university of kent – code of practice for quality assurance
MODULE SPECIFICATION
1. The title of the module: Classical Literature
2. School which will be responsible for management of the module: SECL (Comparative Literature)
3. The Start Date of the module: Autumn 2013
4. The cohort of students (onwards) to which the module will be applicable: 2013-2014
5. The number of students expected to take the module: 20–30
6. Modules to be withdrawn on the introduction of this proposed module and consultation with other relevant Departments and Faculties regarding the withdrawal: None
7. The level of the module: C
8. The number of credits which the module represents: 15
9. Which term(s) the module will be taught in (or other teaching pattern): Autumn or Spring Term
10. Prerequisite and co-requisite modules: None
11. The programme(s) of study to which the module contributes: Comparative Literature and open to all other programmes within the Humanities as an option.
12. The intended subject-specific learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to programme learning outcomes:
· To achieve an overview of ancient Greek and Roman literature, with particular emphasis on its recurring thematic preoccupations and its cultural context;
· To acquire familiarity with some of the major classical myths and mythical figures, and their significance (including the Trojan War; Odyssey’s return from Troy; Prometheus; Oedipus; Jason and Medea; Aeneas and the founding of Rome).
· To develop a sense of the origins of some of the major genres in Western literature, including tragedy, comedy, and the epic, and how these were theorized by Aristotle in the light of Greek literature.
· To be able to engage critically with classical literature through close readings of works in different genres (poetry, drama, narrative);
· To develop a sense of key motifs in classical literature that prove important for Western literature thereafter;
· To appreciate the similarities and differences between ancient Greek and Roman literature, and to develop a sense of cultural transmission.
These subject-specific learning outcomes will contribute to achieving the following Comparative Literature programme learning outcomes: 12A (a), (b), (c), and (g).
13. The intended generic learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to programme learning outcomes:
· To improve oral communication skills through participation in seminars and through the delivery of one formal seminar presentation;
· To refine written communication skills, including the structuring of an original argument, through the writing of two short essays;
· To develop the ability to read closely and critically, and to apply a range of critical terms to literary texts;
· To hone the ability to undertake the comparative analysis of literature.
These generic learning outcomes will contribute to achieving the following Comparative Literature programme learning outcomes: 12B (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), and (g); 12C (i)–(r); 12D (s)–(v).
14. A synopsis of the curriculum: This module offers students a wide-ranging grounding in classical literature as a basis for the further study of Western literature within a comparative framework. Major works of ancient Greek and Roman literature are studied in order to enable students to appreciate the literary engagement with the following in the classical world: myth (including the stories of the Trojan War, Oedipus, Jason and Medea, and the founding of Rome); the relationship between human beings and the gods, between the sexes, and between the human and the animal; and the journey motif. Themes explored included sexuality, violence, conceptions of justice, metamorphosis, and madness. The module introduces students to some of the major genres of Western literature (tragedy, comedy, the epic), and considers how these were theorized by Aristotle. It also encourages students to reflect on questions of cultural transmission, and on why the myths represented in classical literature should have proved to be such a rich source for the literature of the West.
15. Indicative Reading List:
Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey (extracts)
Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Sophocles, Oedipus the King and Antigone
Euripides, The Bacchae
Aristotle, Poetics
Aristophanes, Lysistrata
Aesop, Fables
Apollonius of Rhodes, The Voyage of the Argo/Jason and the Golden Fleece
Ovid, Metamorphoses (extracts)
Virgil, The Aeneid (extracts)
Seneca, Medea
Catullus, Selected Poems
16. Learning and Teaching Methods, including the nature and number of contact hours and the total study hours which will be expected of students, and how these relate to achievement of the intended learning outcomes:
Study Hours: One two-hour seminar across 10 weeks
Contact Hours: 20
Total Study Hours: 150
The introductory seminar in which students are given an introduction to Greek mythology and the major genres in classical literature will be followed by seminars that focus on Greek epic (Homer), Greek tragedy (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides), Greek comedy (Aristophanes), Hellenistic literature (Apollonius of Rhodes), and the way in which Roman literature engages with and develops the classical Greek genres: epic (Virgil and Ovid), tragedy (Seneca), and poetry (Catullus). Seminars will generally include a presentation by small groups of students (15 minutes each). Having completed the preparatory reading for each week’s seminars, students will be in a position to contribute to seminar discussions, which will include focusing upon particular extracts from each of the works under consideration. This will encourage the development of close-reading skills. The seminar group will be subdivided into smaller groups at some point in each seminar in order to encourage collaborative work on the texts and to give students the confidence to present their ideas to the larger group. Once most of the reading for the module as a whole has been accomplished, students will be in a position to choose their essay title from the list supplied by the convenor. The essay will be 2500 words in length and must be comparative in nature. These learning and teaching methods will contribute to achieving the following subject-specific and generic learning outcomes on the Comparative Literature Programme Specification: 12A (a), (b), (c), and (g); 12B (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), (g), and (h); 12C (a), (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), (p), (q), and (r); 12B (s), (t), (u), and (v).
17. Assessment methods and how these relate to testing achievement of the intended learning outcomes: All students will give one in-class presentation of approximately 15 minutes on one or more of the texts being studied (20%) and complete one essay of 2500 words (80%). Students will be provided with presentation topics and with essay titles. These assessment methods will contribute to achieving the following learning outcomes on the Comparative Literature Programme Specification: 12B (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), (g), and (h). They will also contribute to achieving the following educational aims of the programme: 11 (a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (i).
18. Implications for learning resources, including staff, library, IT and space: None
19. The School recognises and has embedded the expectations of current disability equality legislation, and supports students with a declared disability or special educational need in its teaching. Within this module we will make reasonable adjustments wherever necessary, including additional or substitute materials, teaching modes or assessment methods for students who have declared and discussed their learning support needs. Arrangements for students with declared disabilities will be made on an individual basis, in consultation with the University’s disability/dyslexiasupport service, and specialist support will be provided where needed.
Statement by the Director of Learning and Teaching: “I confirm that I have been consulted on the above module proposal and have given advice on the correct procedures and required content of module proposals.”
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Director of Learning and Teaching Date
Statement by the Head of Department: “I confirm that the Department has approved the introduction of the module and will be responsible for its resourcing.”
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Head of Department Date
New module specification approved by Faculty 20 November 2012