Students

ENGL722 – Narrative: Theory and Method

2014 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Other Staff
Victoria Flanagan
victoria.flanagan@mq.edu.au
Contact via victoria.flanagan@mq.edu.au
W6A 627
Robyn McCallum
robyn.mccallum@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Drawing on both theoretical texts and works of fiction, this unit examines the critical application of key aspects of narrative theories to children's fiction. Topics include: types of narration, point of view and focalisation in narrative; beginnings and endings; narrative time; characterisation; theory of genres and modes; metafiction and experimental fiction.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Develop an understanding of and an ability to apply concepts employed in narrative theory in order to extend understanding of children’s fiction beyond the conventional elements of plot, character and theme.
  • Attain a conceptual language with which to discuss narrative forms.
  • Gain an understanding of the implications different narrative forms and processes have for readers.
  • Attain skills in applying (some of) the analytical resources available from narrative theory: cognitive narratology; the discourse-story-significance triad; point of view and focalization; structure and organization; genre and its implications for analysing literature; represented conversation in fiction.
  • Think critically and make informed and logical judgments of the arguments of others to arrive at reasoned and meaningful arguments and positions, and formulate and apply ideas to new contexts
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply accumulated knowledge and skills to make decisions in the context of professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in research activities and relationships.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Class participation 10% N/A
Discussion Essay 25% 2 weeks after relevant class)
Literature Review 25% April 28, 2014
Major essay 40% June 13, 2014

Class participation

Due: N/A
Weighting: 10%

Internal students: attendance at and active participation in seminars. External students: active participation in the unit’s online discussion forum.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of and an ability to apply concepts employed in narrative theory in order to extend understanding of children’s fiction beyond the conventional elements of plot, character and theme.
  • Attain a conceptual language with which to discuss narrative forms.
  • Gain an understanding of the implications different narrative forms and processes have for readers.
  • Attain skills in applying (some of) the analytical resources available from narrative theory: cognitive narratology; the discourse-story-significance triad; point of view and focalization; structure and organization; genre and its implications for analysing literature; represented conversation in fiction.
  • Think critically and make informed and logical judgments of the arguments of others to arrive at reasoned and meaningful arguments and positions, and formulate and apply ideas to new contexts
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply accumulated knowledge and skills to make decisions in the context of professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in research activities and relationships.

Discussion Essay

Due: 2 weeks after relevant class)
Weighting: 25%

One minor essay based on a seminar topic from Week 2 to Week 6, of 1200 words, due two weeks after the relevant week. (Students may wish to focus on a particular aspect of the topic, or a particular text).

NB: part of the discipline of advanced academic writing is observation of designated word limits. Do not exceed the specified word limit by more than 10%. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of and an ability to apply concepts employed in narrative theory in order to extend understanding of children’s fiction beyond the conventional elements of plot, character and theme.
  • Attain a conceptual language with which to discuss narrative forms.
  • Attain skills in applying (some of) the analytical resources available from narrative theory: cognitive narratology; the discourse-story-significance triad; point of view and focalization; structure and organization; genre and its implications for analysing literature; represented conversation in fiction.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply accumulated knowledge and skills to make decisions in the context of professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in research activities and relationships.

Literature Review

Due: April 28, 2014
Weighting: 25%

Write a critical evaluation of two articles of literary criticism specified for this task, in 1500 words. The review will evaluate the usefulness of these articles as a guide to understanding narrative. Their claims may be tested in relation to a couple of works set for study in this unit.

NB: part of the discipline of advanced academic writing is observation of designated word limits. Do not exceed the specified maximum word limit by more than 10%. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of and an ability to apply concepts employed in narrative theory in order to extend understanding of children’s fiction beyond the conventional elements of plot, character and theme.
  • Gain an understanding of the implications different narrative forms and processes have for readers.
  • Think critically and make informed and logical judgments of the arguments of others to arrive at reasoned and meaningful arguments and positions, and formulate and apply ideas to new contexts
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply accumulated knowledge and skills to make decisions in the context of professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in research activities and relationships.

Major essay

Due: June 13, 2014
Weighting: 40%

One major essay of 2500 words which addresses one of the supplied topics. Draw examples from What the Dickens or from three or four of the short stories set for study. (Do not use any stories analysed in your first assignment).

NB: part of the discipline of advanced academic writing is observation of designated word limits. Do not exceed the specified maximum word limit by more than 10%. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of and an ability to apply concepts employed in narrative theory in order to extend understanding of children’s fiction beyond the conventional elements of plot, character and theme.
  • Gain an understanding of the implications different narrative forms and processes have for readers.
  • Attain skills in applying (some of) the analytical resources available from narrative theory: cognitive narratology; the discourse-story-significance triad; point of view and focalization; structure and organization; genre and its implications for analysing literature; represented conversation in fiction.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply accumulated knowledge and skills to make decisions in the context of professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in research activities and relationships.

Delivery and Resources

REQUIRED READING:

  1. Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen, Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design
  2. Nodelman, Perry, Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children's Picture Books

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

(If you are an external student, the four picture books listed below are a basic selection that you can refer to each week. It is also expected that you use your local library to locate some of the others listed under each topic):

  1. Carle, Eric, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  2. Jeffers, Oliver, Lost and Found
  3. Rosen, Michael, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
  4. Tan, Shaun, The Red Tree

WEEKLY READING:

A number of picture book texts are listed each week. In addition to the four books mentioned above, you will also need to access at least one additional text out of books listed for each weekly topic (for the purpose of making comparisons). You can source your texts from good online second-hand booksellers or public libraries.

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED:

Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

 

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS:

To complete ENGL 707 students must:

  • Attend and participate in seminars (if internal).
  • Make at least 8 online posts on the iLearn Discussions Forum (if external)
  • Complete all prescribed assessment tasks.
  • Reach a satisfactory level of achievement in the prescribed assessment tasks.

*Absence from more than two seminars without written explanation (medical or counselling certificate) will disqualify a student from passing the unit. University regulations also stipulate that a student must attempt every part of assessment in order to be eligible to pass a unit of study.

Notes on Participation for External Students:

External students must participate in online discussions via the ENGL 707 iLearn site. External students should read the weekly texts and prepare the seminar discussion topics in advance, then post responses to the seminar questions and respond to the posts of other students, to facilitate an active discussion such as would occur in a face-to-face seminar. Students are also encouraged to raise other relevant points of interest in their online discussions. Be prepared to question the opinions of others, to have your opinions challenged and to participate actively in discussion. Students are expected to make at least 8 posts* over the semester. Please make sure that your postings do not exceed 500 words, as it is harder for others to respond to postings that are excessively long and detailed.

*A “post” is defined as a discursive response relevant to unit interests of at least 50 words: a short paragraph of at least 4 sentences.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.