Students
ENGL2037 – Doing Digital Writing: Creative Writing in Online Technologies
2020 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Catherine Fargher, Lecturer and Class Convenor
Dr Fargher
Contact via catherine.fargher@mq.edu.au
Lvl 2, Australian Hearing Hub 16 University Ave
By appointment
Unit Convenor
Associate Professor Jane Messer
Contact via jane.messer@mq.edu.au
Lvl 2, Australian Hearing Hub 16 University Ave
By appointment
Catherine Fargher
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
ENGL1021 or ENGL121 or COMP1150 or COMP111
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
In this unit, students explore the new genres, styles, techniques, platforms and audiences generated by contemporary digital writing. Basic techniques in authoring narrative and poetry-based interactive hypertext works are introduced, employing open source software such as Twine. Students will explore the technological and aesthetic issues relating to the writing and production of short digital texts, with an emphasis on fiction, poetry and mixed genre works such as narrative-based games. Web-based and other electronic media are engaged with by students to develop skills that advance digital literacy. At the end of the unit students will have written and produced a minor and a major digital creative work in two different technologies. |
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:
- ULO1: Produce short-form digital text-based creative works in two or more platforms and genres.
- ULO2: Employ introductory-level technical terms, vocabulary and concepts in the analysis of digital creative writing.
- ULO3: Appraise and discuss the digital creative work of others in writing workshops.
- ULO4: Describe, analyse and evaluate published digital works and cultures, utilizing introductory-level technical terms, vocabulary and concepts analysis
- ULO5: Contribute to collaborative discussions and tasks in writing workshops.
Assessment Tasks
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Delivery and Resources
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Classes commence in Week 1. Attend the first Seminar. Listen to Lecture 1 beforehand.
Our flipped classroom
This unit uses a mode of learning and teaching called the flipped classroom. Students arrive prepared for the seminar, having listened to the pre-recorded lecture and undertaken the readings and other preparation beforehand. All the lectures are accessed through ECHO and you are required to listen to these before the relevant class.
Practice-based Seminars
Weekly seminars focus on discussion of the readings, lectures and developing knowledge of the field, and weekly tasks that support your practice and skills development in a range of digital online writing modes.
Weekly seminars will include discussion, worksheets to test your knowledge and skills, workshopping of creative writing, and practice 'labs' to support you to develop your digital writing skills.
Resources
You are encouraged to bring a laptop or other computer to the seminar each week for in-class online and digital work. A limited number of desktop computers are available in the Active Learning Space room for students without their own device.
The readings for this unit and some other digital resources are available via the unit's Leganto link. Other resources will be sourced independently by students via the web.
Unit Schedule
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Week 1: What is digital creative writing?
Week 2: Introduction to Writing in a Network
Week 3: Generative texts: Twitter for sampling and scraping
Week 4: ‘Hands-free’ writing. Bots, memes, #
Week 5: Generative texts: bots for writing
Week 6: Interactive Fictions and Poetry
Week 7: Narrative Design: The writer’s roles
Weeks 8 - 10: Workshop intensives
Week 11: Narrative: storyline, characterisation, world
Week 12: Digital futures for the creative writer
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
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 published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Violent and Sexually Violent Content in creative writing workshop and assessment submissions
Material that might seriously disturb or distress other students or the teacher is not suitable for the University writing workshop environment. The aim of our workshops is to provide a safe place for students to share their work in progress. We are all required to read and discuss work that is presented in the workshop, and so for this reason you must consider the impact on others if you are planning to write potentially distressing content.
Students presenting work that includes detailed descriptions of violence including sexual violence, especially material that involves rape or harm to animals must contact the Unit Convenor before submitting the work for workshop or as work for assessment. They must discuss their work with the convenor at least 2 weeks before the scheduled workshop or assessment due date. Permission may be withheld, in which case the student will be required to submit a new work by the due date.
You should also be aware of the Student Code of Conduct and in particular clauses in the sections Safety and Breach of Rights http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/student_conduct/conduct.html
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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.