The importance of Participation for Assessment and passing the unit.

It is an assessment requirement of this unit that students participate weekly. Without participation, the Learning Outcomes of the unit cannot be achieved. Missed weeks must be explained with a medical certificate relating to urgent or unavoidable circumstances; or in the case of employment demands, a letter from the employer. Marks are deducted from the Participation mark for undocumented absences. Students whose participation is unsatisfactory for more than 2 weeks for ongoing medical reasons, may apply to the University for Withdrawal without Penalty from the unit. Students who do not satisfactorily participate online (External) on a weekly basis, or do not attend class each week (Internal) without valid documentation, will receive a Fail grade. If you have any concerns about your participation, contact the lecturer.

Assessment tasks

Assessment tasks are designed to encourage students to develop familiarity and skills as emerging and developing writers through the inter-related practice of creative writing, reading, and discussion. The varied assessment tasks focus on these three skills and aim to develop them in inter-related ways.

REQUIRED TEXTS: these are the texts all students must read.

Recommended and suggesting readings are listed in the Full Study Schedule.

·       Weekly readings are available as from e-Reserve from the MU Library (see the Weekly reading schedule in this unit Study Schedule). 

·       Jerome Stern, Making Shapely Fiction, WW Norton

·       David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, Penguin Books

·       Ali Smith, The Accidental, Penguin Books

·       F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Penguin Books

Technologies Used

Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

The unit’s iLearn site will be available from Week 1. Please login and explore the website. 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.

All students must regularly access their student email.

Learning and Teaching Methods

The focus of the Creative Writing program is on the practice of writing, accompanied by the development of research, reading and analysis skills and understandings. Students develop expertise through an integration of critical reflection, discussion, written analysis and reflection and individual creative practice. 

Learning activities in this unit include the reading, viewing and analysis of written texts, and participation in lectures, tutorial and/or seminars. Small and large group discussion and activities, and workshopping of work-in-progress key elements of the online and campus classroom practice. Students develop their writing expertise by producing writing in a range of genres or through specialisation in specific genres that include prose, poetry and nonfiction for adult and child audiences and readerships. 

Students are expected to initiate original stories, ideas or concepts, and are then guided in the refinement, development and completion of these works, and to identify and situate them in specific contexts, and for specific readerships.

On Campus Day

For External/Distance students the On Campus Day is scheduled for Saturday April 9, 2016, at Macquarie Ryde Campus, between 10 and 4.30pm. This is a very valuable opportunity to meet fellow students, including students whom you will be workshopping with throughout the session, and your lecturer and Program Director, Jane Messer.

For External students not able to come to the On Campus Day, an alternative task is provided detailed in the full Unit Handbook.

Learning tasks and activities schedule