' level history course is a fully comprehensive course, no prior knowledge is required.

History, as its name suggests, is a study of the past. It is certainly true to say that in order to understand the conflicts and difficulties of the present world you need to understand what has happened over previous years. Many of today’s politicians and world leaders are well aware of the events of the past and often use them as guidelines in dealing with present problems and crises. History encourages you to absorb and learn key facts and data before analysing which pieces of information are the most important and most significant. A key skill of any historian is to make an informed judgement on an important historical issue having weighed up all of the information and evidence available.

Format of course (modules overview)

this course focuses on 20th century history, specifically in relation to the usa, the soviet union and britain. Key historical figures covered by the course include churchill, stalin, kennedy and reagan. The as and a2 modules link together and students are advised to select an a2 coursework option within this 100 year historical period and which complements, but not duplicates, what they have already studied during the course.

Home study support

your tutor will support you with your project formulation and give you guidance with appropriate topics and ideas.

You will be provided with comprehensive materials designed to provide you with everything required to complete your course of study. You will have your own personal tutor helping you with your course work and with any questions you may have. Plus you can contact a student advisors by email or phone for all the practical advice you may need – so we really are with you 100%.

Your tutor will give you various resource sites to visit and there is extra material in the student support portal. In addition there are several supporting texts books for this course but again this depends on which approach you are following and which book best suits your individual needs

course resources
you will also require the following text books for your course:

as resources

britain since 1945: a political history fifth edition, childs d (routledge, 6th ed. , 2004)
access to history: politics, presidency and society in the usa 1968 – 2001, vivienne sanders (hodder & stoughton, published october 2008)
access to history: stalin’s russia, 1924-53, michael lynch (hodder murray, published june 2008)

a2 resources

a2 edexcel gce history: a world divided: superpower relations, 1944-90 (heinemann, published july 2009)

Course assessment

each unit is worth a different amount and tests the student on the following key skills:

unit one (as level) - worth 25% of total a level
recall, select and display historical knowledge appropriately, clear explanation, analysis and judgement. Focus on key concepts such as causation, continuity and change within an historical context as well as the relationship between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.

Unit two (as level) - worth 25% of total a level
recall, select and display historical knowledge appropriately, clear explanation, analysis and judgement. Focus on key concepts such as causation, continuity and change within an historical context as well as the relationship between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
Analyse appropriate source material and evaluate how aspects of the past have been interpreted and represented in different ways.

Unit three (a2 level) - *note this is worth 30% of total a level
(single most important unit)
recall, select and display historical knowledge appropriately, clear explanation, analysis and judgement. Focus on key concepts such as causation, continuity and change within an historical context as well as the relationship between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
Evaluate how aspects of the past have been interpreted and represented in different ways.

Unit four (a2 level) - worth 20% of total a-level (coursework)
recall, select and display historical knowledge appropriately, clear explanation, analysis and judgement. Focus on key concepts such as causation, continuity and change within an historical context as well as the relationship between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material.

All units are broken down into clear subject topics, and students should spend the amount of time studying for each topic as advised by their course tutor. Each topic module has been written for ease of understanding and topic coverage may be of different length and difficulty depending on the level of detail and information required. You will need to study the modules in the sequence provided.

What's included
study guides, and learning aids designed for distance learning
a full range of student services, including assessments
unlimited educational support by e-mail or phone
free postage and packaging

home study course entry requirements

the good news is that no prior learning knowledge or experience is essential to take this course. this course is openly available to anyone wishing to learn more about a' level history and would like to take part in a highly rewarding home study course. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 24 months from initial registration with full tutor support.

Course qualification

as/a2 - a level in history. Both as and a2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full a level.

Specification: edexcel (as) 8hi01 and edexcel (a2) 9hi01

Further course information

please note that included in your course fee is your registration to the online student community, and a licence to print your study materials. Please also be aware that the licence is for one print only, so ensure that you have enough paper and ink to print the full course materials if required.

You will need to having one of the following packages to access your online course:

windows:
windows 98, 2000, xp, vista, windows 7 - acrobat reader 4. 0 and above

macintosh:
mac os x, mac os 9. 2 - acrobat reader 4. 0 and above

in the student 'on campus' you are also able to take part in the student chat room and forums as part of our online student community.

After enrolling online you will receive your username and password to access the on campus area within 5 working days. You will also receive your personal student number via email.

Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations and manage the course work element if the subject requires this. Students must check the relevant examination board website for further information and final examination sitting dates for the specification.

Postage & packing

get free uk delivery when purchasing distance learning courses online. We will deliver your course materials direct to your door upon enrolment so you can get started straight away and plan your studies around your other commitments.