The uses of a chronology: a guide for students

Whatever topic or issue you wish to study there is only one way of starting – with a chronology. Once you draw up a chronology and reflect upon it, that mental block you may have will vanish. Simply look for differences and changes rather than similarities. When you have done this writing that essay, independent study, dissertation or thesis will be interesting and exciting. You will have something interesting to say. This paper makes more widely available a piece of research undertaken by Professor Dennis Hayes, Professor Liz Browne (a professor at Oxford Brookes University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby) and colleagues. It provides an introduction and rationale for using chronologies as well as several examples that illustrate how they illuminate subjects for students to consider. The original research began with a cheeky question. There are many bestselling textbooks but do the students who buy them actually use them? Authors may not be troubled by this as the royalties still come in but there is more to writing than a cash nexus. The textbook that we used is now in its fifth edition - Armitage, A., Cogger, A., Evershed, J., Hayes, D., Lawes, S. and Renwick, M. (2016) Teaching in Post-14 Education & Training, Maidenhead: Open University Press. If you are studying or working in Post-14 education we recommend that you read Chapter 9 ‘Developments in Post-14 Education and Training’ which brings the chronology up-to-date. But all students will find this guide useful whatever their particular subject specialism.

Whatever topic or issue you wish to study there is only one way of starting – with a chronology. Once you draw up a chronology and reflect upon it, that mental block you may have will vanish. Simply look for differences and changes rather than similarities. When you have done this writing that essay, independent study, dissertation or thesis will be interesting and exciting. You will have something interesting to say.

This paper makes more widely available a piece of research undertaken by Professor Dennis Hayes, Professor Liz Browne (a professor at Oxford Brookes University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby) and colleagues. It provides an introduction and rationale for using chronologies as well as several examples that illustrate how they illuminate subjects for students to consider. The original research began with a cheeky question. There are many bestselling textbooks but do the students who buy them actually use them? Authors may not be troubled by this as the royalties still come in but there is more to writing than a cash nexus. The textbook that we used is now in its fifth edition - Armitage, A., Cogger, A., Evershed, J., Hayes, D., Lawes, S. and Renwick, M. (2016) Teaching in Post-14 Education & Training, Maidenhead: Open University Press. If you are studying or working in Post-14 education we recommend that you read Chapter 9 ‘Developments in Post-14 Education and Training’ which brings the chronology up-to-date. But all students will find this guide useful whatever their particular subject specialism.