HIST 2069 - Heresy and Witchcraft in Medieval Europe
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code HIST 2069 Course Heresy and Witchcraft in Medieval Europe Coordinating Unit Historical and Classical Studies 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 I undergraduate study Incompatible HIST 2033 or HIST 3033 Assessment Quizzes, Research Essay, Tutorial Group Assessment Task, Take Home Test Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Claire Walker
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On Successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the history of medieval heresy and witchcraft and the ways in which historians have interpreted and explained this history. 2 Identify and use effectively a wide variety of secondary sources relevant to the study of medieval heresy and witchcraft, and in particular to understand and critically evaluate the arguments of historians. 3 Contextualise and interpret a wide variety of primary sources, including medieval texts, images and physical artfacts. 4 Construct evidence-based arguments in which students engage with the key debates about the nature of medieval heresy and witchcraft. 5 Communicate their own ideas about medieval heresy and witchcraft - both orally and in writing - in a manner that is clear and persuasive. 6 Access and use effectively the range of relevant primary and secondary sources on medieval heresy and witchcraft that are available on-line. 7 Develop and communicate their ideas about medieval heresy and witchcraft within the scholarly conventions of the discipline of history. 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) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1, 2, 3 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
2, 3, 4 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
4, 5 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
5 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
4 Attribute 7: Digital capabilities
Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.
6 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Tutorial reading will be available via links in MyUni.Recommended Resources
There is no set textbook for this course. However, the following two books offer useful accounts of medieval heresy and the witch hunts and would be useful to purchase. They include topics covered in lectures, tutorials and assessment tasks.
Levack, Brian P. The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, 4th edn. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016.
Roach, Andrew P. The Devil’s World: Heresy and Society 1100-1300. Abingdon: Routledge, 2013.
Online Learning
The course has a website, accessible through MyUni. Please consult it regularly for updates, lecture recordings, powerpoint slides, and additional resources.
The University has access to a number of academic journals that have full text articles available online. Use Academic OneFile , Academic Search Premier , Project Muse and JSTOR databases (on the Library’s catalogue, Library Search) to locate articles in these journals.
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Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Lectures
Lectures are scheduled to begin in Week 1 of semester. There will be one lecture each week, which will provide students with background knowledge for the topic. These sessions will also identify key analytical problems that will be discussed in tutorials and addressed in the course assessments.
Tutorials
Tutorials begin in Week 1. Each student will attend one two-hour tutorial per week. In tutorials students will participate in activities designed to develop the skills essential to the discipline of history. Tutorials are also a forum in which the class can exchange ideas about the key themes of the course and hone their oral communication skills. The materials indicated in the tutorial guide and the lectures provide you with the necessary background to participate in tutorials and to contribute to discussion. Tutorials comprise an essential component of the course with the primary purpose of developing key graduate attributes as listed above. As a result tutorial attendance is a requirement of this course. See MyUni for further instructions on tutorial participation.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Lectures: 12 hours
Tutorials: 24 hours
Preparation for tutorials: 12 hours
General reading (e.g. of course key reading and general reading): 24 hours
Researching and writing assessments: 78 hours
Total: 150 hours
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.Learning Activities Summary
The main focus on this course is provide knowledge of historical incidences and changes relating to religious deviancy and sensitivity to diverse experiences in history.
The precise content and learning activities will vary from year to year. Details of content and activities will be available on MyUni at the beginning of semester.
Lectures and tutorials might cover topics, such as Christian orthodoxy, miracles, conversion strategies, anti-Semitism, heresies (e.g. Catharism, Waldensianism, intellectual heresies), deviancy, emotions, witchcraft and demonic possession. -
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
Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome Tutorial Quizzes Summative 10% 1, 2, 3 Research Essay Formative & Summative 40% 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Group Assessment Formative & Summative 20% 2, 3, 5, 6 Test Summative 30% 1, 4, 5, 7
Assessment Related Requirements
Participation in tutorials is a compulsory component of the course. Students must attend at least 80% of tutorials to pass (unless a medical certificate is provided). Please inform your tutor prior to the tutorial if you are unable to attend. It may be possible to ‘make-up’ a tutorial at another time.
All assessment items must be submitted electronically through MyUni within one week of the due date, unless students have been granted a formal extension (MACA).Assessment Detail
Assessment tasks are are designed to engage students in individual and collective evaluation of the sources for heresy and witchcraft, and the scholarly debates on these subjects. They will also encourage students to apply their knowledge in written and oral assessment tasks which foster critical thinking and collaboration with other students.Submission
Written assignments are submitted in class or to the online submission point on MyUni on the due date. Please keep note of submission receipts as proof of submission.
Extensions will be granted on the grounds of hardship or illness. Students must apply through the official procedure (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/mod_arrange.html) unless they are registered with the Disability Office and have a Disability Access Plan.
Students who submit an essay late, without having gained an extension, will be liable to a penalty of 2 marks per day that the essay is overdue, including weekends, for a maximum of one week. Unless special arrangements have been made, essays more than one week late, will not be accepted, and will automatically be eligible for a fail grade only.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.
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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