Full Sequence
Complete module progression (8–10 hours)
Overview
- Duration: 8–10 hours across multiple sessions
- Format: Structured course module or independent study
- Ideal for: University courses, semester-long engagement, research preparation
- Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with historical methods recommended
What This Pathway Covers
This pathway provides comprehensive engagement with all nine modules (00–08), extensive primary source work, scholarly debates, and formal assessment opportunities. It's designed for learners who want to develop deep expertise in contested heritage analysis and the specific case of Hashima Island.
Module Sequence
The HashimaXR Project
What we built, what we intended, and why it matters
Module 01Hashima in Time and Place
Industrial island, imperial labor, contested memory
Module 02How Heritage Works
Authorized discourse, strategic forgetting, institutional silence
Module 03UNESCO & Contested Heritage
The 2015 inscription and transnational counter-narratives
Module 04Labour, Empire, and Evidence
Coerced labour and historical knowledge production
Module 05Digital Histories
XR as historiography and the digital landscape
Module 06Reading Institutional Positions
Institutional statements and the politics of heritage governance
Module 07Positions & Perspectives
Regional media discourse and institutional positions on contested heritage
Module 08Why the Project Stayed Unreleased
Soft gatekeeping and the archive of obstruction
CompanionSocial Media and Digital Memory
How platforms shape contested heritage narratives: algorithmic amplification and the testimony wars.
CompanionSongs from the Coalfields
An audio-based learning experience exploring the folk songs that Hashima's workers brought from Japan's coalfield regions.
CompanionTimeline: Hashima in History
Interactive timeline from 1890 to the present—filter by theme, explore enquiry questions, and hear the island's soundscape.
Suggested Weekly Schedule
For integration into a semester course:
Week 1: Orientation and Context
- Modules 00–02 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 8: How Heritage Works
- Pre-learning survey
- Time: 2.5 hours reading + discussion
Week 2: Theoretical Frameworks
- Modules 03–04 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 6: UNESCO & Contested Heritage
- Supplementary reading on heritage theory
- Time: 2 hours reading + seminar discussion
Week 3: International Heritage Politics
- Module 05 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 1: Source Analysis
- Primary source analysis from Sources section
- Time: 2 hours reading + workshop
Week 4: Evidence and Digital Heritage
- Module 06 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 2: Analysing Digital Heritage
- Complete Worksheet 5: Analysing Institutional Positions
- Time: 2 hours reading + analysis exercise
Week 5: Perspectives and Obstruction
- Modules 07-08 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 4: Regional Perspectives
- Complete Worksheet 3: Patterns of Obstruction
- Time: 2.5 hours reading + discussion
Week 6: Social Media and Synthesis
- Module 09 (complete)
- Complete Worksheet 7: Social Media & Digital Memory
- Platform comparison exercise from Teaching Guide
- Post-learning survey
- Time: 2 hours reading + final discussion
Learning Outcomes
By completing this pathway, learners will be able to:
- Critically analyze heritage governance frameworks and their application to contested sites
- Evaluate primary sources using systematic evidentiary methods
- Identify patterns of "soft gatekeeping" and procedural obstruction in heritage management
- Compare regional and national perspectives on transnational heritage disputes
- Assess how digital media technologies make historiographical claims through design
- Construct evidence-based arguments about contested heritage interpretation
Complete Materials Package
- Worksheet 1: Source Analysis
- Worksheet 2: Analysing Digital Heritage
- Worksheet 3: Patterns of Obstruction
- Worksheet 4: Regional Perspectives
- Worksheet 5: Analysing Institutional Positions
- Worksheet 6: UNESCO & Contested Heritage
- Worksheet 7: Social Media & Digital Memory
- Worksheet 8: How Heritage Works
- Discussion Prompts
- Assessment Rubrics
Assessment Framework
The full sequence supports multiple assessment approaches:
Formative Assessment
- Weekly worksheet completion
- Discussion participation
- Pre/post learning surveys (anonymous, for impact measurement)
Summative Assessment Options
- Research essay (2,500–3,000 words): Analysis of a contested heritage case using frameworks from the resource
- Source portfolio: Annotated collection of 5–6 primary sources with analytical commentary
- Comparative analysis (2,000 words): Comparison of heritage governance approaches across two national contexts
- Digital heritage critique: Systematic analysis of a digital heritage project using Module 06 framework
See Assessment Rubrics for detailed rubrics.
Key Takeaways
- Heritage is political: Interpretation reflects and reinforces power relations
- Evidence requires discipline: Sources must be evaluated for provenance, bias, and purpose
- Silence is produced: Institutional processes shape what histories can be told
- Digital media make claims: Design choices are historiographical choices
- Perspectives differ: The same site carries different meanings across contexts
- Critical engagement matters: Questioning opens space for more inclusive histories
Help Us Improve This Resource
If you're using this pathway in a teaching context, we'd appreciate your feedback. Your responses help us demonstrate impact and improve the resource.
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