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2007/08 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
HIST3714 Charlemagne and his Biographer
40 creditsClass Size: 16
Module manager: Professor I N Wood
Email: i.n.wood@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2007/08
This module is not approved as an Elective
Objectives
Students should be able to show familiarity with the history and historiography of the Carolingian empire until ca.845AD and an ability to analyse critically primary source materials of the period.Skills outcomes
Further enhances Common Skills listed below:
High-level skills in oral and written communication of complex ideas.
Independence of mind and self-discipline and self-direction to work effectively under own initiative.
Ability to locate, handle and synthesize large amounts of information.
Capacity to employ analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to engage constructively with the ideas of their peers, tutors and published sources.
Empathy and active engagement with alternative cultural contexts.
Plus:
Skills in interpretation and analysis of complex documentary-based material.
Syllabus
The course will consider the reigns of the Carolingian emperors Charlemagne (768-814) and Louis the Pious (814-840), paying particular attention to the presentation of Charlemagne's person and deeds in the 'Life of Charlemagne' written by Einhard. Einhard wrote this first secular biography of the Middle Ages after Charlemagne's death, possibly in the context of upheaval and rebellion during Louis the Pious' reign. We shall thus examine the events of those reigns as well as their representation in contemporaries' narratives. This will involve looking at the workings of power, wars of expansion and their aftermath, the structure of the empire and its problems, court gossip, rivalries and faction fighting, as well as the cultural revival of those generations which led to the redefinition of the role of kings and of others wielding power, as well as to the production of works such as Einhard's, in which we can trace these developments.
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Seminar | 22 | 2.00 | 44.00 |
Private study hours | 356.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 44.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400.00 |
Private study
Exam preparation; researching and preparing Nathan Bodington exercise; undertaking set reading; and self-directed reading around the topic.Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Contributions to class discussions, an exercise or exercises worth 10% of module marks.Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Computer Exercise | Format to be determined by tutor. | 10.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 10.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Exams
Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 3 hr | 45.00 |
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 3 hr | 45.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 90.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 21/01/2008
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