By Tim O’Riordan
First published: 20/04/2013, JISC Digital Media.
Recent changes in teaching and learning practice that emphasise enquiry-based and e-learning have resulted in an increased demand for digital versions of original sources. In response Jisc, through its digitisation programmes, has made a huge amount of archive content available on the web thus providing a wealth of opportunities for study and research.
This collection gives free, public access to high quality digitised rare manuscripts – including a medieval cookery book, a copy of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, copies of the Wycliffe Bible and John Lydgate’s poem, The Siege of Troy among many others. The collection is part of a series of digitised collections hosted by the University of Manchester which include ancient maps, Greek, Arabic and ancient Egyptian papyri, the Rylands Genizah collection of around 15,000 Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic paper and parchment fragments, sections of the Gutenberg bible, early English printed works by Caxton, as well as 19th century photographs.
How can this collection be used in teaching, studying and research?
The thousands of highly detailed digital images in the collection provide exceptional visual reference material of value to anyone studying or researching history, the media, arts, language, literature, hospitality, leisure and tourism – as well as many other subject areas. The superior quality of the digital images in the collection and ability to zoom in and explore the pages in detail make this one of the better sites for viewing medieval manuscripts online.
Use of the content to support teaching and learning may be undertaken within four main areas:
Stimulus
Using digital artefacts to set the scene and engage learners in a class discussion.
For example by applying a small measure of interpretation, the transcriptions provided alongside some of the manuscript pages may be used to stimulate discussion on the differences between modern and ancient cooking practices.
Transcription:
brede. & yolkes of ayro(u)n hard y sode. te(m)p(er) it vp w(i)t(h) vyneg(ur) su(m)what thicke. & lay þe pigg(es) i(n) a vessel & þe sew onoward and serue hit forth.
(.xxx.) Sauce madame.
Tak sauge. p(er)sel. ysop. & sau(er)ay. q(ui)nces. perus. garlek & grap(es) & fylle þe gees þ(er)w(i)t(h) & sowe þe hole þ(a)t no grece come out & rost he(m) wel & kepe þe grece þ(a)t falliþ þ(er) of . tak galentyne & grece & do i(n) a possenet. whan þe gees beþ rosted y nowhg;
Recipe for “Pygges in sauce”/Rylands Medieval Collection/University of Manchester ©2009
Investigation
Exploring the concepts and processes presented within the manuscripts as well as the procedures involved in writing itself:
- Development of historical understanding
- Development of independent learning skills
Analysis
Exploring textual qualities and alternative perspectives:
- Development of critical thinking skills through contextual analysis of medieval manuscripts, and comparative work with textual materials such as print media and secondary sources
- Development of empathetic skills
- Development of evidence-based argumentation skills
Re-use
Creating a project or artefact:
- Development of group skills (though, for example, collaborative activities using ‘Explore’, ‘Create’ and ‘Share’ functions provided within the web platform)
- Use of reflective learning logs
In addition to simple and advanced searching, the LUNA content management system on which The Rylands Medieval Collection web site is built supports a number of functions that provide potential for teaching and learning opportunities:
- Search contents of other collections as well as external media
- Share links with your friends and colleagues
- Embed pages into your blogs and wikis
- Create Media Groups (UoM)
- Create presentations (UoM)
- Save your work and preferences (UoM)
- Upload your own content with My Uploads feature (UoM)
(Features that require registration are currently limited to members of the University of Manchester – UoM)
Terms of service
Copyright of Rylands Medieval Collection manuscripts and digital copies is held by John Rylands University Library, The University of Manchester.
The web site can be accessed and used by the public, however some functions are currently restricted to University of Manchester staff and students.
While both registered and non-registered users can view high resolution copies of the manuscripts online, direct download of copies are restricted to low resolution versions for all users. The images may be used for private study and educational purposes (e.g. in PowerPoint presentations or student handouts) without seeking permission. Acknowledgement must be given when images are re-used.
Case Studies
The Rylands Medieval Collection is used by researchers worldwide, and is primarily used to support learning, teaching and research modules in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at the University of Manchester. David Denison, Professor of English Linguistics, and Dr Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Lecturer in English Language were interviewed for this case study in January 2013.
1. Introduction to Middle English Language
This 10-credit module is coordinated by Professor David Denison. Professor Denison has championed the use of the images in teaching and was a member of the Middle English Manuscript Project Steering Group that managed digitisation for the collection.
The module explores the history of English from the 11th century to the beginnings of printing in Europe in the late 15th century. Students are introduced to concepts of spelling and sounds in Medieval English, lexicon, morphology, syntax, dialects and language contact. One lecture is devoted to palaeography and uses extensive illustrations from the Rylands Medieval Collection.
About 100 or so students take this module annually. They are introduced to reading different styles of Middle English, and are encouraged to develop their appreciation of the evolving linguistic structures of the period. The module aims to stimulate interest and engagement with the challenges of interpreting original texts, and some students are encouraged to undertake the dissertation module (see below).
Assessment
Students are encouraged to attend all lectures and tutorials and are required to contribute to group activities. They are assessed by a written examination.
2. Dissertation
This 40-credit guided research module runs throughout year 3, and the Middle English manuscript editing option is normally undertaken by 3 to 4 students per year, overseen by a dissertation supervisor. Although the activity is guided, for many students this will be their first opportunity to engage in significant independent research to develop their own dissertation topic on a subject of their own choosing and undertake in-depth analysis and evaluation.
Students use the Rylands Medieval Collection to choose a suitable manuscript for research, they receive basic in-class training in palaeography where they are encouraged to collaborate with their peers to make a first attempt at transcription. They then move from this collective work on problems of transcription and interpretation to inpidual, specialist areas for their dissertation. The manuscripts so far tackled as dissertation subjects are:
English MS 404 a Collection of Medical Recipes, Charms and Miscellany
English MS 87 and English MS 412, The Poore Caitif (Poor Wretch)
English MS 104 and English MS 103, Brut Chronicle (History of Brutus of Troy)
The high quality of the digitisation enables learners and researchers to engage in paleolographic studies, that is: to examine the manuscripts in detail, explore the variety of approaches used by scribes and study the physical properties of the media (e.g. the cut of calf skins).
Assessment
Students are required to demonstrate the ability to design a subject of research and develop a written argument of depth and complexity via a 12,000-word dissertation based on manuscript research and a transcription of a portion of the text.
Feedback
Professor Denison reports that dissertation students have been very enthusiastic about using the online collection. Although the site provides useful communication and collaboration tools it is through personal contact and collaboration that students help each other, mitigating against the sometimes solitary aspect of this type of dissertation work. Students also like being able to study the manuscripts via LUNA whenever and wherever they like, rather than through visiting the physical collection in person, and find the zoom function very useful for examining the manuscripts in fine detail. In addition, high-quality prints provided by the Library are an essential tool for detailed work.
Further work
Apart from dissertation work, outcomes from the use of the archive at the University include doctoral research and transcription projects carried out by Jasmine Sparrow and PhD student Mary Begley. Without specialist training many of the manuscripts are very difficult to read, so having an accurate transcription available for public consumption is very useful. Their transcription of Rylands English MS 7 (The Forme of Cury) is currently available to download from the ‘ebook Treasures’ website.
For more information on transcribing the manuscripts, see the project blog.
Discussion
This wonderful archive enables anyone with internet access to view and examine some rare and beautiful texts from the ’golden age’ of illuminated manuscripts. There are very few comparable sites available for study and research with the detail that this site provides.
Although some pedagogically useful features of the LUNA interface are currently not available outside of the University of Manchester, managers at the Rylands Collection recognise the advantages of wider access to scholarship and research and are reviewing the potential for opening access to these features. All content is accessible via HTTP (web front end) or via OAI-PMH (The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) and there is potential for collaborating with external partners to create further interactive tools. In addition, the opportunity to participate in the Jisc-funded Manuscripts Online crowd-sourcing project is currently being investigated.
Further reading:
“In the bigynning” project proposal
Dr Ayumi Miura’s Middle English resources list.
Other digital medieval manuscript resources
‘[A]n interactive, web-based workspace designed to support use and study of the manuscripts in the historic Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.’
Tim's World of Web 
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