Module HIST1331: CHRISTENDOM AND ISLAM IN THE PERIOD OF THE FIRST CRUSADE

Department: HISTORY

HIST1331: CHRISTENDOM AND ISLAM IN THE PERIOD OF THE FIRST CRUSADE

Type	Open	Level	1	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2005/06	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

• An A or B grade in A-Level History, or an acceptable equilalent (e.g. in terms of Scottish Highers or lB)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The purpose of this module is to study a significant period in the relationship of western Christendom and Islam, and to introduce students to the study of primary sources.

Content

• The origins of the Crusading movement.The way in which the Church came to promote the notion that certain types of warfare could be meritorious is considered, together with the readiness of the laity to respond to the Church's call to take up arms against the infidel.
• The First Crusade. This part of the course covers not only military operations,but also relations between the crusaders and the Byzantines, the situation in the Muslim world at the time of the first crusade, and the ways in which success and failure were explained on both sides.
• The establishment of the Crusader States. Both internal developments and relations with neighbouring powers (Byzantine and Armenian, as well as Muslim) are covered and in particular the revival of the concept of Jihad in neighbouring Muslim regions is discussed.
• Western understanding of Islam. It was in the period of the First Crusade that images of Islam began to evolve in Western Europe. The extent of western knowledge and understanding, and the reasons for wideranging inaccuracy, are considered.

Learning Outcomes

• a broad knowledge of the societies and religious beliefs of Christian western Europe and the Muslim Near East in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, of the history of the First Crusade and the Latin Settlement of Palestine, and of the various Christian-Muslim interactions that resulted;
• a detailed knowledge of some of the principal primary sources for the study of the subject and of the narratives and interpretations which historians have proposed on the basis of them;
• the ability to scrutinise primary sources, in English translation, and to discuss their value and their limitations as historical evidence;
• the experience of undertaking an extended piece of writing which engages with historical problems and interpretations arising out of the subject in a way that makes effective use both of primary evidence and of the writings of modern historians.

• Subject specific skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/

• Key skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Student learning is facilitated by a combination of the following teaching methods:
• lectures to set the foundations for further study and to provide the basis for the acquisition of subject specific knowledge. Lectures provide a broad framework which defines individual module content, introducing students to themes, debates and interpretations. In this environment, students are given the opportunity to develop skills in listening, selective note-taking and reflection;
• seminars to allow students to present and critically reflect upon the acquired subject-specific knowledge, methodologies and theories, and to identify and debate a range of issues and differing opinions. The seminar is the forum in which students are given the opportunity to communicate ideas, jointly exploring themes and arguments. Seminars are structured to develop understanding and designed to maximise student participation related to prior independent preparation. Seminars give students the opportunity to develop oral communication skills, encourage critical and tolerant approaches to reasoned argument and historical discussion, build the students’ ability to marshal historical evidence, and facilitate the development of the ability to summarise historical arguments, think in a rapidly changing environment and communicate in a persuasive and articulate manner, whilst recognising the value of working with others and, occasionally, towards shared goals.
• Assessment:
• Unseen Examinations test students' ability to work under pressure under timed conditions, to prepare for examinations and direct their own programme of revision and learning, and develop key time management skills. The unseen examination gives students the opportunity to develop relevant life skills such as the ability to produce coherent, reasoned and supported arguments under pressure. Students will be examined on subject specific knowledge;
• Summative essays remain a central component of assessment in history, due to the integrative high-order skills they develop. Essays allow students the opportunity to recognise, represent and critically reflect upon ideas, concepts and problems; students can demonstrate awareness of, and the ability to use and evaluate, a diverse range of resources and identify, represent and debate a range of subject-specific issues and opinions. Through the essay, students can synthesise information, adopt critical appraisals and develop reasoned argument based on individual research; they should be able to communicate ideas in writing, with clarity and coherence; and to show the ability to integrate and critically assess material from a wide range of sources.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Lectures	19	weekly in terms 1 & 2	1 hour	19
Seminars	6	6 - 3 in term one, 2 in tern two 1 normally in Term 3 (revison)	1 hour	6
Preparation and Reading				175
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Examination 70% (two-hour written examination 100%), Two Essays 30% (essay 1 2000 words not inclusive of bibliography 50%, essay 2 2000 words not inclusive of bibliography 50%).

Formative Assessment:

One or more short assignments submitted in writing or delivered orally and discussed either 1:1 or in a group context.

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■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University