The Sixteenth Century
A study of the literature and culture of Britain in the sixteenth century, focusing on identifying themes and analyzing the relationships between society, literature, and language.
Summary
Past student reviews · Elizabeth Bearden
Students noted that knowing at least two or three readings very well was crucial for writing papers. Bearden was described as a generous grader who tended to give higher grades than students expected.
What you’ll be able to do
Identify and critique key themes in British literature and culture in the sixteenth century.
Identify and apply methods and approaches for analysis of literary and cultural texts to demonstrate literature's contemporary and historical relevance.
Leverage writing as a mode of learning and means of conveying critical analysis.
Analyze relationships among society, literature, and language that underlie the construction of beliefs.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapSophomore standing
- Sophomore standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Sophomore standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
ELIZABETH BEARDEN is recorded teaching in Fall 2015, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Elizabeth Bearden
Elizabeth Bearden taught this course with passion and knowledge, helping students improve their essay writing skills through detailed comments and questions. Students found the experience rewarding and left as better readers and writers.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2020: 3.69 GPA, 92.3% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.67 GPA, 90.0% A/AB (n=30 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.42 GPA, 62.5% A/AB (n=24 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Elizabeth Bearden
Students noted that knowing at least two or three readings very well was crucial for writing papers. Bearden was described as a generous grader who tended to give higher grades than students expected.
Past student reviews · Elizabeth Bearden
Bearden held office hours where she worked hard to ensure student understanding. One student described her as their favorite professor, noting that her support significantly improved their writing abilities.
Topics
- Sixteenth-century British literature and culture.
- Relationships among society, literature, and language.
Skills
- Critique key themes in sixteenth-century British literature and culture.
- Apply analytical methods to literary and cultural texts to demonstrate their relevance.
- Use writing to convey critical analysis and facilitate learning.
- Analyze the relationship between society, literature, and language in belief construction.
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2026
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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