Signum University — Blackberry

Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.

Welcome to our highlighted modules! These modules are featured here and on preceptor course pages. They are:

Modules that our preceptors would love to teach or reoffer soon
Modules that we are wanting to gauge student interest in
Modules that are sometimes newer to Blackberry

Student Highlighted Modules

The following modules have been highlighted by our students:

Creative Writing

Precepted by Sparrow F. Alden and Dr. Julian Barr and Christopher Bartlett and Will Estes and Creative Writing Team Member

General Humanities

Non-Sequential Series

Precepted by Dr. Larry Swain

Language

Series of 6

Precepted by Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson

Fantasy Studies

Non-Sequential Series

Precepted by Dr. Sara Brown
with guest lecturers James Tauber and Dr. Corey Olsen

Add modules you like to your Wishlist to help us candidate them in an upcoming month!

Module	Preceptor	Sector	Portals	Format	Occurrences
Adaptations of Middle-earth: From Deitch and Bakshi to Jackson	Patrick Lyon	Fantasy Studies	Film Studies JRR Tolkien	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Advanced Old English Series: Readings in Poetry and Prose Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Larry Swain	Language	Advanced Languages Germanic Studies	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Art History – A Thousand Stories Non-Sequential Series	Pilar Barrera	General Humanities	Ancient Middle East Art Bible Comparative Mythology Crafting Cultural Studies History Modernism Philosophy Renaissance Romanticism The Greco-Roman World The Middle Ages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity	June 2024
Beginning Old Norse [Tier 1 Series] Series	Signum Graduate Faculty Member	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery AM Language AM Tier 1 Beginning Languages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Graduate intensity
Beginning Scottish Gaelic Series of 3	Sìne Màiri MacDougall	Language	Beginning Languages Conversational Languages Fall Survey 2023	Discussion-based
Book Club: Dune by Frank Herbert Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Julian Barr	Fantasy Studies	Creative Writing Dune Fall Survey 2023 Fantasy Frank Herbert May Showcase 2023 Science Fiction Worldbuilding	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Book Club: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone	Laurel Stevens	Fantasy Studies	Fall Survey 2023 Monsters Science Fiction Time Travel	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Book Club: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (Books I - VI) Non-Sequential Series	Elise Trudel Cedeño	Fantasy Studies	Fall Survey 2023 JRR Tolkien	Discussion-based
Concerning Monsters and Fairies [Tier 2]	Signum Graduate Faculty Member Dr. Chris Vaccaro	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery AM Literature AM Tier 2 JRR Tolkien	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Graduate intensity
Crash Course on Norse Myths	Dr. Paul Peterson	General Humanities	Comparative Mythology Germanic Studies The Middle Ages	Lecture-based • Low intensity
Creative Writing: A Flash of Brilliance Writing Flash Fiction	Christopher Bartlett	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Composition Creative Writing Epic Fantasy Fairy Tales Fantasy Magic Metaphysics Monsters Science Fiction Time Travel Weird Fiction Workshops Worldbuilding	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Creative Writing for Small Groups (Mini-Module)	Creative Writing Team Member	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Creative Writing Epic Fantasy Fantasy Invented Languages Poetry Science Fiction Skills Workshops Worldbuilding	Discussion-based • High intensity
Creative Writing: Introduction To Writing In Community	Will Estes	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Composition Creative Writing Fall Survey 2023 May Showcase 2023 Workshops	Discussion-based • Medium intensity	May 2023
Creative Writing: Let's Talk About Dialogue	Christopher Bartlett	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Composition Creative Writing Drama Education Ethics Poetry Skills Workshops Worldbuilding	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • High intensity
Creative Writing: Oral Storytelling	Sparrow F. Alden Christopher Bartlett	Creative Writing	Children’s Literature Collaborative Feedback Creative Writing Drama Fairy Tales Fall Survey 2023 Workshops	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Creative Writing: Start Writing Mysteries!	Dr. Carol Oliver Will Estes	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Creative Writing Mystery Fiction	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Creative Writing: Story Revision Workshop	Catherine Conners	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Composition Creative Writing Workshops	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Creative Writing: Workshop	Sparrow F. Alden Dr. Julian Barr Christopher Bartlett Will Estes Creative Writing Team Member	Creative Writing	Collaborative Feedback Creative Writing Skills Workshops	Discussion-based • High intensity	November 2022 November 2024 January 2025
Egyptian Book of the Dead	Shawn Gaffney	Language	Ancient Middle East Comparative Mythology History Magic Religious Studies	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Egyptian Hieroglyphs Series of 4	Shawn Gaffney	Language	Ancient Middle East Beginning Languages Fall Survey 2023	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Exploring Natsume’s Book of Friends Non-Sequential Series	Nancy "Anni" Foasberg	Fantasy Studies	Anime East Asian Studies Fairy Tales Fantasy Japan Monsters	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Exploring Violet Evergarden	Bronwyn Rivera Nancy "Anni" Foasberg	Fantasy Studies	Anime East Asian Studies Fantasy Japan Travel Literature	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Exploring William Gibson's Jackpot	Dr. Patrick Malloy	Fantasy Studies	Anthropocene Fall Survey 2023 Science Fiction Time Travel	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Fairy Tales Studies: Exploring Fairy Tales from Around the World and from Different Authors	Pilar Barrera	Fantasy Studies	Adaptation Theory British Literature Children’s Literature Comparative Mythology Cultural Studies East Asian Studies Fairy Tales Fantasy Japan Magic Monsters Worldbuilding	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Gothic Language Series of 3	Dr. Paul Peterson	Language	Beginning Languages Germanic Studies Linguistics	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Greek for Beginners Series of 12	Dr. Larry Swain	Language	Beginning Languages Bible The Greco-Roman World	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • High intensity
Haunting Tales Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Amy H. Sturgis	General Humanities	Gothic Literature Oct Showcase 2023 Weird Fiction Women's Studies	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Haunting Tales: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson	Dr. Amy H. Sturgis	General Humanities	Gothic Literature Weird Fiction Women's Studies	Mixed Lecture/Discussion	October 2023
His Dark Materials in Context Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Faith Acker Dr. Gabriel Schenk	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Children’s Literature Cultural Studies Epic Fantasy Fairy Tales Fantasy Philosophy Women's Studies Worldbuilding	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Sin	Keli Fancher	Fantasy Studies	Anime East Asian Studies Japan	Discussion-based
Ink Spots and Tea Stains: What We Learn from C.S. Lewis's Writing Habits	Dr. Brenton Dickieson	Creative Writing	Archival Research Arthurian Literature British Literature Children’s Literature Composition Crafting Creative Writing CS Lewis Digital Humanities Fantasy JRR Tolkien Owen Barfield Poetry Science Fiction The Inklings The Middle Ages Worldbuilding	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Intermediate Old Norse Poetry [Tier 2 Cluster] Non-Sequential Series	Signum Graduate Faculty Member	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery AM Language AM Tier 2 Intermediate Languages	Discussion-based • Graduate intensity
In the Age of Wonder: The Many Themes of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal	Kerra Fletcher Jay Moses	Fantasy Studies	Anthropocene Comparative Mythology Drama Ecocriticism Epic Fantasy Ethics Fairy Tales Fantasy Film Studies Magic Metaphysics Monsters Weird Fiction Worldbuilding	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Introduction to Ancient Magic Non-Sequential Series	Shawn Gaffney	General Humanities	Ancient Middle East Fall Survey 2023 Magic	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Basics	Dr. Joe Desloge	Language	Beginning Languages Linguistics Religious Studies	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Introduction to Binding Books by Hand	Praise Moyer	General Humanities	Crafting Fall Survey 2023 Skills Workshops	Lecture-based • Low intensity
Introduction to Japanese Religions Series	Dr. Robert Steed	General Humanities	Anime Classical Literature Cultural Studies East Asian Studies Ethics History Japan Magic Metaphysics Philosophy Poetry Religious Studies The Middle Ages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Introduction to Linguistics	Aidan Aannestad	General Humanities	Fall Survey 2023 Linguistics
Introduction to the History of Western Philosophy	Dr. Joe Desloge	General Humanities	History Linguistics Metaphysics Philosophy	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Introduction to Watercolor Painting	Praise Moyer	General Humanities	Art Crafting Skills Workshops	Lecture-based • Low intensity
Intro to Classical Mythology	Joshua Sosa	General Humanities	Comparative Mythology May Showcase 2023 Poetry The Greco-Roman World	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity	May 2023
Inventing Lancelot: From Comic to Tragic in Seven Centuries	Dr. Liam Daley	General Humanities	Arthurian Literature Epic Fantasy Fairy Tales Fantasy History The Middle Ages	Discussion-based • Low intensity	November 2024 Spotlight January 2025
Inventing the Holy Grail: Chretien de Troyes's complete “Perceval"	Dr. Liam Daley	General Humanities	Arthurian Literature Epic Fantasy Fantasy Religious Studies The Middle Ages	Discussion-based
Japanese Through Culture Series of 7	Pilar Barrera Hitomi Takemura	Language	Anime Conversational Languages East Asian Studies Japan Linguistics Literacy Video Games	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Japanese Through Lyrics	Sam Roche	Language	Cultural Studies East Asian Studies Japan Music	Discussion-based • Low intensity
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún	Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson	Fantasy Studies	Germanic Studies JRR Tolkien Poetry The Middle Ages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Knewbetta’s Guide to The Silmarillion	Knewbetta	Fantasy Studies	Fall Survey 2023 JRR Tolkien May Showcase 2024	Discussion-based • Low intensity	May 2024
Korean Culture for K-Drama Lovers	Sam Roche	General Humanities	Drama East Asian Studies Film Studies Food History	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Latin for Beginners Series of 13	Dr. Faith Acker	Language	Beginning Languages Fall Survey 2023 Oct Showcase 2023 The Greco-Roman World	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Meet The Last Man	Dr. Amy H. Sturgis	General Humanities	Anthropocene British Literature Ecocriticism Gothic Literature Romanticism Science Fiction	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Middle High German for Beginners Series of 3	Dr. Isaac Schendel	Language	Beginning Languages Fall Survey 2023 Germanic Studies Linguistics The Middle Ages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Narnia Book Club: The Chronicles of Narnia Non-Sequential Series	Elise Trudel Cedeño	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Children’s Literature CS Lewis Fantasy	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Old English for Beginners Series of 7	Dr. Isaac Schendel Dr. Larry Swain	Language	Beginning Languages Fall Survey 2023 Germanic Studies	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Old Norse for Beginners Series of 6	Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson	Language	Beginning Languages Fall Survey 2023 Germanic Studies	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Old Norse Sagas in Translation: Njál’s Saga	Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson	General Humanities	Germanic Studies The Middle Ages Viking Age	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Plant-based Entheogens, Shapers of History and Consciousness	Dr. Robert Steed	General Humanities	History Religious Studies	Lecture-based • Low intensity
Pre-Christian Religions of the North	Dr. Irina Manea	General Humanities	Germanic Studies History Religious Studies Viking Age	Lecture-based • Low intensity	Spotlight February 2025
Preparing for the Year Ahead	Keli Fancher	General Humanities	Collaborative Feedback Crafting Journaling Productivity Workshops	Discussion-based • Medium intensity	January 2025
Reading L.M. Montgomery as Fantasy: Part 1: Anne of Green Gables	Dr. Brenton Dickieson	General Humanities	Canada Children’s Literature Creative Writing Fairy Tales Fantasy Lucy Maud Montgomery Magic Modernism Romanticism Speculative Fiction Women's Studies Worldbuilding Young Adult Fiction	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Readings in Latin	Dr. Faith Acker Patrick Lyon Dr. Larry Swain	Language	Advanced Languages Bible Intermediate Languages Poetry The Greco-Roman World	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Readings in Middle High German: Prose Selections	Dr. Isaac Schendel	Language	Beginning Languages Classical Literature Cultural Studies Germanic Studies Linguistics The Middle Ages	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Sanderson's Mistborn Series (Cosmere Club) Non-Sequential Series	Keli Fancher	Fantasy Studies	Epic Fantasy Fall Survey 2023 Sanderson	Discussion-based • High intensity
Scottish Gaelic Song	Sìne Màiri MacDougall	Language	Conversational Languages Music Poetry	Discussion-based
Swedish for Beginners Series of 3	Dr. Paul Peterson	Language	Beginning Languages Germanic Studies	Discussion-based • Low intensity
The Body in Tolkien's Legendarium	Dr. Chris Vaccaro	Fantasy Studies	Cultural Studies Fantasy JRR Tolkien	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity	June 2024
The Dark is Rising Sequence Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Sara Brown	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Children’s Literature Epic Fantasy Fantasy Magic	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
The Fantastic in East Asia	Dr. Robert Steed	Fantasy Studies	China East Asian Studies Japan Oct Showcase 2023	Lecture-based • Low intensity	October 2023
The Life and Legend of St Nicholas	Dr. Julian Barr	General Humanities	Bible Classical Literature Cultural Studies History Religious Studies The Middle Ages	Discussion-based • Low intensity
The Minoans and Modernity: Minotaurs, Labyrinths, and Other Myths	Dr. Hamish Williams	General Humanities	Ancient Middle East Archaeology British Literature Children’s Literature Classical Literature Comparative Mythology Cultural Studies Fantasy Film Studies History Modernism Monsters Science Fiction The Greco-Roman World Travel Literature Utopias	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • High intensity
The Music of Middle-earth Non-Sequential Series	Jack Schabert	Fantasy Studies
The Poetic Corpus of J.R.R. Tolkien: Tolkien's Collected Poems (The Years 1910-1967 in Three Volumes) Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Sara Brown	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Epic Fantasy Fantasy JRR Tolkien Poetry The Inklings	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity	November 2024
The Science of Reading: Teaching Your Kids How to Read	Elise Trudel Cedeño	General Humanities	Education Linguistics Literacy May Showcase 2024 Skills	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity	May 2024
The Second Age of Middle-earth	James Tauber	Fantasy Studies	JRR Tolkien	Lecture-based • Medium intensity
The Story of Cinema: A SPACE Odyssey	Patrick Lyon	General Humanities	Film Studies May Showcase 2024	Discussion-based • Medium intensity	May 2024
Tolkien and the Classical World	Dr. Hamish Williams	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Classical Literature Comparative Mythology Cultural Studies Epic Fantasy Ethics Fantasy History JRR Tolkien May Showcase 2024 Philosophy Poetry The Greco-Roman World	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • High intensity	May 2024
Tolkien and the Romantics Non-Sequential Series	Will Sherwood	General Humanities	British Literature Ecocriticism JRR Tolkien Legacy Literacy Philosophy Romanticism Women's Studies	Discussion-based • Low intensity
Tolkien and the Sea	Jennifer Rogers	Fantasy Studies	JRR Tolkien	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Tolkien's Great Tales Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Sara Brown	Fantasy Studies	Fantasy JRR Tolkien The Inklings	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Tolkien’s Invented Languages in The Lord of the Rings	James Tauber	Language	Invented Languages JRR Tolkien Linguistics	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context [Tier 2 Series] Non-Sequential Series	Signum Graduate Faculty Member	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery AM Literature AM Tier 2 JRR Tolkien	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Graduate intensity
Tolkien's Writing Systems	James Tauber	Language	Invented Languages JRR Tolkien Linguistics	Lecture-based • Medium intensity
Túrin's Bones: The Influences of Sigurd, Oedipus, and Kullervo on J.R.R. Tolkien's Tale of Túrin Turambar	Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson	Fantasy Studies	British Literature Classical Literature Epic Fantasy Folklore Germanic Studies JRR Tolkien Kalevala The Greco-Roman World The Middle Ages Viking Age	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity	November 2024 Spotlight February 2025
Video Game Storytelling	Dominic Nardi	General Humanities	Digital Humanities Fairy Tales Fall Survey 2023 Science Fiction Video Games	Discussion-based • Medium intensity
Viking Hogwarts: The World Of Old Norse Sorcery Non-Sequential Series	Dr. Irina Manea	General Humanities	Comparative Mythology Cultural Studies Fantasy Germanic Studies History Magic Religious Studies The Middle Ages Viking Age	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Wayward Children Novella Series Non-Sequential Series	Laurel Stevens	Fantasy Studies	Children’s Literature Fairy Tales Fantasy Weird Fiction	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Medium intensity
Weird Languages	Shawn Gaffney	Language	Invented Languages Linguistics	Lecture-based • Low intensity
Why We Love Faerie – A Psychological Perspective	Dori Acampora	General Humanities	Fairy Tales Fantasy JRR Tolkien Psychology	Lecture-based • Medium intensity	November 2024 January 2025
Writing About Literature [Tier 1]	Signum Graduate Faculty Member Dr. Faith Acker	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery Academic Writing AM Literature AM Tier 1 Education Skills Workshops	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Graduate intensity
Writing Formal Paragraphs [Tier 1]	Signum Graduate Faculty Member Dr. Faith Acker	Academic Mastery	Academic Mastery Academic Writing AM Literature AM Tier 1 Education Skills Workshops	Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Graduate intensity

If you have any questions along the way, please reach out to [email protected].