Students

MHIS120 – Making the Middle Ages: Faith, War and Romance

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Clare Monagle
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This course provides an introduction to the history of the European Middle Ages. Covering the period between 750 and 1350 C.E., this course aims to introduce students to the culture, politics and society of western Europe during this period. Students will study the crusades, the papacy, emerging kingdoms, chivalric romance, and, the feudal order. They will consider how the civilisation of medieval Europe, that called itself 'Latin Christendom', emerged in the period after the fragmentation of the Roman Empire in the west. Students will study medieval Europe from the inside, thinking about the ways in which the society understood its place in the world, and its own history. We will also consider how medieval Europe was understood by its Muslim and Byzantine neighbours at that time. We will think about the encounters that took place between medieval Europe and the rest of the world, be they through trade, cultural exchange, or, warfare. Students will evaluate the winners and losers of medieval society, to understand how power was produced, and maintained, by elite populations. Through reading a rich array of medieval sources, they will think about the status of women, peasants, heretics, and, Jews throughout the period. This course aims to introduce students to the large narratives of medieval history, alongside an examination of social and cultural worlds in medieval time.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

General Assessment Information

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

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am Week 2
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 3
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 4
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 6.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 7.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 8.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 9.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 10.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday 9am, Week 11.
Weekly Quiz 2% Yes Friday, 9am, Week 12.
Document Exercise 30% No Thursday, April 5, 5pm.
Class Participation 10% Yes End of Week 13
Take-Home Test 40% No Friday, 5pm, Week 13

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am Week 2
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 2.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 3
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 3.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 4
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 4.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 6.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 6.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 7.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 7.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 8.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 8.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 9.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 9.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 10.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 10.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday 9am, Week 11.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 11.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Weekly Quiz

Due: Friday, 9am, Week 12.
Weighting: 2%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This test will be a 10 question multiple-choice test, based on the Wickham reading for the week. The test will be made available at the start of the week, and will be due by Friday, 9am Week 12.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Document Exercise

Due: Thursday, April 5, 5pm.
Weighting: 30%

Students will be asked to identify and contextualise a de-identified medieval text. They will be asked to reconstruct the historical world of the text, as well as to speculate as to the uses to which historians might put the evidence offered by the text.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Class Participation

Due: End of Week 13
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Students will be assessed on their class contribution. They will be marked on the basis of their contribution to discussion, their engagement with others, as well as their level of class preparation.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Take-Home Test

Due: Friday, 5pm, Week 13
Weighting: 40%

At the beginning of Week 13, Students will be asked a broad question designed to test their knowledge of the material covered in the course. They will be expected to answer the question in essay format, with a word limit of 1750 words. They will be expected to deploy texts that we study during the semester in order to make their argument. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures and Tutorials are compulsory for this unit. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/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

  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Document Exercise
  • Class Participation
  • Take-Home Test

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

  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Document Exercise
  • Class Participation
  • Take-Home Test

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

  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Document Exercise
  • Class Participation
  • Take-Home Test

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

  • Engagement with a wide variety of sources from the period 500-1500 C.E.
  • Demonstrated ability to place a historical source in context, drawing upon skills in research and interpretation.
  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.
  • Understand the history of the designation 'medieval'.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Document Exercise
  • Class Participation
  • Take-Home Test

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

  • Capacity to make an argument about the medieval past, showing awareness of multiple fields of historical knowledge. These include, but are not limited to, economic life, military history, theology, gender, social structure, and, the history of education.
  • Recognition of differences that occur between 'Late Antiquity', the 'Early Middle Ages', and, the 'High Middle Ages'
  • Competency in appropriate terminology for the period. Terms include, but are not limited to, feudalism, manorialism, monasticism, exegesis, crusades, claustration, scholasticism, and, charter.
  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Weekly Quiz
  • Document Exercise
  • Class Participation
  • Take-Home Test

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 outcome

  • Capacity to work with classmates to craft historical knowledge, and to explore historical narratives.

Assessment task

  • Class Participation