Students

ENGL3010 – Human to Posthuman: 20th-Century Literature

2020 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Paul Sheehan
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ENGL1002 or ENGL120 and 20 cp at 2000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit looks at a range of texts across the 20th century, from modernism to postmodernism and late modernism. The governing theme for the unit is what it means to be human, raising questions about memory, identity, agency, empathy, care and ethical responsibility. Topics to be discussed within these lines of enquiry include the death of God, the crisis of history, war and its aftermath, and changing gender dynamics. The range of international and Australian authors to be studied includes James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Gerald Murnane, Les Murray, J. M. Coetzee and Sarah Kane.

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: Demonstrate critical and analytical reading strategies, interpretive analysis, scholarly research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of modernist and postmodernist studies in English.
  • ULO2: Identify, evaluate and apply principles of modernism and postmodernism to different literary modes, narrative and non-narrative.
  • ULO3: Display creative thinking and construct cohesive arguments.
  • ULO4: Consider how historical and theoretical propositions of modernism have shaped the reception and reproduction of 20th-century art more broadly.
  • ULO5: Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, consider and assess others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Textual analysis task 10% No Week 10
Participatory task 20% No Weekly
Research essay 40% No Week 13
Literature review 30% No Week 6

Textual analysis task

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 10%

Each student to pick one work from first or second half of unit, and to write a 600-word analysis explaining how the text explicates and/or deviates from its given field.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical and analytical reading strategies, interpretive analysis, scholarly research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of modernist and postmodernist studies in English.
  • Display creative thinking and construct cohesive arguments.
  • Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, consider and assess others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

Participatory task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

Preparation of notes for class relating to set tutorial topics and any addition research. Participation in group activities; answering questions in weekly tutorials and contributing meaningfully to in-class discussion.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical and analytical reading strategies, interpretive analysis, scholarly research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of modernist and postmodernist studies in English.
  • Display creative thinking and construct cohesive arguments.
  • Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, consider and assess others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

Research essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 37 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%

2,500-word research essay related to a set topic.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical and analytical reading strategies, interpretive analysis, scholarly research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of modernist and postmodernist studies in English.
  • Identify, evaluate and apply principles of modernism and postmodernism to different literary modes, narrative and non-narrative.
  • Display creative thinking and construct cohesive arguments.
  • Consider how historical and theoretical propositions of modernism have shaped the reception and reproduction of 20th-century art more broadly.
  • Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, consider and assess others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

Literature review

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 6
Weighting: 30%

Students to find a minimum of 5 recent journal articles or book chapters on their choice of modernist text, read and analyse each article for argument, then write a 1,000-word review of the field, explaining its current state and the issues discussed in the scholarship.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical and analytical reading strategies, interpretive analysis, scholarly research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of modernist and postmodernist studies in English.
  • Display creative thinking and construct cohesive arguments.
  • Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, consider and assess others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Delivery of lectures via iLearn.

Delivery of tutorials: either face-to-face or via Zoom.

For students on practicum: tutorials replaced by online discussion forum.

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:

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

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.