I have taught at university level since 2008, mostly at Leiden University, with a brief spell at Radboud University Nijmegen. On this page you can see an overview of my efforts in the field of teaching innovation and an overview of the courses I am currently teaching, as well as a list of courses and guest lectures I have taught in the past. An overview of the completed BA and MA theses I have supervised in the past can be found here: overview of thesis supervision.

Teaching innovation

How can we use modern technology to improve teaching? This question has been at the basis of various projects I have (co-)led on teaching innovation. Most of these projects were sponsored by Leiden University’s ECOLe (Expertise Centre for Online Learning).

I have also shared my experiences in teaching innovation with colleagues through lectures at events and I am one of the co-chairs of the Leiden Teachers’ Academy, which promotes teaching innovation at Leiden University.

Scroll down for a full overview of projects or click here.

Courses

My main areas of teaching are Old English, Middle English, medievalism and J. R. R. Tolkien. I have also taught courses in history of the English language and linguistics.

My courses are part of the BA English, the MA Literary Studies and the Minor Medieval and Early Modern Studies (all at Leiden University); I also coordinate courses in the pan-national MasterLanguage programme.

For a full overview of courses, scroll down or click here.

Summer schools and guest lectures

I teach an annual 10-day summer school in Old English as part of the Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics. In addition, I have taught guest lectures at Utrecht University, the National Research School for Medieval Studies and the University of Costa Rica (see, e.g., Guest lecturing in Costa Rica from your own home: Early medieval English in Central America).

For a full overview, scroll down or click here.

Extracurricular activities

In addition to regular teaching, I like organizing extracurricular events, such as field trips, film nights and online gatherings. In addition, I have been participated in promotional events for the educational programmes I have been involved in.

For a full overview, scroll down or click here.

Awards

In 2014, I was awarded with the Humanities Faculty Teaching Prize for the most inspiring lecturer of the faculty of Humanities at Leiden University. In 2015/2016, I was one of the teaching ambassadors for ‘blended learning’ at Leiden University’s Expertise Centre for Online Learning (ECOLe). In 2017, I was one of three nominees for the LUS Teaching Award. In 2019, I won the LUS Teaching Award for ‘most outstanding achievement in the area of teaching within Leiden University’.

Teaching innovation

Teaching innovation projects

  • Facebook group ‘Old English Enthusiasts’ (2012-) – In 2012, I started the Facebook group ‘Old English Enthusiasts’, which has over 400 members to date – all students and alumni of my courses in Old English. The group has developed into an ever-growing network for Dutch people with an interest in Old English and early medieval England. Read more about this initiative here.
  • Old English Grammar Bytes (2015-2016) – I have developed a number of short Old English grammar videos, which are now available on YouTube. See: Old English Grammar Videos
  • Old English and Pitch2Peer (2016-2017) – I have used the Pitch2Peer environment as an alternative to in-class presentations. In groups of three, students uploadtheir own research vlogs (on the Norman Conquest or a particular Exeter Book Riddle); they are graded on the quality of their vlogs, as well as their cooperation and their ability to provide peer feedback. I have published on this project with my then student-assistant Jodie Mann here.
  • Thesis supervision via Trello (2016-) – As part of a blended learning project, I have used the online collaboration platform Trello for supervising theses. This method of thesis supervision has since been adopted by various colleagues in the Leiden English department.
  • The Leiden University Old English ColloQuest (2018; with dr. Krista A. Murchison) – We developed a digital edition of a part of Ælfric’s Colloquy with adaptive glosses. The digital edition is available here. We have published on this project with our then student-assistants Amos van Baalen and Jennifer Jansen here.
  • Beohyf: Collaborative Old English Translation (2018-2019) – With student assistant Berber Bossenbroek, I am experimenting with ways to translate an Old English text collaboratively, rather than individually.
  • Old English grammar memes (2021) – To aid my online teaching, I have made my own memes based on Old English grammar; a full overview is available here: https://thijsporck.com/oegrammarmemes/

Lectures on teaching innovation for colleagues

  1. ‘Online Scriptiebegeleiding’, for Leiden Teachers’ Academy, Leiden University (27-01-2020)
  2. ‘The Leiden University Old English ColloQuest: A Digital Teaching Edition with Adaptive Glosses’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (19-05-2018) [with Amos van Baalen, Jennifer Jansen and Krista Murchison]
  3. ‘Kennisclips, hoe maak je ze en hoe zet je ze in?’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (20-10-2016)
  4. Scriptie begeleiden online: het kan!’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (21-06-2016)
  5. ‘The medium is the message. Integratie van nieuwe media in het onderwijs’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (11-05-2016)
  6. ‘Pitch2Peer’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (28-01-2016)
  7. ‘Hoe verrijk ik mijn vak met sociale media?’, for ExpertiseCentrum Online Learning (ECOLe), Leiden University (08-10-2015)

Courses

At Masterlanguage (National graduate programme):

At Leiden University (graduate level):

At Leiden University (undergraduate level):

  • British and Irish Culture, 1940-Present (2016)
  • English-language Popular Culture (2017-2021)
  • Great Books from the Literature of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period (2011-2021)
  • Linguistics 1: An Introduction to English Phonetics (2008-2009)
  • Linguistics 2: An Introduction to English Syntax (2008-2009)
  • Linguistics 4: English Phonology (2009-2010)
  • Linguistics 5: An Introduction to English Morphology (2009)
  • Linguistics 5C: English Historical Linguistics (2008)
  • Panorama of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period (2013-2021)
  • Philology 1: An Introduction to Middle English (2009-2021)
  • Philology 2: Introduction to Old English (2009-2021)
  • Philology 3: History of the English Language (2009, 2011-2014, 2016, 2019)
  • Philology 4: Highlights of Medieval English Literature (2016-2021)
  • Philology 5/6: Old English Literature (2011-2021)
  • Philology 5/6: Early Modern Everyday English (2009-2010)
  • Philology 5/6: Introduction to Late Modern English (2011)

At Radboud University Nijmegen:

  • English from Old to New (2010)

Summer schools and guest lectures

Summer schools

  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 17th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (10 July-21 July, 2023)
  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 16th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (18 July-29 July, 2022)
  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 15th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (12 July-23 July, 2021)
  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 14th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (22 July-2 August, 2019)
  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 13th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (9-20 July, 2018)
  • 10-day summer school Old English, at 12th Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (10-21 July, 2017)

Guest lectures at universities and research institutes:

  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (8-05-2023)
  • ‘Approaching Medieval Literary Texts’, in the course ‘Foundations 1’, Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (National research school Medieval Studies) (01-03-2023)
  • ‘Medieval Stereotypes of Old Age’, for Academic Development Week, MA Vitality and Ageing, Leiden University Medical Centre (14-11-2022)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (9-05-2022)
  • ‘Approaching Medieval Literary Texts’, in the course ‘Foundations 1’, Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (National research school Medieval Studies) (22-03-2022)
  • ‘Teaching Methods – Best Practices’, LUCAS Graduate Programme, Leiden University (28-01-2021)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (13-05-2020)
  • ‘Teaching Methods – Best Practices’, LUCAS Graduate Programme, Leiden University (17-10-2019)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (14-05-2019)
  • ‘Middeleeuws Engeland en de fantasiewerelden van J. R. R. Tolkien en G. R. R. Martin’, in the course  ‘Bye, bye, Britain…’, HOVO Universiteit Leiden (18-03-2019)
  • ‘Approaches to Medieval Literary Texts and The Battle of Maldon’, in the course ‘Medieval Sources Course’, Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (National research school Medieval Studies) (30-01-2019)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (15-05-2018)
  • ‘Approaches to Medieval Literary Texts and The Battle of Maldon’, in the course ‘Medieval Sources Course’, Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (National research school Medieval Studies) (13-06-2017)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (16-05-2017)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (17-05-2016)
  • ‘Vanquished by Vikings, Venerated by a Poet: Approaches to Old English Texts and The Battle of Maldon’, in the course ‘Medieval Sources Course’, Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (National research school Medieval Studies) (24-08-2015)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Great Heroes: Medieval to Modern’, Utrecht University (12-05-2015)
  • ‘Elderly Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Literature’, in the course ‘Unlikely Heroes in Medieval Literature’, Utrecht University (03-05-2013)
  • ‘Beowulf Balings? Sporen van Oudengelse literatuur in Tolkiens The Hobbit’, in the course ‘Tolkien: De lezingencursus’, Leidenhoven College, Amsterdam (18-10-2012)

Extracurricular activities

Old English Fun Time Online

During the corona-crisis (April 2020-August 2021), I organized 14 monthly online gaherings called ‘Old English Fun Time Online’, which featured collaborative translations of Old English, student presentations and interesting factoids about early medieval England.

Philology field trips

I have organized several optional field trips with students to visit locations, lectures or museums with a link to Anglo-Saxon England or the Middle Ages. Locations include Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, London and Oxford.

Philology film nights / Medieval movie nights

A combination of a lecture and a film for students interested in medieval England, all at Leiden University.

  1. ‘The Worst Beowulf Movie Night: Grendel (2007) + lecture ‘Mistakes were made: A reflection on modern Beowulf adaptations”, Leiden University (15-04-2021)
  2. ‘Medieval Movie Night: The Bad Reputation of Æthelred II: Unready or Undeserved?’, Leiden University (24-04-2018)
  3. ‘Medieval Movie Night: A Woman’s Place Is at Her Embroidery? Women in Early Medieval England’, Leiden University (23-03-2017)
  4. ‘Philology Film Night: Lindisfarne and Its Gospels: The Horrible History of Holy Island’, Leiden University (29-04-2015)
  5. ‘Philology Film Night: Arthur, the Once and Future Legend’, Leiden University (20-11-2013)
  6. ‘Philology Film Night: The Norman Conquest + 1066: The Battle for Middle Earth’, Leiden University (15-05-2013)
  7. ‘Philology Film Night: The Monsters in Beowulf Movies + Beowulf & Grendel’, Leiden University (24-04-2013)
  8. ‘Philology Film Night: The Various Faces of the Grendelkin in Beowulf Movies’, Leiden University (25-04-2012).
  9. ‘Philology Film Night: Laece Hwa – Doctor Who in Anglo-Saxon England’, Leiden University (22-03-2012).

Promotional activities for Leiden University

  1. ‘The Wonders of Philology: Travelling through Time with Words’, for Pre-Union English Department, Leiden University (13-06-2019).
  2. ‘Scholarly Collaboration Before the Digital Age: Pieter Jacob Cosijn, Johannes Franck and the First Etymological Dictionary of the Dutch Language’, for Launch Event Humanities Faculty Research Traineeship Programme, Leiden University (01-02-2019).
  3. ‘The Wonders of Philology: Travelling through Time with Words’, for Pre-Union English Department, Leiden University (06-06-2018).
  4. ‘Introduction to Medieval Studies and Early Modern Studies in Leiden’, for Kick-off Event ‘Study the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period in Leiden!’ (30-05-2018)
  5. ‘Old English Words and Anglo-Saxon Worldviews: A Cultural Linguistic Approach to Early Medieval English Vocabulary’, for 12th Summer School in Languages and Linguistics, Leiden University (11-07-2017)
  6. ‘Introduction to Medieval Studies and Early Modern Studies in Leiden’, for Launch Event Medieval Studies and Early Modern Studies, Leiden University (08-05-2017)
  7. ‘Of Dwarfs, Giants and Elves: A Brief History of Old English in Leiden’, opening lecture for the English Department, Leiden University (06-09-2016)
  8. ‘From Modraniht to Magi: The Medieval in Christmas’, for The Angler Christmas Fund Raiser, Leiden University (17-12-2015)
  9. ‘From Beowulf to Bilbo: Tracing the Medieval in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth’, for Proefstuderen Leiden, Leiden University (27-11-2015)
  10. ‘Here Be Dragons: Exploring Old English Language and Literature’, for Proefstuderen Leiden, Leiden University (27-11-2015)
  11. ‘The Wonders of Philology: Travelling through Time with Words’, for Pre-Union English Department, Leiden University (28-05-2015)
  12. ‘A Humanities Ph.D.: Do’s, Don’ts and Dragons’, for Career Event ‘Working as a Researcher’, Student Career Service Leiden University (21-11-2014).
  13. ‘Philology & The History of the English Language. A Sneak Peek at Periods & Samples of Script’, for Pre-Union English Department, Leiden University (28-05-2014).
  14. ‘Philology & The History of the English Language. A Sneak Peek at Periods & Samples of Script’, for Pre-Union English Department, Leiden University (31-05-2013).
  15. ‘From Beowulf to Bilbo: Traces of Old English in Tolkien’s The Hobbit’, for Meeloopdag XL, Leiden University (23-11-2012)
  16. ‘The Bones in the Soup: The Anglo-Saxon Flavour of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit’, for Propedeuse Ceremony English Department, Leiden University (21-09-2012)
  17. ‘Maps, Elves and Dragons! Traces of Anglo-Saxon Culture in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit’, for Last Minute Leiden, Leiden University (21-06-2012)
  18. ‘Beowulf Baggins? Traces of Old English Literature in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit’, for Open Dag Opleiding Engelse Taal en Cultuur, Leiden University (21-04-2012)
  19. ‘Linguistics and Philology. An Introduction’, for Last Minute Leiden, Leiden University (11-06-2009)

I have also been involved in the making of the Online Experience of the BA English Language and Literature.