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ENGL 2111/Spring 2025

Syllabus for ENGL 2111, Spring 2025, CRN 23848, §06 Fully Online


Welcome to ENGL 2111: World Literature I.

World Literature, ENGL 2111, considers the earliest literary expressions—the foundations of western literary tradition. We will closely read a small sampling of foundational texts from the two major genres of the time, epic and tragedy, and examine their continued relevance to our contemporary world.

Introduction

The document you’re reading is your syllabus. Everything you need for this class is on this page and linked off of it. The tabs above access the major portions of the syllabus. Bookmark this page now and return here if you get lost or confused.[1] Use the tabs above to navigate to the various sections of the syllabus.[2]

Relevant Links
For a head start on how to approach all work in this course, see “How to Do Well in My Class” and “Research & Response.” Check the CompFAQ for writing assistance.

Before you begin, take a moment and familiarize yourself with the general resources I have for students. All of these may be found in the “For Students” menu at the top of the page, or you can just begin on the student start page. These pages are designed to help you succeed in this class. While you may not read everything, you should know what’s available if you need it.

Please read this document and those it links to carefully at the beginning of the semester. There is much information to process, and it can be somewhat daunting — especially if you read cursorily. If you are confused, do your best to work through it by (re)reading this document carefully and completely, searching this site, or consulting the FAQ. I promise, there is an answer to your question. If all else fails, you may contact me. Trust yourself to follow directions and find the answers. Be careful and deliberate.

Fully Online

Relevant Links
If you’re curious to know more, you might peruse the articles under HackEdu.

This online course will probably be unlike any college course you have ever taken. It is designed to let you — the students — discover and create your own knowledge. If you’ve not taken an online course before, you will essentially be teaching yourself with my guidance. I’m assuming, since you’re taking this class online, that you are comfortable with working by yourself, are confident in your ability to take risks and try new approaches, are fine with making some mistakes, do not need the constant reassurance of an authority figure, and have a basic Internet literacy. Please enter with an open mind.

Requirements

Requirement %[3]
Reading 30%
Writing 40%
Exams 30%

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. Tests will be essay and short-answers, one at midterm and one at the conclusion of the course.

Reading

Each lesson’s major focus will be reading primary texts (the literature) and secondary texts (critical response to the literature). Reading quizzes (taken on D2L ) will test your 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.

Reading quizzes cannot be made up for any reason. Please do not ask me to reopen a closed quiz.

Writing

Each lesson has students discussing to assigned readings on Packback. This forum is a written class discussion that encourages interaction about the course materials. These posts should be focused, interpretive, and supported by primary and secondary texts. Discussion posts 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. You will discuss to every text you read, the minimum required response per week is three: one question and two response posts. See Packback below.

Short Lit-Crit Response

This essay will have students research and write about one of the texts we have studied in class. Choose the text you would like to investigate further, find a secondary, critical article, and write your two-page response. This assignment may be repeated once for extra credit (also see XC Response). For detailed instructions, see Short Lit Crit Response and be sure you follow them carefully.

Exams

Students’ knowledge of the course texts will be evaluated with a midterm and a final exam. These exams will be composed of essay and short-answer questions. 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 novels thoroughly and have a general understanding of the main themes of the works. Additional research always helps.

Required Materials

Textbook

Our study of World Literature this semester will use either of the following:

  • Mack, Maynard, ed. (1999). Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces: Literature of Western Culture Through the Renaissance. The Western Tradition. 1 (Seventh ed.). New York: W. W. Norton.
  • Lawall, Sarah, ed. (2003). The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Beginnings to A.D. 100. A (2nd ed.). New York: W. W. Norton.

Both of these books are out-of-print, but you should have no problem acquiring one of them, either through the Amazon affiliate[4] links above or another bookstore. These books contain the specific translations that I will be referencing in-class and on exams, so one of the two texts above is required.[5] While readily available, other translations will just be confusing and cause you unnecessary difficulty.

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.

Packback

Join the course on Packback.

The Packback Questions platform will be used for online discussion about class topics and is a requirement of this course. Packback Questions is an online community where you can ask open-ended questions to build on top of what we are covering in class and relate topics to real-world applications. There will be a Tuesday at 11:59PM EST deadline for submissions. You are not required to post every week, but for every text we study (see Schedule).

In order to receive full credit, you should submit the following minimum requirements[6] per each deadline period:

  • One (1) open-ended Question every week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 70, worth 33.33% of each assignment grade
  • Two (2) Responses every week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 70, worth 66.67% of each assignment grade

Register on Packback


Register for Packback by navigating to https://app.packback.co/join/2SY-DKK-Y5GQ or scanning the QR code above and following the instructions.[7] You must use the link provided to be correctly added to the course. Please do this the first week of the course as part of your attendance verification.

Policies

Students are held accountable for knowing and practicing each of the following course policies. Consider them like the law: the excuse “I didn’t know” will carry no weight. In addition, students are responsible for reading, understanding, and adhering to all Middle Georgia State University institutional policies, including those linked on the Syllabus Policy page.

Drop Date
March 12, 2025

Students may withdraw from the course and earn a grade of “W” up to and including the midterm date. After midterm, students who withdraw will receive a grade of “WF.” Students are encouraged to read the MGA withdrawal policy before dropping/withdrawing from class.

Assignments and Deadlines

Your work represents you. Everything you turn in for evaluation should exemplify the very best of your professional self. Late work is unacceptable and will receive a zero. Technical problems do not excuse late work. Plan ahead and turn in your work on time. Last-minute work submissions are ineligible for revision for a higher grade.

Attendance

Attendance for online courses is based on consistent participation. While students may work within lessons at their own pace, there will be assignments and milestones due regularly, usually each week. In other words: students are required to submit work each week to remain in good-standing. I recommend working a bit every day for consistency and to facilitate learning. Any registered student who does not submit work the first week will be counted as a no-show. Large gaps in participation (more than a week of not working) will be grounds for failure.

Behavior

Students should conduct themselves like students: take notes, pay attention, ask questions, eliminate distractions, and listen. Improper conduct, including academic falsehood, will negatively effect your grade and may result in other disciplinary measures.

Communication

Communication is integral to success, no matter what we’re talking about. In a digital world, these literacies are particularly important. Not only should you develop and perfect your communication skills while in college, you need to use those skills everyday with your peers and professors.

Evaluation

Evaluation depends on overall student performance: on the successful completion of all requirements, regular participation, and positive attitude. Some requirements are weighed heavier in evaluation, but all are essential to successfully complete the class. Letter grades are based upon a traditional ten-point scale. Grades for this class will be based on the point system.

Participation

Active participation in the classroom is required. Your daily work and attendance represents your participation, e.g.: reading, discussions, training, exercises, library tasks, reading quizzes, peer editing, the viewing of a film, and similar activities. Your participation in group activities and your preparation for class will be weighed heavily in evaluation: participation, effort, and attitude count significantly. You should not sit in class like you’re watching TV: learning requires active participation and enthusiasm (see Behavior). Participation grades cannot be made up.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is serious academic misconduct. Willful or accidental plagiarism—including using AI tools to generate assignments—will result in assignment failures, potential class failure, and will be pursued to incite the utmost penalty for such dishonesty.

Research

All writing in this course should be supported with both primary (readings I assign you) and secondary (sources you find yourself) texts. All suppositions must be supported with evidence, whether they appear on a forum post, a blog post, a Wikipedia article, or class discussion. In other words: research is an integral component of everything you do in this course. Any ideas that are not supported might as well not be written.

Technology Requirements

All students should have a newish computer with dependable Internet access. A tablet for reading PDFs is convenient, but not a requirement of the course. Students should check the course site daily for updates. Students are responsible for working out all of their technical difficulties.

XC Response

Students may repeat the Short Lit Crit Response for extra credit. This XC response may be submitted at any time before the end of the semester and may address any text we have covered during the semester, though it may not address the same material you covered on your original assignment. I will only accept XC if your attendance remains within acceptable limits (see Attendance).

Schedule

This schedule represents the ideal outline for our study this semester. Yet, like all best-laid plans, we may not be able to keep up with our agenda. Please be flexible and try to look and read ahead whenever possible.

We will do our best to stick by this schedule, but I will inform you verbally, via an email, and/or a literal change to the schedule below whenever there is a deviation. Getting these updates is solely your responsibility. Therefore, this schedule is tentative and subject to change contingent upon the needs of the students and the professor, and dictated by time and other constraints which may affect the course. For face-to-face classes, this schedule reflects only an overview of the assigned reading and other major course assignments. It may not indicate specific class session assignments or activities. Specific in-class assignments may not be reflected on the schedule.

Overview and Instructions for Work

All assignments are due Tuesday evenings at 11:59 pm. Have the assigned text(s) read by Fridays at the latest, so you can post your questions and responses to Packback well ahead of the due date. Procrastination and posting at the last minute will earn you lower grades. I suggest the following work schedule for each week:

  • Wednesday: Begin reading the week’s text(s), including background materials; take notes as you read.
  • Friday/Saturday: Post your question to Packback.
  • Sunday: Finish the reading.
  • Monday: Participate in the discussion on Packback.
  • Tuesday: Add follow-up posts to Packback. (Remember: you must post one question and two responses each week on Packback.)

Look ahead and plan your reading accordingly. I have tried to keep reading to a minimum, but if you are a slower reader, like I am, you may want to plan out your reading schedule so that you can meet the course deadlines.

Week Date Assignments
1 Jan 8–14
Course Introduction
Epic Poetry
2 Jan 15–21
The Epic of Gilgamesh
3 Jan 22–28
Homer, from the Iliad
4 Jan 29–Feb 04
Test 1
5 Feb 5–25
Homer, from the Odyssey
 note: Your standard one question and two responses are due on Packback for these three weeks.
6
7
8 Feb 26–Mar 04
Test 2
9 Mar 5–11
Greek Tragedy
10 Mar 12–Apr 1
Sophocles, Oedipus the King
 note: Be sure to address the performance in at least one of your Packback posts.
11
12 Apr 2–15
Euripides, Medea
 note: Be sure to address the performance in at least one of your Packback posts.
13
14 Apr 16–22
Test 3
15 Apr 23–29
Ovid, Metamorphoses
16 Apr 30–May 2
Lit Crit Response & Final Test

Instructor


I try to make myself as available as much as possible during the first couple weeks of a semester, including evenings and weekends. If you need to chat with me, schedule a video conference via Zoom or Teams, if necessary. Please do not expect a response after 5pm on weekdays or anytime during the weekend. I may be available, but I also need some down time. Thanks for your understanding.



notes

  1. While you may certainly choose to print it—we will do our best to follow the schedule hereon—it may change during the course of the semester due to unforeseen circumstances. Should this occur, I will let you know, but ultimately, this online document has the final say—not a printed one.
  2. You might, too, follow links by opening them in browser tabs—click the link by holding the ⌘ Command on a Mac or Ctrl on a PC—so you can easily return to where you left off.
  3. This is the general percentage breakdown for these requirements. As I use a point system for evaluation, the percentages are just an estimate.
  4. 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.
  5. Get the cheapest one, as one is no better or worse than the other. And the good news is you can sell the book back to Amazon at the end of the term and make most of your money back. Alternatively, since you must spend money on Packback this semester, you can get PDFs of the required texts from my server using the password “ReadHomer24!”; please do not share this link. Access will expire two weeks after the start of class, so download all the texts right away.
  6. Of course, those who post more quality responses—especially on texts we cover over more than a week—will score higher. A-students do more than the minimum, right?
  7. If you already have an account on Packback you can log in with your credentials.
  8. It is imperative that you have the unit complete by the end of the first week of class. Failure to do so will have you reported as a no-show, and you will be removed from the class. If this happens, you will not be readmitted.
  9. You must follow the writing conventions and guidelines outlined in this document, including the presentation of titles. This should all be review from ENGL 1102. (See also the Composition FAQ.)
  10. You should have received an invitation from Packback, unless you just registered for the course. If you were not invited, please let me know.
  11. You will need to be signed in to Packback and have access to our course to post. Review Packback for instructions.
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