Students

ENGL389 – Practices in English

2018 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Marcelle Freiman
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
6cp in ENGL units at 300 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This is the capstone unit for the English Major. The unit aims to connect students’ critical and analytical thinking with textual engagements both within and beyond the contexts of university English studies. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate and integrate the knowledge and skills they have gained in studying English Literature both in this unit, and throughout their Major. Students will complete both research- and project-based assessments which are focused towards contexts beyond their undergraduate studies. These projects are aimed at various career options, such as teaching and publishing, as well as to those who might choose postgraduate studies in English.

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:

  • Demonstrate advanced understanding of literary techniques and genres.
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

General Assessment Information

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

Assignment submission

  • Assignments for this unit are submitted and marked via Turnitin. The links for submission of each assignment are in iLearn for this unit.
  • Submit work to Turnitin as a Word document, not pdf.

Return of marked work

Marked work will be returned via Turnitin. See the link ‘Student Guide to submitting and accessing Turnitin assignments’

http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm#turnitin

The link is found in several places in iLearn, including within each Turnitin submission link.

 

Assessments: word lengths, criteria and penalties

  • Word or line lengths and marking criteria are provided in the above details for each assignment.
  • There is 10% ‘wriggle-room’ on prescribed word length, so word count allows 10% more or 10% less. No penalty applies to students who remain within the 10% leeway given. Do not go over or under this word length.
  • Do not submit work that is over or under the word length. There are penalties of 5% per 100 words over or under the limit (This does not include allowed ‘wriggle-room’).
  • Note the relative weightings of the assessment tasks.

 

Extensions and Special Consideration

Late submission of assignments – Faculty policy:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

If you need an assignment extension or other special consideration, you must apply for this through http://ask.mq.edu.au. Extensions can only be granted via the ask.mq.edu.au system.

Please be aware that if you apply for Special Consideration, your unit convenor might not be alerted and might not process your request, so please alert them separately by email when lodging a Special Consideration application.

For any issues relating to university policies and processes, please note that the Student Advocacy Service and other support services are available.

 

Academic Honesty

All work submitted for this unit must be your own work.

See University Academic Integrity Policy

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/academic-integrity

Absence from more than two seminars without written explanation (medical or counseling certificate) will impact significantly on your participation mark.

 

Assignments: Word lengths, criteria, and penalties.

Presentation of assignments

  • Ensure that you have proof-read your assignment carefully before submitting it.
  • Use double or 1.5 spacing and 12 point font and leave sufficient side margins for comments. No fancy fonts – Times or Arial or other plain font.
  • Single spacing is not acceptable.
  • Insert page numbering and the word count at the end of the document.
  • Marks will be deducted for failure to comply with these presentation requirements.

 

Assessment submission via Turnitin

  • Assessment tasks for this unit are submitted and marked electronically, via Turnitin. The links for submission of each assignment are in the iLearn Assessment section.
  • Please submit only Word documents.

Extensions and late submission of assignments – Faculty policy:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

You should also contact your tutor before the due date if you think you will not be able to submit your work on time. If you are having any problems to do with the unit and your studies, please speak to your teacher or the unit convenor as early as possible.

Special Consideration

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

The Disruption to Studies Notification must be completed and submitted online through https://ask.mq.edu.au/ within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption.

  • Please be aware that if you apply for Special Consideration, your unit convenor might not be alerted and might not process your request, so please alert them separately by email when lodging a Special Consideration application.*
  • For any issues relating to university policies and processes, please note that the Student Advocacy Service and other support services are available.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 20% No Weeks 2-12
Employment application task 10% No 17 August
Reflection task 20% Yes 2 October
Research essay 50% No 11 November

Participation

Due: Weeks 2-12
Weighting: 20%

Attainment of unit outcomes in relation to tutorial participation are assessed according to the following criteria:

  • Attendance at all classes – except in the case of illness, or other reasonable grounds for absence.
  • Active participation in class and small group discussions, and quality contributions in class.
  • Evidence of significant preparation of primary texts, engagement with the texts and concepts covered in the unit.

Marks awarded end of Week 7 and end of Week 13 (10 + 10)


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.

Employment application task

Due: 17 August
Weighting: 10%

Word length 350 words.

This task is part of the reflection on your learning during your English Major studies for your degree. It requires the writing of a job application that calls on these skills. Details on how to approach the task will be provided.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

Reflection task

Due: 2 October
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Word length 700 words.

A reflection on a self-sourced literary essay. Full details and criteria for the task are provided in iLearn


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate advanced understanding of literary techniques and genres.
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.

Research essay

Due: 11 November
Weighting: 50%

Word length 2,500 words.

Research essay questions are provided in iLearn. The task draws on a range of materials studied in the unit.

Details and criteria are provided in iLearn.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate advanced understanding of literary techniques and genres.
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.

Delivery and Resources

Unit delivery

For classroom venues please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website has up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations. Please check this in Week 1 as there may be last-minute changes.

Lectures and attendance

  • Lectures begin in Week 1.
  • Tutorials begin in Week 2.

Lectures for this unit are each week. Lectures are recorded and available via Echo in iLearn. Students are expected to attend or listen to the lectures each week.

Students are expected to attend their tutorials each week.

The Unit iLearn site is used for enrolled students to access lectures, to submit Turnitin assignments, for unit information and messages, for communicating with staff and for online activities as required.

 

Required Reading

  • Essential weekly readings for this unit are found in the Leganto link in iLearn, linked to the library.
  • There is no printed Unit Reader for this unit, nor are there texts to purchase.
  • Students must download these readings in advance and read them in good time for lectures and classes. For those who like to annotate their readings, print them out. This is also advisable as it generates active reading and comprehension.
  • Students MUST bring the week’s readings to lectures and tutorials.
  • Note: There are some readings for this unit which are not in Multisearch and can be found in iLearn as online links.

 

Unit Requirements and Expectations

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.

 Students enrolled in this unit are expected to:

  • Attend or listen to lectures each week – lectures cover essential concepts and information for the unit topics.
  • Attend the tutorials and participate in tutorial activities and discussions. If a student misses more than two tutorials and does not submit documentation to the tutor, this will seriously affect participation marks.
  • Prepare for lectures and classes by having done the readings for each week and being prepared to discuss them.
  • Submit assessment tasks on time. See below for information on extensions for written assessments.
  • Adhere to the university policy on Academic Honesty. http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/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

  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.

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 outcomes

  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Employment application 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

  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

Assessment task

  • Reflection 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

  • Demonstrate advanced understanding of literary techniques and genres.
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Employment application task
  • Reflection task
  • Research essay

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

  • Demonstrate advanced understanding of literary techniques and genres.
  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Reflection task
  • Research essay

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 outcomes

  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Synthesise and integrate ideas and extend reflective, analytical and creative thinking in scholarly practices.

Assessment task

  • Research essay

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

  • Demonstrate capacity for rigorous and independent thinking and developed research and communication skills, including skills in written and oral textual analysis.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.
  • Articulate and reflect on skills and capabilities learned in the English Major program in the context of employability and graduate destinations.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Employment application task
  • Reflection task
  • Research essay

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Recognise and differentiate different textual modes and genres and the broader intellectual and cultural contexts of textual production.
  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Enact professional skills in terms of organisation, timeliness, presentation, conduct of academic honesty, and consideration of peers in unit participation.