Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor
Lorna Barrow
Email: Monday-Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
OUA Co-Ordinator
Matthew Bailey
Lorna Barrow
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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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
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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/
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
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.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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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 |
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
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
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
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.
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-Hanks, Early 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/
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 |
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.
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:
If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:
Outcome
Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.
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.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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