Students

ENGL3020 – Global Contemporary Literature: Australians and the World

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, lecturer, tutor
Toby Davidson
toby.davidson@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
tba
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The limitations of Western conceptions of "the human" are highlighted in this unit as we consider how twenty-first century Australian, Indigenous, American, postcolonial and other forms of literature which challenge and expand Western conceptions of humanity, subjectivity and belonging. This unit looks at how literature is alive in the world today, and how it responds to the new opportunities afforded to it by the twenty-first century such as streaming, open-access and web publishing, social media and AI-written texts. All texts studied (essays, translated poetry and novels, speculative short fiction, Indigenous sci-fi and vampire TV series, multilingual historical film) have been produced since 2010. Current controversies are simultaneously examined in real time to show present-day faultlines in local and global publishing and writers’ festivals. The premise of this unit is that writers living today are developing exciting and innovative ways of responding to contemporary debates on authorship, race, gender, climate change, refugee rights and social justice, neo-colonialism, multiculturalism, literary celebrity and activism. We will reflect on how we engage with global contemporary literature now, and how we can best critique evolving forms of literature which offer us radical visions of both the future and the past in Australia and beyond.

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: Analyse and compare literary texts across a range of genres, including the novel, the essay, poetry, and hybrid genres, using a sound critical vocabulary and scholarly research.
  • ULO2: Explain key features of the contemporary literary field, including the role of literary celebrity, creative writing programmes, and digital media, and analyse how these features impact on literary texts.
  • ULO3: Reflect on the role of critical writing and essays in the contemporary literary field.
  • ULO4: Explain and analyse how literature participates in debates in the public sphere, including discussions over race, immigration, ethics, history, and the representation of disasters.
  • ULO5: Develop well-reasoned arguments about literary texts, and support these arguments orally and in writing.

General Assessment Information

Submission Methods

Participatory tasks will be conducted via asynchronous online discussion forums. The Quiz will be conducted at a time of your choosing during week 3 via iLearn. The Analysis Task and Essay must be submitted via Turnitin in iLearn.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 23.55 (11.55pm). A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-time-sensitived assessment (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings, etc.). Late submission of time-sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs, etc.) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration’

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 20% No Ongoing, weeks 1-6, 8-12
Early Feedback Quiz 10% No Friday 8/3/24 at 23:55
Secondary Literature Review 30% No Thursday 11/4/24 at 23:55
Research Essay 40% No Thursday 30/5/24 at 23:55

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Ongoing, weeks 1-6, 8-12
Weighting: 20%

 

Preparation of notes relating to set topics and any additional research. Participation in group activities; answering questions in weekly forums and contributing meaningfully to discussion.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and compare literary texts across a range of genres, including the novel, the essay, poetry, and hybrid genres, using a sound critical vocabulary and scholarly research.
  • Explain key features of the contemporary literary field, including the role of literary celebrity, creative writing programmes, and digital media, and analyse how these features impact on literary texts.
  • Reflect on the role of critical writing and essays in the contemporary literary field.
  • Explain and analyse how literature participates in debates in the public sphere, including discussions over race, immigration, ethics, history, and the representation of disasters.
  • Develop well-reasoned arguments about literary texts, and support these arguments orally and in writing.

Early Feedback Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Friday 8/3/24 at 23:55
Weighting: 10%

 

Students will complete one online quiz, comprising of 20 multiple choice questions.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and compare literary texts across a range of genres, including the novel, the essay, poetry, and hybrid genres, using a sound critical vocabulary and scholarly research.
  • Explain key features of the contemporary literary field, including the role of literary celebrity, creative writing programmes, and digital media, and analyse how these features impact on literary texts.
  • Reflect on the role of critical writing and essays in the contemporary literary field.

Secondary Literature Review

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Thursday 11/4/24 at 23:55
Weighting: 30%

 

A 1500 word written analysis of a single published research article which may be used for the Research Essay.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and compare literary texts across a range of genres, including the novel, the essay, poetry, and hybrid genres, using a sound critical vocabulary and scholarly research.
  • Explain key features of the contemporary literary field, including the role of literary celebrity, creative writing programmes, and digital media, and analyse how these features impact on literary texts.
  • Reflect on the role of critical writing and essays in the contemporary literary field.
  • Develop well-reasoned arguments about literary texts, and support these arguments orally and in writing.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Thursday 30/5/24 at 23:55
Weighting: 40%

 

A 2000 word research essay related to a set topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and compare literary texts across a range of genres, including the novel, the essay, poetry, and hybrid genres, using a sound critical vocabulary and scholarly research.
  • Explain key features of the contemporary literary field, including the role of literary celebrity, creative writing programmes, and digital media, and analyse how these features impact on literary texts.
  • Reflect on the role of critical writing and essays in the contemporary literary field.
  • Explain and analyse how literature participates in debates in the public sphere, including discussions over race, immigration, ethics, history, and the representation of disasters.
  • Develop well-reasoned arguments about literary texts, and support these arguments orally and in writing.

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:

Lectures and tutorials start in Week 1.

Students are expected to attend or to listen to all recorded lectures before attending their classes each week.

On campus students: Please check the university timetable for lecture and class venues.

OUA or Online Flexible Students: Please be prepared to participate in the weekly activities via the iLearn Discussion Forums beginning in week 1.

 

Readings:

Required to Buy or Borrow

  1. Karan Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs, Vintage paperback or ebook.
  2. Mykaela Saunders, ed. This All Come Back Now, University of Queensland Press paperback or ebook.
  3. Behrouz Boochani, No Friend But the Mountains. Picador paperback or ebook.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook