Speaking

For the first part of the course, participation will be significant during the Investiture Controversy gameplay. Students will be expected to speak in class to deliver speeches, argue with their opponents, craft persuasive letters, write panegyric verse, plot (via DMs on Teams), or meet up to discuss strategy as a faction (in small groups online). I will be able to assess what happens during our synchronous sessions - but a great deal of your participation might happen behind closed doors - so you will be in charge of assessing your own participation. The three faction leaders will preside over the three councils (which means their level of verbal participation will be slightly greater at baseline).

During the first part of the term (weeks 1-7), we will be taking attendence during the synchronous portions. This information will be used to evaluate your self-assessment of first part of the course.

At minimum, students are expected to log in to synchronous having done reading and thought through necessary question and answers, and be willing to talk about them (and by talk I mean out loud and via text chats). Students are expected to engage during the course to identify key themes and issues, evaluate the authors’ positions/reasoning/logic, ask and answer questions from classmates and the professor, etc.