Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - ENGL 304 D100

Studies in Medieval Literature (4)

Class Number: 4684

Delivery Method: Distance Education

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 10, 2020
    Thu, 12:00–12:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Studies of medieval authors, genres or issues, from 500-1500. Texts will be studied in the original language or in translation.

COURSE DETAILS:

Contemplation and Conviction in the Late Medieval Period  

What does it mean to be in touch with a creator god? How can we see and hear God? How do we live our lives in the physical world and maintain an awareness of spiritual realities? This course will focus mainly on fourteenth-century British and European thinking about God, how to be in contact with God, and how to live in a Godly way. These ways of thinking/behaving range from the contemplative practices of the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, in some ways similar to Buddhism, to the volatile affective piety of Margery Kempe, in some ways similar to televangelism. We will read works of Christian biography, mysticism, and advice by both men and women, for both monastic and secular audiences. The reading list, in addition to the anonymous Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Margery Kempe, will likely include selections from The Life of Christina of Markyate, Julian of Norwich, Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, Marguerite de Porete, and The Wooing of our Lord. Texts will mainly be in translation or from editions which include the original language and a translation.  

Texts will be excerpts legally scanned into Canvas modules—no purchase of course texts necessary. Because course delivery will likely be entirely online, students should have access to a computer and the internet. There will be optional weekly online meetings in Canvas Blackboard Collaborate Ultra in our assigned timeslots, but students unable to attend these should have no problem completing the course satisfactorily through asynchronous means. The final exam will be online and open book, a two-hour exam with a 24-hour window for completion beginning at the university-scheduled time.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1.      To introduce students to a variety of forms of medieval Christian spiritual advice and behaviour,
2.      To develop existing skills in critical thinking, research, and writing,
3.      To encourage and support good habits of time management and self-discipline in an online learning environment,
4.      To allow students to adapt course assessments to suit their interests, skills, and desired learning.

Grading

NOTES:

Students will choose three to five items from the following menu of possible assessments. They must include at least one essay and the final exam. Due dates will be set by students themselves. Adjustment of the weighting of grade elements possible up until the last official day of class.  

  • Research essay, historical context (c. 2500 words), can be worth 25-45% of final grade
  • Research essay, critical review (c. 2500 words), 25-45%
  • Non-research essay (c. 2000 words), 20-40%
  • Final exam (two-hour online open-book exam completed within a twenty-four-hour window), 20-40%
  • Annotated bibliography (works well with critical review essay), 15-30%
  • Online video talk with PowerPoint (like an in-class seminar, giving fellow students greater insight into a course text, works well with historical context research essay), 15-30%
  • Spiritual practices journal (journal of experimentation with different spiritual practices, including lectio divina and other forms of contemplation, meditation, and prayer, using a guide booklet—it is not necessary to be Christian or to have any religious convictions to take this as an option!), 15-30%
  • Creative project (a variety of media and forms are possible, includes an explanatory essay c. 1000 words), 10-25%
  • Reading aloud (of a short Middle English text, 2-3 minutes, in private with Nicky), 5-10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required readings will be available in PDF form in the Canvas shell for the course.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).