A key part of this course is exploring primary source documents (i.e. historical documents from the time period and place we are studying) and podcast episodes as a means of understanding medieval Spanish history. The analysis and exploration of these sources will be done through group discussion both live on Zoom and on demand via the chatboard.
- Primary Source Document discussion (aka readings assigned for each topic we cover)
- Students can choose to participate in these discussions either live via Zoom (on Tuesdays and Thursdays after our lecture) or via the Chatboard.
- You can do all live, all chatboard, or a mix of both. It is up to you! I will divide the entire class into 5 groups on the chatboard.
- Question prompts will be given for the chatboard discussion. Live discussion classes will involve a mixture of group activities via Breakout rooms, collaborative brainstorming, polls, and question prompts.
- To find your discussion group for the asynchronous option, go here: https://gounbc-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/lightfoot_unbc_ca/ESWMgo0tDuJLrV0BbqDNqdYB9YO-wSgM9UFGBavaF9aOew?e=ZmVk3u
- Podcast discussions (three times per semester)
- Three times this semester, I will post a podcast episode that explores a topic debated by historians of medieval Spain. These episodes are interviews with leading scholars in those areas of medieval Spanish history.
- Your participation in this aspect of the course will happen entirely through the chatboard. There are separate channels for each podcast episode “Convivencia”, “Reconquista”, “Unification and Conversion”.
- Your comments on the podcast episodes are due:
- Convivencia (June 1st)
- Reconquista (June 8th)
- Unification and Conversion (June 17th)
Podcast episodes will be posted here:
- Episode One Convivencia
- Episode Two Reconquista
- Episode Three Unification and Conversion
Your grade for student engagement portion of the course will be assessed in two ways:
- Through your participation in these discussions by answering the questions prompts and engaging with your fellow students. There is no specific number of posts you need to complete, but rather my goal with these chatboard discussions is to develop a conversation within your group (with my contributions) around assigned topics. In that vein, I do expect you to answer the questions I’ve posed AND respond to your fellow group members. Remember that these asynchronous discussions are designed to be conversations! For those that participate in the live discussions, assessment will be based on engagement (participation in small group activities, engagement with my questions etc.).
- Through a self-assessment of your own engagement in these discussions, submitted at the end of the semester. I will provide the framework to guide your self-assessment.