CLAS 2025 - Fall of Roman Europe and Birth of the Middle Ages
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2015
How did the fall of the Roman Empire affect the political structures and cultures of Western Europe? This course examines Late Antiquity as a period of transformation, starting with the military and political problems of the late 3rd century AD and ending with the "new" Roman Empire of Charlemagne in 9th century Frankia. Intellectual and religious tensions within this period will also be studied, especially the role of the Church in society. Evidence will include eyewitness accounts from the 5th and 6th centuries in Gaul, as well as literary and archaeological material. Regions surveyed will include the Frankish, Anglo-Saxon, and Lombardic Italian kingdoms
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code CLAS 2025 Course Fall of Roman Europe and Birth of the Middle Ages Coordinating Unit Classics, Archaeology and Ancient History Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites At least 12 units of level 1 Arts courses, including CLAS 1001 or CLAS 1002 Incompatible CLAS 2006 or CLAS 3006 Assessment 1 x 500 tutorial summary (5%), 1 x 1000 word tutorial papers (20% each), 1 x 2500 word essay (35%), 2 hour exam (40%) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Margaret O'Hea
Details as to contact and consultation hours on MyUni.Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
Lecture schedule and tutorial programme are on MyUni. -
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 to become familiar with primary sources for understanding early mediaeval history in Gaul, Italy and Britain 2 to develop scholarly approach to and methodology for historical interpretation of texts and material evidence 3 to become familiar with problems and issues in the study of mediaeval history of Europe University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-3 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1-3 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 2 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1-3 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 2 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 3 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Textbooks are:
Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks , transl.and ed. L. Thorpe. Penguin.
Innes, M. (2007 or later) Introduction to Early Medieval Western Europe, 300-900. The Sword, the Plough and the Book. Oxford: Routledge.
Both are available at Unibooks and on Amazon.
Other primary works will be available via MyUni. Readings for tutorials will be available either from the BSL or online in MyUni. They will not be available as a 'brick', since part of your gradual skills involves learning to find resources. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Two lectures per week, with weekly tutorials. Most tutorials will deepen and extend students' understanding of topics from the lectures and textbooks; some tutorials will broaden students' perspectives, dealing with areas which lectures cannot cover.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
An average of 12 hours per week, comprising:
- 3 contact hours
- average of 3 hours of background-reading and note-taking to consolidate lecture-notes
- average of 2 hours of tutorial readings and note-taking
- average of 4 hours of research (reading and note-taking), cogitation, organisation and writing of assignments
Learning Activities Summary
Lecture and tutorial lists are provided on MyUni before the start of semester.Small Group Discovery Experience
Our tutorial programme is embedded with Small Group Discovery work throughout the semester. This includes - but is not restricted to - analysing, discussing and presenting primary material in small groups. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
All summative assessments, all related to Learning Objectives 1-4:
- 1 x 500 tutorial summary (5%),
- 1 x 1000 word tutorial paper (20%)
- 1 x 2500 word essay (35%) due date,choice of topics and reading list all on MyUni
- 2 hour final exam (40%)
Assessment Related Requirements
Regular attendance is required for both lectures and tutorials.Assessment Detail
- Marks for tutorial papers and essays are provided to students in the format of a mark out of 100, along with a grade (F, P, Cr, D or HD). They are automatically converted to their final weighting (20% for tute paper, 35% for essay) by the course co-ordinator.
- Guides to formatting, structure and citation styles for both tutorial paper and essay are on MyUni for this course. Failure to comply with the recommended citation style in this course will result in a penalty of 5% of the mark deducted from the awarded mark.*
- Word limits for tutorial papers and essay are approximate guides only. However, a penalty will apply to any paper less than 66% of the word limit, or more than 133% of the word limit. This penalty will be a deduction of 5% of the final mark for that paper.*
- In addition to the tutorial paper and research essay, there will be a compulsory end-of-semester formal exam which covers all the material from the course. Copies of previous exam papers will be made available on MyUni for this course.
- There will be no alternative form of assessment to the exam component of this course.
- Rules pertaining to late submissions for the tutorial summary, the tutorial paper and research essay are fully described on MyUni for this course.
* For example, -5% of an awarded mark of 80/100 for an essay = -4%; therefore, student is given a penalised mark of 76%. If a student has a 60/100 mark for an essay, -5% of that score = -3%, hence final penalised mark = 57%. The effect of this penalty is of course much less for the final weighted mark (an essay being only 35% of the total mark for the course).Submission
- Tutorial papers to be submitted in person, in tutorial, to tutor on the day that tutorial topic is discussed in class. Each must be printed out with a green Classics coversheet obtained from School of Humanities Office on Level 7, Napier Building. This coversheet must be read and signed. No tute papers are to be submitted by email. Tutorial paper, with feedback sheet, will normally be returned within 10 working days of submission.
- Essay to be submitted ONLINE via MyUni. Online submission will be deemed equivalent to having read and signed the declaration concerning originality of work that is on the printed out coversheets for Classics.
- Essays will not be returned to students. Feedback sheet and marks will instead be available via the My Grades/Grade Centre area on MyUni for this course.
- Students must keep a copy of all assignments until their originals have been returned to them.
- Classics staff will not read or comment on any first drafts of papers. However, students are encouraged to talk to their tutor about their essay plan and direction of their argument.
- Any student with an ongoing, serious medical or personal condition which is likely to impact significantly on work is strongly recommended to consult with a Student Counsellor or Disability Liaison Officer at the start of semester. A plan can then be negotiated with the course co-ordinator about any necessary modifications to assessment, such as extension of due dates (although there will be no exemptions from all the assignments, or from regular tutorial and lecture attendances).
- For the tutorial paper and essay, university-wide rules for the application for an extension on medical or compassionate grounds apply. Students must download the appropriate form from the examinations website (a link is provided in MyUni), complete all relevant documentation, and submit to the School of Humanities office within 5 working days of the relevant problem commencing, and in all cases before the due date. Applications are not automatically approved; students will be informed by email as soon as possible during regular working hours whether or not theirs has been approved. Applications submitted electronically on the weekend will not be considered until after 9 am Monday morning. In any case, extensions are not granted for more than 2 weeks after the due date, or beyond the end of Week 12, whichever comes first.
- Unless a prior extension has been granted, any late submission will normally incur the following penalty: up to one week late, 10% of the graded mark deducted from that mark; for the second week, 20% of the graded mark to be deducted from that mark. Any unauthorised submission more than 2 weeks overdue will be returned unmarked, and no alternative form of assessment will be available.
- There is no possibility to resubmit any written assignment in this course.
- If a student is dissatisfied with a mark for the essay, he or she should first discuss the assessment with the tutor. If, after this consultation, the student stil lfeels that he or she has been unfairly marked, he or she has the right to request a second marker. The paper in question should then be re-printed and a fresh copy will then be made available to a second marker within the Classics Dept, who will mark it "blind". The final mark will be an average of the first and second marks. There is no opportunity for any further re-marking. Students should note that the final, averaged mark could be lower than the original mark, and so should consider this option carefully. The option for remarking is not available for tutorial papers.
- Before submitting their first assignment in this course, students must all ensure that they read the Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism provided on MyUni for this course. They should also note that theirsignature on the coversheet constitutes their acknowledgement that their work is their own, and not plagiarised. Any work suspected by the tutor of intentional plagiarism will be forwarded to the Head of Discipline, who will then investigate the matter formally. The relevant student will be invited to a meeting with the Head of Discipline and the course co-ordinator. If, upon investigation the balance of evidence suggests intentional plagiarism, the work will be entered with a mark of 0%, with no possibility of redemption, and the case will be forwarded to the University's Register of plagiarism. The student will be counselled as to how best to avoid committing acts of plagiarism. Students should note that morethan 3 counts of plagiarism on this register can result in expulsion from the University.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
50-64% P
- Basic understanding
- Basic readings;
- adequate knowledge of relevant concepts;
- sound, evidence-based argument;
- adequate expression & presentation.
- High level of understanding
- Thorough understanding of basic texts;
- sound knowledge of relevant concepts;
- analytical, evaluative skills;
- strong expression & presentation.
- Insightful understanding
- Evidence of additional independent reading;
- deeper understanding of more subtle concepts;
- analytical,evaluative skills;
- well-developed expression & presentation.
- exceptional understanding
- strong evidence of additional independent reading;
- deeper understanding of more subtle concepts;
- analytical, evaluative skills;
- highly-developed expression & presentation;
- originality & independent thought.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
