Students

MHIX121 – After the Black Death: Europe 1348-1789

2017 – S1 OUA

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Lorna Barrow
Contact via 02 98508834
W6A 314
Email: Monday-Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Matthew Bailey
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
In 1348 an horrific pandemic struck western Europe. The Black Death killed between one-third and one-half of the European population and threatened the collapse of Europe's glittering medieval civilization. This unit explores what happened next. Over the next four-and-one-half centuries, Europe experienced a period of dramatic and enduring change, out which many features of the modern, western world emerged. Beginning with the horrors of the Black Death, this era witnessed the splendor of the Renaissance, violent religious disputes and changes, the challenge of the new world of the Americas, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and closed with the bloodshed and upheaval of the French Revolution. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

General Assessment Information

Unit requirements and expectations

Students are expected to participate in online discussions on a weekly basis throughout the study period in a professional and courteous manner. Discussion postings must be made during the week of the respective discussion topic. Students must also submit all three written assessment tasks, detailed below. To pass the course students must receive a total mark, when marks for each assessment are added together, of fifty percent or more.

Students who are unable to participate in online discussions should contact the unit convenor for an alternative means of assessing their weekly progress in the unit.

Students who do not submit all three written assessment tasks will receive a fail grade – even if their aggregate marks for submitted assessments totals more than fifty.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Document analysis 20% No Friday week 4
Outline and Argument 20% No Monday week 10
Synoptic Essay (Exam) 40% No Friday Week 13
Participation 20% No Weekly

Document analysis

Due: Friday week 4
Weighting: 20%

The first piece of assessment for MHIX121 requires you to undertake an analysis of a primary source as an historical document: to assess and evaluate it usefulness, reliability and limitations for historians in understanding early modern European society and culture. The ability to read and analyze source material critically is key to historical practice, but it is something that can really only be learned by doing. This task requires you to apply the skills in analyzing historical documents that we are practicing in tutorials to a previously unseen document.

Expected time on task: 10 hours ~ 5 hrs reading/preparation, 4 hrs writing, 1 hr revision/editing


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Outline and Argument

Due: Monday week 10
Weighting: 20%

This assessment tasks requires you to build upon the Document Analysis that you submitted in Week 4. Using two self-located scholarly articles together with those provided for you in the Document Analysis task and the analysis that you have already undertaken of the account of the execution of Charles I, write a 1,000-word outline that describes how you might answer one of the questions that you identified in the Document Analysis.

Expected time on task: 13 hours ~ 8 hrs reading/preparation, 4 hrs writing, 1 hr revision/editing


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Synoptic Essay (Exam)

Due: Friday Week 13
Weighting: 40%

Write an analytical and argumentative paper of 2,000 words on one (1) of the following three (3) topics. Your answer needs to synthesize the material presented across the entire semester into a coherent, big-picture argument.

a) Write a concluding lecture to this unit that offers a cohesive “big picture” summation of the early modern period in Europe from 1348 to 1789.

b) Write a new, different, and significantly improved Wikipedia page for early modern Europe (you can see the current, fairly uninspiring one here ) that provides a coherent, "big picture" interpretation of the nature and historical significance of the period. In contravention of Wikipedia policy, however, provide primary source evidence in support of your interpretation.

c) The culture of the Enlightenment represented a radical break with Europe’s past, marking the eighteenth century as a critical moment of change in early modern European history. Discuss, with reference to specific, detailed evidence.

As this is an exam, no feedback is given.

Expected time on task: 20 hours ~ 10 hrs revision of notes/preparation, 8 hrs writing, 2 hrs revision/editing


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.

Participation

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

The online discussion task, undertaken through the MHIX121 unit website, tests your ability to communicate ideas, your appreciation and comprehension of the themes and concepts discussed in the course, your ability to critically assess and evaluate the arguments of others, and your ability to clearly articulate your thoughts. It is also a task that monitors your progress across the unit topics. You are expected to do the weekly readings, participate in weekly discussions and make postings within the time frame of each discussion topic. These begin on Monday of the discussion week and run through to the following Sunday. You should look to answer at least two of the set questions each week, as well as engaging with the posts of other students. Each individual post should be more than 50 words up to a maximum of 100 words. A professional and courteous approach towards staff and fellow students is expected at all times.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Delivery and Resources

Required and recommended texts and/or materials

Books can be obtained from Macquarie University Co-op Book Shop:  http://www.coop.com.au/s/macquarie-university​

Required Reading

Beat Kümin (ed.),  The European World (2nd edition) (Routledge: London and New York, 2014).

Other essential readings are provided as PDF files. Weekly readings are available through the unit website.

Recommended Reading:

Euan Cameron, Early Modern Europe: An Oxford History (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1999). available online through library multisearch: available here ( for reading online, but not download)

Merry E. Wiesner-HanksEarly Modern Europe 1450 - 1789 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2nd edition 2013) (ISBN: 978-1-107-64357-4 pbk). 

Further readings for assignments are available on the Macquarie Library multisearch system. See: http://www.mq.edu.au/on_campus/library/

Unit Schedule

Week 1 The Medieval Legacy
Week 2 The Crises of the Fourteenth Century
Week 3 The Social World
Week 4 The Spiritual World
Week 5 The Physical World
Week 6 The Intimate World
Week 7 Renaissance
Week 8 New Worlds
Week 9 Reformation
Week 10 Leviathan
Week 11 The Scientific Revolution
Week 12 Enlightenment
Week 13 Reading Week

 

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment task

  • Participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and explain the extent to which European life altered between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution.
  • Read, evaluate, and ask questions of a variety of primary source documents.
  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Synthesize their understanding and analysis into clear, specific, historical arguments presented in grammatically correct writing with appropriate references.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyze and assess the impact that various events, movements, and ideas had on European societies and cultures during the early modern period.
  • Engage with staff and other students in critical, open, and evidence-based classroom/online discussions.

Assessment tasks

  • Document analysis
  • Outline and Argument
  • Synoptic Essay (Exam)
  • Participation