Outline

Overview

The medieval and early modern world vibrated with a life that seems foreign to us. Listening to voices from centuries ago, this advanced seminar invites you to think critically about cultural difference by exploring peoples and places that are at once radically strange and surprisingly familiar. We journey into the past to investigate a nominated theme or context in an era of cultural transformation, rising colonialism, religious upheaval, and political invention.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	HSTY3802
Academic unit	History
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in the History major
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Helene Sirantoine, helene.sirantoine@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Helene Sirantoine, helene.sirantoine@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Participation Details on unit Canvas website	10%	Ongoing	Throughout semester
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay #1 Topics, instructions and assessment criteria on unit Canvas website	30%	Week 08 Due date: 21 Sep 2022 at 17:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay #2 Topics, instructions and assessment criteria on unit Canvas website	60%	Week 13 Due date: 02 Nov 2022 at 17:00	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Important remarks:

Students need to attempt every assessment in order to pass a unit;
No assignment will be accepted when submitted after its return date (see Canvas for detail), unless special consideration has been granted;
If student encounter issues that prevent them from submitting on time, they should always contact the unit coordinator to discuss with them possible solutions.

Essay #1:

The first assignment in this seminar consists of a primary source analytic assessment; students choose amongst a provided set of primary sources; various Assignment Workshopping sessions are held before the due date to help students with this task. Detailed topics, instructions and assessment criteria will be provided in due time in class and on the unit Canvas website.

Essay #2:

The second assignment in this seminar consists of a research essay focused on a provided set of possible topics. Students are given the opportunity to build their own research question; various Assignment Workshopping sessions are held before the due date to help students with this task. Detailed topics, instructions and assessment criteria will be provided in due time in class and on the unit Canvas website.

Participation:

Students’ experience in this seminar strongly relies on the participation of everyone to the activities led during each weekly session. Participation will be graded depending on the quality of each student’s involvement in the activities of the seminar. Students must complete the assigned readings and tasks as indicated on the unit Canvas website, including mandatory weekly short posts on discussion boards. Students will demonstrate their interest by actively sharing the results of their preparation.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High Distinction (HD)	85 – 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard.
Distinction (DI)	75 – 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard.
Credit (CR)	65 – 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard.
Pass (PS)	50 – 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard.
Fail (FA)	0 – 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Regarding late penalties, see https://www.sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts_PG/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml under "Late submission"

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Introduction to the seminar's theme: "Reconquest? A History of Medieval Spain"; 2. The narrative (1): The Islamic conquest of Iberia	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	The narrative (2): From 711 to the 12th century	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	The narrative (3): Towards the end of the Christian conquests, 13th century to 1492	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	History and the historians of medieval Iberia (1): Around the notion of Reconquest	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	1. Confronted ideologies (1): Holy war, Reconquest, and Crusade; 2. Assignment workshopping (1): Instructions for Essay #1	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	1. Confronted ideologies (2): Jihad in al-Andalus; 2. Assignment workshopping (2): Bibliographical tools for Essay #1	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	1. Between two worlds (1): the Mozarabs; 2. Assignment workshopping (3): Essay #1 Q&A	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Another perspective (1): Women in/of the Reconquest	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	1. Between two worlds (2): the Mudejars; 2. Assignment workshopping (4): Instructions for Essay #2 and brainstorming	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	1. History and the historians of medieval Iberia (2): Around the notion of convivencia; 2. Assignment workshopping (5): Bibliographic tools for Essay #2	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	READING WEEK (no class)	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	1. A frontier? (1): The border within Iberia, Iberia as a border; 2. Assignment workshopping (6): Essay building skills	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	A frontier? (2): Crossing the border: people, goods, knowledge	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiners’ Board. The Examiners’ Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.

https://www.sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts_PG/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

In S2, 2022, this unit is centered on the following topic: RECONQUEST? A HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL SPAIN.

Spain’s medieval history was shaped by warfare between Christianity and Islam, but also by more peaceable relations. From this complex story emerged the opposing myths of ‘Reconquest’ and ‘convivencia’, still resonating in Spanish society today. This unit reassesses both notions and explores the fascinating dynamics of the Iberian medieval world.

There is no required textbook to purchase for this unit. However, as a starting point, the following book is highly recommended to any student willing to learn about the world of medieval Spain: Reilly, Bernard F. The Medieval Spains. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. [available as an e-Resource via the university library catalogue]

Besides, each week we will read, analyse, and discuss the historical significance of primary and secondary sources related to the themes studied during each session of the seminar. Detailed homework instructions will be provided on a weekly basis on the unit Canvas website.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate expert knowledge of period, place or culture in Medieval and Early Modern history.
LO2. Demonstrate expert understanding of a variety of approaches to interpreting Medieval and Early Modern history, and skilfully employ and manipulate such approaches in your own work.
LO3. Skilfully analyse and interpret both primary evidence and secondary literature.
LO4. Work both independently and collaboratively to develop and refine historical understanding and awareness.
LO5. Apply interdisciplinary approaches to the study of history.
LO6. Demonstrate capacity to integrate Indigenous and non-Western perspectives on the past and understand how axes of inequality (such as gender and racial inequalities) have been historically constructed.
LO7. Demonstrate the skills needed to construct an evidence-based argument or narrative in written, oral, visual, or digital form.
LO8. Demonstrate sophisticated information and digital literacy in research.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit is offered for the second time in S2, 2022. Its schedule has been revised according the results of its previous iteration in 2021.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

HSTY3802: Medieval and Early Modern History

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect