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requirements

Interdisciplinary Explorations of the Middle East in Berlin

registration

Registration in Campus Management (or if applicable via your dedicated Office for Academic Affairs) is required in order to attend the course.

regular participation

Active and regular participation in the discussions and contributions to the respective assignments are expected. Being “active” means paying attention and participating within your own capabilities, not being “talkative.”

active participation

  • Submit a digital poster by 6 February at 6 p.m.
  • Complete two out of four field trip reports (300 words each) by the deadlines indicated in the course schedule.
  • Participate in on-campus presentations and discussions following field trips.

How to deal with deadlines: The specified deadlines are important, as your submitted work forms the basis for the subsequent sessions. If you submit your work late (or in another format), we will unfortunately not be able to discuss it together in the session – you will miss the opportunity to receive valuable feedback from your fellow students.

If you can foresee that you will not meet a deadline, please think about it early on:

  • How can you still achieve the learning objectives of the module?
  • What alternative ways are there to deal with the topic?
  • How can you still contribute constructively to the subsequent discussion?

Late submission is generally possible and can be done the first time without compensation, with the “disadvantage” that we will not be able to include the respective late submission in the session after the deadline; if you are also unable to meet a second deadline, write to the instructors a short e-mail with your own ideas on how you (a) organize yourself in the future so that you meet deadlines and (b) what you can imagine as compensation. The responsibility for your own learning lies with you. Remember: The requirements for active participation are not used to check your performance, but above all for yourselves to monitor your learning progress and prepare you for your further studies.

field trip reports

Field trip reports are 300-word reflections on your observations and initial thoughts during off-campus visits. These reports should capture your immediate experiences and serve as a foundation for further discussion and analysis in our on-campus sessions. When writing your field trip reports, focus on the following:

  1. Detailed Observations:
    • Describe what you saw, heard, and experienced in detail.
    • Pay attention to the physical space, artifacts, interactions, and atmosphere.
    • Note any unexpected or surprising elements you encountered.
  2. Initial Impressions:
    • Record your immediate thoughts and reactions to the visit.
    • Reflect on how the experience relates to your understanding of the Middle East.
  3. Questions and Curiosities:
    • List questions that arose during your visit.
    • Identify aspects that piqued your interest and might warrant further exploration.
  4. Connections to Course Themes:
    • Briefly note how your observations relate to the theme of the visit (e.g., Memory and Archive, Knowledge and Education, Migration and Networks, or Everyday Culture).
    • Consider how your experience might connect to topics discussed in class.
  5. Personal Reflection:
    • Reflect on your own reactions and how your background might influence your perceptions.
    • Consider any challenges or surprises you encountered during the visit.
  6. Potential Topics for Discussion:
    • Suggest one or two topics from your visit that you think would be interesting to discuss further in class.
  7. How can we turn curiosity into research? And why? And for whom?

Remember, these reports are meant to capture your observations and initial thoughts. We will use them as starting points for our on-campus discussions, where we’ll dive deeper into scholarly analysis, theoretical connections, and research potential. Your honest and detailed observations will contribute to rich, productive discussions and help us collectively develop our understanding of the Middle East through Berlin’s perspective.

Format: PDF to Lukas’ AND Victoria’s @fu-berlin.de mail addresses from your @fu-berlin.de (or @zedat) mail address, use the subject “explorations”. No special requirements for citations, footnotes, font, list of sources etc. – use a CONSISTENT style throughout your paper. Include a header with all the relevant details (name, matriculation number, date, course details).

research poster

As part of the active participation requirements, you will create a digital research poster to be submitted by February 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

What is a Research Poster?

For this course, a research poster is a visual presentation of your observations, reflections, and potential research ideas developed throughout the semester. It combines text and graphics to present information in a concise and engaging format, synthesizing your experiences from field trips and discussions.

The research poster for this course is an exploratory tool to help you develop your observations into potential research questions. It’s not meant to present completed research, but rather to showcase how you’re beginning to think about your observations in a scholarly context.

Poster Content:

Your digital poster should include:

  1. Title: A working title that reflects your area of interest or potential research direction
  2. Background: Brief context of your observations within the course themes
  3. Key Observations: Main insights from your field trips and course discussions
  4. Potential Research Questions: 1-3 questions that have emerged from your observations
  5. Theoretical Connections: How your observations and questions might relate to theories or concepts discussed in class
  6. Methodological Considerations: Initial thoughts on how one might approach studying these questions
  7. Significance: Why these questions are insightful and who might benefit from this research
  8. Visual Elements: Relevant images or diagrams from your field trips or that illustrate your concepts
  9. Next Steps: Ideas for further exploration or development of your research questions

Design Guidelines:

  • Size: Design for a A0 poster (landscape or portrait orientation)
  • Use free tools like Canva or take advantage of Freie Universität’s Microsoft Office packages
  • File Format: Submit as a PDF
  • Text: Use a clear, readable font (e.g., Arial, Calibri) with appropriate sizing (title: 72-80 pt, headings: 48-54 pt, body text: 24-32 pt)
  • Colors: Choose a cohesive color scheme that enhances readability
  • Layout: Organize content in a logical flow, using columns or sections
  • Balance: Aim for a meaningful text to image/graphic/diagram ratio

examination


The module examination is completed as part of the methods course (14401).