| Unit name | Communication and the Classics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS30044 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Michelakis |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
What does it mean to converse with classical texts? What does it mean to be transported by a powerful narrative? To what extent does the movement of ideas depend on senders and receivers and to what extent on technical or other processes outside their control? What gets transmitted between sender and receiver and what gets concealed or lost in the process? And how do classical texts from different periods and genres reflect on all this? These questions will be addressed through three types of figures that can be found across classical literature: messengers, witnesses, and parasites. All three types offer reflection on how we access the past and how knowledge gets transmitted, and all three of them will be used to address the question of how communication is informed and shaped not by proximity but by distance.
Aims:
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of a diverse range of literary texts engaging with issues of communication and transmission;
2. apply thorough understanding of critical and theoretical reading to the designated literary texts;
3. analyse and assess the usefulness of different critical perspectives on the literature studied;
4. present and critically assess pertinent evidence to develop a cogent argument;
5. demonstrate advanced skills in close textual analysis, argumentation, and critical interpretation, using evidence from primary texts and secondary sources appropriate to level H/6.
1 x one-hour seminar per week
1 x two-hour seminar per week.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1x 3,000-word essay (100%). [ILOs 1-5].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS30044).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
