AM Tier 1 Portal

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Anyone wishing to write about literature will need to know how to acknowledge the ideas of others, and this course offers an overview of the MLA citation style, an introduction to basic library research methods, and an introduction to engaging with sources in paragraphs, in annotated bibliographies, and in literature reviews for larger academic projects. While some students may elect to practice other citation styles for their final project, the current MLA “container” style, which can be adapted for most other styles, allows ample opportunities to discuss ways to cite nontraditional materials that are often useful for scholars working in the realms of imaginative literature, science fiction, fan studies, adaptation studies, and much more.
This module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, complete weekly citation activities, and complete a final assessment.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (4 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)

Assessments: weekly & summative

Materials: No additional books or materials required.

Goals and Skills:

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

The Beginning Old Norse series is designed to learn the basics of reading and translating Old Norse from the ground up. Old Norse is a term used broadly to refer to languages and dialects of Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia, and sometimes more specifically to refer to Old Icelandic, the form of the language used in Medieval Iceland. It was in Old Icelandic that the largest body of pre-modern Scandinavian literature was written, including the prose sagas and a wealth of mythological and legendary poetry. No prior knowledge of the language or study of historical languages is assumed or required.

Beginning Old Norse 1 provides a complete overview of Old Norse grammar, while also starting to explore assisted readings in the original Old Norse language.This course begins with a focus on Old Norse-Icelandic grammar, with the immediate aim of helping students develop basic reading abilities in the language, while also highlighting connections to other Germanic languages as a gateway to Germanic philology. We begin by gently learning the grammar through exercises, synthesizing basic knowledge of building blocks of the Old Norse grammatical system.

Format: 2 hours of lectures per week; 2 hours of live class meetings per week, for 7 weeks, with an assessment week at the end.

Assessments: Ungraded exercises reviewed in class; one graded exam at the end of the module

Goals and Skills:

This series is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 3 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

The Beginning Old Norse series is designed to learn the basics of reading and translating Old Norse from the ground up. Old Norse is a term used broadly to refer to languages and dialects of Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia, and sometimes more specifically to refer to Old Icelandic, the form of the language used in Medieval Iceland. It was in Old Icelandic that the largest body of pre-modern Scandinavian literature was written, including the prose sagas and a wealth of mythological and legendary poetry. No prior knowledge of the language or study of historical languages is assumed or required.

Beginning Old Norse 2 continues where Beginning Norse 1 leaves off, and where we dive head first into reading authentic Old Norse texts in the original. Students start to use this linguistic and grammatical knowledge to read from a selection of Old Norse prose and poetic texts, and to look beyond Old Norse to selected Viking Age runic texts in conclusion.

Format: 2 hours of lectures per week; 2 hours of live class meetings per week, for 7 weeks, with an assessment week at the end.

Assessments: Ungraded exercises reviewed in class; one graded exam at the end of the module

Goals and Skills:

This series is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 3 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

Beginning Old Norse is designed to learn the basics of reading and translating Old Norse from the ground up. Old Norse is a term used broadly to refer to languages and dialects of Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia, and sometimes more specifically to refer to Old Icelandic, the form of the language used in Medieval Iceland. It was in Old Icelandic that the largest body of pre-modern Scandinavian literature was written, including the prose sagas and a wealth of mythological and legendary poetry. No prior knowledge of the language or study of historical languages is assumed or required.

Goals and Skills:

This series is graduate level in intensity

This group of four interconnected modules is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing modules.

Four short, linked courses invite students to learn, review, and practice a range of skills that are critical to humanities studies: paragraph structure, analytical readings, grammar and punctuation, and research and citations. These modules can be taken independently, bundled, and in any sequence; they may be repeated as many times as desired to help students develop confidence and achieve mastery.

Note: Modules in this series draw extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining theoretical lectures by Dr. Sara Brown, chair of Signum’s Department of Language and Literature, with mini-lectures on key grammatical concepts by other established Signum faculty, this course provides an overview of English punctuation, spelling, and grammar for anyone who wants a refresher!
This Tier 1 module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, complete weekly grammatical quizzes, and complete a final assessment.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (2-6 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)

Assessments: weekly & summative

Goals and Skills:

• Students who complete the module should be able to write a grammatically correct paragraph that uses standard English punctuation throughout.
• Students may use this module to practice proofreading techniques.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining lectures and roundtables from Signum’s graduate faculty with interactive weekly tutorials, this five-week module is designed for students new to scholarly writing in the humanities, those returning to academic pursuits after time in other fields, or those who want to practice writing formal analysis of literary texts.
This Tier 1 module is open to all students and may be repeated as many times as desired, although we recommend completing the “Writing Formal Paragraphs” module before attempting this one. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, write weekly paragraphs, and complete a final written project.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

• Format:
• 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (4 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)
• Assessments: weekly & summative
• No additional books or materials required.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining lectures and roundtables from Signum’s graduate faculty with interactive weekly tutorials, this five-week module is designed for students new to scholarly writing in the humanities, those returning to academic pursuits after time in other fields, or those who want to see just how challenging it can be to write a simple yet spectacular paragraph.
This Tier 1 module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, write and revise paragraphs, and complete a final written project.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format:

Goals and Skills:

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens