Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Open Exam 1000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Written Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Open Exam 1000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Written Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Identify the key historiographical themes and debates concerning Britain and Europe in the middle ages and the early modern period.
Demonstrate an understanding of the principal political, social, economic, religious and cultural developments of the period.
Demonstrate an understanding of the kinds of primary material available to historians working in this period.
Apply a comparative perspective to the major historical developments as they played out across Britain and Europe.
Brief description
The module offers a survey of the historical trajectory of medieval and early modern Britain and Europe. The aim here is to provide students with an effective and current overview of important aspects of pre-modern history, including politics, religion, economy and society, culture and intellectual history. This will also allow some reflection on trends in historical writing regarding the period as well as the thematic approaches and the kinds of source material that underpin historians’ understanding of the period from c.1100 to c.1800, a period that includes such transformative developments as the Black Death, the Renaissance and Reformation, the French Revolution and the age of Englightenment.
Content
Introduction
1. Power
a. States and institutions
b. Conflict
c. Conquest and expansion
d. Finance and government
e. 2. Faith
f. a. Church
g. b. Christians and non-Christians
h. c. Popular religion
i. d. Reformation and reaction
j. 3. People
k. a. Populations
l. b. Resources
m. c. Environment
n. d. Crises
o. 4. Ideas
p. a. Universities and teaching
q. b. Language
r. c. Culture
s. d. Literacy
Conclusion Seminars will follow and respond to the general lecture pattern:
1. Introduction: from the middle ages to the early modern
2. Power
3. Faith
4. People
5. Ideas
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Through occasional discussion of relevant numerical data, e.g. figures, graphs, tables. |
| Communication | Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework. |
| Information Technology | Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths. |
| Problem solving | Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays. |
| Research skills | Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination. |
| Subject Specific Skills | n/a |
| Team work | Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4