Learning outcomes:

The Honors College and WSU has identified six learning goals for undergraduate education:

CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING
QUANTITATIVE AND SYMBOLIC REASONING
INFORMATION LITERACY
COMMUNICATION
SELF IN SOCIETY
DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE

(see the Honors College web site www.wsu.edu/Honors for specific descriptions of these)

The learning outcomes for our course The Vikings – In Saga and Myth directly engage four of these goals: Critical and Creative Thinking, Information Literacy, Communication, and Self in Society.

In this course students will:

• become critically familiar with a selection of literary texts pertaining to early Medieval Scandinavian culture.

• Students will develop an understanding of political, religious and geographical facets of Viking age culture.

• Students will gain insights into the social configurations of Viking society including law, gender relations, and economy.

• Students will relate the ancient historical context to our own historical and cultural situation.

In pursuing the above content-dimensions students will critically and creatively analyze, interpret and synthesize literary texts and historical information gathered from readings, library and internet research in writings and classroom discussions. Skills in formal communication are also developed through PowerPoint presentations of course materials in class. These measures engage the overarching purpose of the course being critical development of each student’s cognitive horizon in knowledge and self-reflection in confrontation with an ancient culture.