Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Marcelle Freiman marcelle.freiman@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites 12cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit's focus is on writing as practice, craft and function in historical and cultural contexts of reading and writing. What have changes in writing conventions, technologies, and distribution or publication output meant for ways in which writing is read and received? The contemporary age is one of radical changes in ways of thinking about writing and reading texts, but writing practices also have historical and cultural foundations that may be applied in new ways in digital, paper and creative environments. Reading practices too, are changing in the digital age, but there have always been different approaches to reading that have affected our choices and understanding of writing practices. Students will consider the contexts, practices and process of their own writing and reading in relation to wider cultural and historical influences, both past and present. Assessment for this unit aims to develop students' critical, reflective and research skills in factual and creative writing.

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:

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

General Assessment Information

To complete this unit, students are expected to:

attend or listen to the lecture each week;
complete and submit all assessment tasks on time;
attend and participate in all tutorials and in-class activities. Tutorial attendance is compulsory in order to remain eligible to pass the unit; and
be prepared for classes by doing the readings and other exercises, if asked to do these prior to class;

Absence from more than two tutorials without written explanation (medical or counselling certificate) will result in loss of all or part of the 20% tutorial mark and may disqualify a student from passing the unit.

* The university Assessment Policy states that in order to pass a unit, a student must make a serious attempt at all pieces of written assessment.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Reflective writing exercise	10%	No	1 September
Writing process task	30%	No	10 October
Embedded writing task	40%	No	12 November
Participation	20%	No	11 September, 10 November

Reflective writing exercise

Due: 1 September
Weighting: 10%

Reflective comparison of student's reading of texts in different media.

Full details of assessment, and guidelines, available in iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Writing process task

Due: 10 October
Weighting: 30%

Writing process task - technologies of writing, from handwriting to computer.

This task will be done during Weeks 7–8, starting in class, worked on more at home, in class in a later development of the task, and completed at home.

Full details of assessment task, and guidelines, available in iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Embedded writing task

Due: 12 November
Weighting: 40%

Situated and contextual reading and writing task.

Full details of assessment task, and guidelines, available in iLearn

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.

Participation

Due: 11 September, 10 November
Weighting: 20%

Students are expected to attend all classes and lectures. Absence from tutorials will affect participation marks and may result in loss of participation mark if more than 2 tutorials are missed. If you are sick and can't attend class, please provide medical documentation. Let your tutor know if you cannot attend your class.

The marks given for participation are for your active participation tutorials, including coming to class prepared by having done the readings and other tasks required for this unit.

Marks given in two components: 11 September 10% + 10 November 10%

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.

Delivery and Resources

Prescribed readings for this unit are in Library MultiSearch (e-Reserve) – enter the unit code ENGL231

http://www.mq.edu.au/on_campus/library/

There are no textbooks or printed Unit Reader for this unit. All the readings set are prescribed readings and must be downloaded from library Multisearch (Unit Readings) and read before the lecture and tutorial for which they are prescribed.

Note that there are some readings for this unit which are not in Library e-Reserve and will be provided in iLearn as online links.

All details of unit information, assessment details and other links are in iLearn. Assignments are submitted and returned online, via Turnitin.

Students are expected to attend lectures. Lectures are recorded, available in Echo360.

There is one lecture and one tutorial each week. All tutorials must be attended.

Unit Schedule

Unit schedule available in iLearn.

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_2016.html

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

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

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/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

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://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

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

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Assessment tasks

Embedded writing task
Participation

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Assessment task

Embedded writing task

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Assessment tasks

Reflective writing exercise
Writing process task

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Assessment tasks

Reflective writing exercise
Writing process task
Embedded writing task
Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

1. Understand a range of historical, cultural and material contexts of the production and consumption of written text.
3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.

Assessment tasks

Reflective writing exercise
Writing process task
Embedded writing task
Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.

Assessment task

Participation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

2. Investigate technologies of writing and their impact on writing and reading practices.
3. Engage reflectively with different forms of writing in the context of students’ lived experience and environment.
4. Develop critical and awareness of students’ own reading and writing practices.
5. Develop skills in different forms of writing and be able to apply them appropriately to their contexts.

Assessment tasks

Reflective writing exercise
Writing process task
Embedded writing task
Participation