Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3197: The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception

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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Weeks 1-3 will introduce the Arabian Nights as well as some of the most important themes in the field of folk literature, with particular focus on questions of gender and magical thinking.

Weeks 4-6 will discuss the material cultural background of some of the stories in the 1001 Nights, as well as many of the magical practices that it describes, especially with regards to genies.

Weeks 7-10 will describe the adaptation and translation of the Arabian Nights in the “West,” both in films and books, with special focus on the obscene sexual content of some of its stories and the effect of that perceived obscenity on its reception.

Week 11 Presentations and Review

In addition to reading various translations from the 1001 Nights, the course will include a film screening of Pier Pasolini’s Il Fiore delle Mille e Una Note (1974) as well as The Thief of Baghdad (1978).

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	22	11 x 2 hour classes. You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. On some occasions you may be asked to participate.
Guided independent study	68	Reading and research
Guided independent study	30	Completing assignments
Guided Independent Study	30	Preparing for assessments

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

vle.exeter.ac.uk

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
2 plans, one for the essay and one for the presentation (300 words each)	600 words	1, 2, 3, 6	Written and verbal feedback

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
60	0	40

...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
Thematic analysis of a text/s	60	2,500 words	1-9	Written (supplemented with oral as required)
One solo 15 minute presentation	40	15 minutes	1-9	Written and/ or verbal feedback
	0
	0
	0
	0

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
Thematic analysis of texts	Thematic analysis of texts (2500 words) 60% of credit	1-9	August / September reassessment period
Presentation	Solo 15-minute presentation 40% of credit	1-9	August/ September reassessment period