ENGL 2122/Spring 2022/Requirements

From Gerald R. Lucas
Requirement %[1]
Reading & Research 40%
Respond 40%
Check-Ins 20%

This course is composed of three requirements: reading, writing, and tests. Each requirement will be on-going throughout the semester, will require regular contributions, and may be comprised of various assignments. Each weekly unit will end with a test of that week’s materials.

Friedrich_-_Two_Men_Contemplating_the_Moon

Reading & Research

Each lesson’s major focus will be reading primary texts (the literature) and secondary texts (critical response to the literature). Reading quizzes will test your comprehension, like knowledge of the materials, focusing on factual details like plot points, rather than interpretative readings. Students should take thorough notes as they read—like character names, plot points, and other details—that will help them on quizzes and later analysis of the texts in their writing. Building research into your reading schedule might also be required for more difficult texts. See Reading in College and Research & Response.

Respond

Each lesson will have students responding to assigned readings on r/LitWiki. This forum is a written class discussion that encourages student interaction about the course materials. These daily posts should be focused, interpretive, and supported by primary and secondary texts. Responses should show what you’re reading and thinking about in relation to the course content—it is a place to share and develop ideas about the texts. While I encourage you to respond to every text you read, the minimum required response per week is two.[2] See Reddit Discussions: A How-To for Literature Classes.

In addition to regular responses, the Short Lit Crit Response will have students research and write about any one of the primary texts we have studied in class. This will be due at the end of the course, but you may submit it at any time on D2L .

Check-Ins

Students’ knowledge of the course texts, both primary (the literature) and secondary (editor’s introductions, notes, and research), will be evaluated in each lesson. These “check-ins” are not really tests in that they don’t ask for objective facts, but posit questions to get you to consider the texts in certain ways. That said, the best answers employ an objective knowledge of the material, thoroughness, depth of insight, precision, and originality. The best way to prepare for these tests is to read the assigned literature thoroughly and have a general understanding of the main themes of the work. Additional research always helps.

Required Materials

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Our study of this semester will require one text, which should be available in the campus bookstore or via these Amazon affiliate[3] links:[4]

  • Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. (2018). The Norton Anthology of English Literature. The Major Authors. 2 (Tenth ed.). New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 9780393603095.


Your course book(s) and readings are an important part of the class and should be purchased (or downloaded) immediately. Lessons are built from specific readings and assignments will depend on those readings. If available, you may use an ebook, but be warned that page numbers referred to in lessons may not be the same in an electronic text. Book rentals are also acceptable, if necessary.

Even though this is an online course, I recommend old-fashioned, analog note taking. In other words: use an ink interface of some sort, as well as dead trees to take notes. Notes should not only reflect essential aspects of the readings, but individual interest in every topic researched for class.



notes

  1. This is the general percentage breakdown for these requirements. As I use a point system for evaluation, the percentages are just an estimate.
  2. This could be two posts, two comments, or one post and one comment. That said, this is the minimum requirement, so completing it will earn you the minimum grade.
  3. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; links to Amazon contain my associate ID. All revenue earned goes to support the costs associated with maintaining this web site.
  4. Amazon has an option to rent the Norton anthology for the semester which you should feel free to use. However, you should note that there may be restrictions on how you’re allowed to use rented textbooks.
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