Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ARAM249: Theorising Islam

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The module aims to introduce students to the major theoretical debates on the study of Islam, on the nature of colonial and orientalism praxes as they have arisen, as well as elements of the theory of decolonial and reparative epistemology and praxis. From these foundations, in this module, you will learn to engage key concepts within the study of Islam that help us to make better sense of our world such as race, class, gender, sexuality, justice, sovereignty, and art. By the end of the module, you will understand and be able to apply what is meant by a decolonial study of Islam as well as the potential shortcomings that such an approach may have.

As the module will be taught online, engagement with digital media and platforms and developing a confidence in their usage will be essential.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the most important approaches to the study of Islam in the field 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of what is meant by colonial, postcolonial, and decolonial approaches
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Demonstrate an ability to engage in an interdisciplinary and intersectional study of Islam through the study of gender, class, race, and sexuality among others 4. Demonstrate an ability to digest and apply postcolonial and decolonial theory to the study of Islam
Personal and Key Skills	5. Demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches 6. Demonstrate ability to use digital media and platforms for learning and disseminating knowledge and understanding

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Oral presentation on a relevant topic	10 minutes	1-6	Oral (and written if requested)
Regular reflective reaction pieces	750 words in total	1-6	Written (and oral if requested)

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Portfolio	75	2,500 words	1-6	Oral and written
Book review	25	1,000 words	1-6	Oral and written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Portfolio	Essay (2,500 words)	1-6	August/September reassessment period
Book review	Book review (1,000 words)	1-6	August/September reassessment period