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HIST 3121 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

HIST 3121 - England Before 1714

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course traces the history of England from the Anglo-Saxon invasions of the fifth and sixth centuries to the political, religious, and cultural consensus and new economic order achieved in the early eighteenth century.  As befits a survey, the course will examine political, cultural, and socio-economic trends. It will emphasize those developments which help explain the distinctive liberalism and individualism of English culture. Some of these include the breakdown of feudalism, the Reformation and its Puritan offshoot, the emergence of common law, and the rise of Parliament. 

Course Outcomes:

This course aims to acquaint students with the events, ideas, traditions, and values that have shaped England from the time of the Roman conquest until 1714, the advent of the Hanoverian dynasty. One of the most fundamental objectives of this course throughout is to familiarize students with the nature of historical development, and to teach students to think historically. The ultimate objective of this course is to familiarize students with the nature of historical and philosophical inquiry, and to help them gain insight into the historical process, considering both change and continuity over time. 

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:

Course topics include the Anglo-Saxon Conquest and its institutions, the Norman Conquest and its effects, English feudalism, the origins and evolution of English common law, the relationship between church and state, life in the medieval town and on the manor, the role of women and children, the emergence of Parliament, the Great Plague and the decline of manorialism, Henry VIII and the English Reformation, the rise of Puritanism, the relationship between crown and Parliament, the English Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution. 

Specific Course Requirements:

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

In order to provide students with a greater feel for English life and society, please select one of the following works for the Book Review:

Judith Bennett, Ale, Beer and Brewsters in England (Oxford University Press, 1999), ISBN 0195126505. Barbara Hanawalt, Growing Up in Medieval London (Oxford University Press, 1995), ISBN 0195093844. Marjorie McIntosh, Working Women in English Society, 1300-1620 (Cambridge University Press, 2005), ISBN 0521608589.
Keith Wrightson, English Society, 1580-1680 (Rutgers University Press), ISBN 0813532884. 

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

This class will be administered totally online, and thus all assignments and exams must be submitted online. The Mid-term Exam, Book Review, and Final Exam must be submitted via the Dropbox. To access the Dropbox, click on that link in the upper blue navigation bar. Late policy: late exams and book reviews will be penalized by ten points for each day that they are late. 

Grading Procedures:

Discussion (20%), Mid-term Exam (25%), Book Review (25%), and Final Exam (30%). 

Grading Scale:
900-1000A
800-899B
700-799C
600-699D
Below 600F

 

Assignments and Projects:

*Discussion Topic Responses/DTRs (10 @ 20 points each - Module 11 is a "Bonus" item): 200 points

*Mid-term Exam: 250 points 

*Book Review: 250 points

*Final Exam: 300 points

**Total: 1000 points

To access the discussion boards, click on the 'Discussions' link on the Course Menu. The discussion boards provide an excellent forum for students not only to discuss the particular topic under consideration, but they also allow students the opportunity to consider other viewpoints. Some of the questions are provocative, and none of them has a single correct answer, so make sure to provide valid reasons for your argument or viewpoint. 

Class Participation:
Late Policy:

late discussion postings will be penalized by one point for each day that they are late. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021