Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain)

This was my fourth MOOC in the Deciphering Secrets series, which is an indication of how addictive I have found these courses. They are based on the premise that MOOCs can be used to teach learners paleography skills which can then be used as part of a crowd-sourcing effort to transcribe manuscripts dealing with inter-religious relations in medieval Spain: so in completing a course you are not just satisfying your own curiosity, but hopefully also adding to the store of shared knowledge about a fascinating period and place in history. Working on a shared project creates a real sense of online community. And as an added bonus, the skills learnt in deciphering manuscripts can be transferred to historical documents from other periods and in other languages.

The first part of this course, as with the previous ones in the series, presents the historical background: then there is an introduction to paleography, and finally a project to work on. Dr. Roger Louis Martínez-Dávila's enthusiasm for his subject is evident in the work which clearly goes into preparing each of the courses, and he expands the historical section with interviews with archivists, curators and other specialists.

The Course is well laid out and has plenty of references. Progress is measured by frequent key issue questions that are core to the subject. There are plenty of links to useful additional information.

I liked the blending of artifacts from the period which had a story to be told. We are encouraged to engage in the times under study with our personal feelings on issues.

I would recommend that this Course becomes a prerequisite for future Transcription projects. Sort of "Transcription 101, The Times of the Manuscripts". I found the overview of the times studied, after doing 3 of the Professor's Transcription projects, has really put in context what I had previously studied.

Importantly I have found the Professor's enthusiastic approach to his subject refreshing. The projects are not dry dusty history. He brings alive the subject matter and leads us to inquire.

DS Toledo is a next installment in a series of MOOC's on Al-Andalus, the Iberian Peninsula in the period 711-1492. This MOOC, like the others in the series, stands on its own and deals with Toledo. The MOOC offers videos with reading material, as well as extra optional videos from guest speakers and extra reading material. The DS MOOC's always offer something extra that enriches the learning experience. In DS Toledo it is paleography: the study of ancient and historical writing, in this case the writing in authentic manuscripts from the medieval archives of Toledo. The presentation and organization of the material combined with the contagious enthusiasm of the lecturer, Prof Roger L. Martinez-Davila, make DS: Toledo more that just well worth taking!

This particular iteration of Prof. Martinez-Davila's Spanish history and paleography courses is a fantastic addition. This is a challenging course truly at the college level. It provides an excellent and thorough introduction to Spanish history, as well as the particulars of the period that is the focus of Prof. Davila's research. His enthusiasm softens any difficulty with the material, and he's one of the most natural presenters I've seen in a MOOC. He engages learners at every level, and emotional responses are encouraged, allowing a holistic learning style. While there are many citizen science transcription projects out there, none give such in-depth instruction in paleographic methods before having learners dive into the work, and I think it's a major asset to improving the quality of the results. It very much feels like the privilege it is to be working with exclusive documents, even virtually from thousands of miles away.