VP2246 Vertically Integrated Project: Rethinking Disability in Medieval Europe

Academic year

2026 to 2027 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

5

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 8

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Enrolment in any project for which this module is available is subject to competitive application and approval of the project supervisor(s). Open to students across disciplines (history, archaeology, medicine, computer science, creative writing, art and art history, communication, heritage studies). All students must consent to the Lab's Ethics and Social Media Policies before participating. Maximum twelve students; two to four per team in Y1. MLitt Medieval Studies students may join for their single year.

Planned timetable

Lab hours 2 to 4, and by arrangement. The History & Archaeology Lab in St Katherine's West serves as the project hub.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module Staff

Prof. Alison Beach (lead academic supervisor, primary point of contact). Dr Eleanor Farber (Postdoctoral Research Associate). Ad hoc research partners at Dundee, Leeds, Dublin and Bonn.

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Students join a live, multidisciplinary research team investigating how physical disability was understood, represented and experienced in premodern Europe through historical texts and skeletal evidence. The project is connected to the AHRC-funded Word of Mouth project running to 2029 and to the VisDis ERC Synergy application. Students apply to one or more of three strands (community partnerships and co-production; historical and bioarchaeological research; public-facing outputs), work semi-independently in sub-teams under a student team leader, and convene as a full team every two weeks. All students begin with two weeks of shared lab induction covering the ethics of working with human remains.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

YOU ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO SELECT VP PREFIXED MODULES IF YOU HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION AND IT HAS BEEN APPROVED.

Assessment pattern

100% coursework

Re-assessment

100% coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

Open lab hours weekly for all VIP students, plus fortnightly full-team meetings and sub-team working. Lab class hours are Tuesday to Thursday and by arrangement. Total contact scales with credit weighting.

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

28

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Function as a contributing and accountable member of a multidisciplinary team
  • Apply self-management skills
  • Demonstrate research skills
  • Display leadership skills
  • Contribute to the project using disciplinary knowledge