Students

ENGL1002 – Literature: Modern and Contemporary

2024 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer, Tutor
Geoffrey Payne
geoffrey.payne@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
25WWB 543B
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Building on the range of concepts and tools introduced to students in ENGL1001 Literature: From Medieval to Modern, this unit focuses on how literature developed throughout the twentieth century to the present day. It analyses how English, Australian and American writers - poets, playwrights, novelists, graphic novelists and screenwriters - responded in profoundly intellectual and visceral ways to the wars, calamities, technological change and digital disruptions of what Eric Hobsbawm calls the 'Age of Extremes'. We trace patterns of alienation and anomie, but also the growing urgency of hope and human rights in literary responses to the modern world. Continuing to develop university level skills in critical reading, textual analysis and writing about literary texts, this unit also introduces students to theories of visual literacy and critical studies, equipping students with the tools to interpret different kinds of narratives.Please note: ENGL1001 is not a prerequisite for ENGL1002

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 reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies.
  • ULO2: Understand and be able to describe some of the key features of a range of texts from the modern to the contemporary.
  • ULO3: Apply understanding of literary techniques to literary study and beyond to other situations.
  • ULO4: Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others' points of view, and to argue a critical position.

General Assessment Information

Submission Methods

Participatory tasks will be conducted via weekly completion of asynchronous forum activities in iLearn. The Quiz will be conducted at a time of your choosing during week 4 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
Quiz 10% No During week 4: up to 23.55 on 18/8/24
Textual Analysis Task 30% No 23.55 on 8/9/24
Research Essay 40% No 23.55 on 3/11/24
Participatory Task 20% No Ongoing, weeks 1-12

Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: During week 4: up to 23.55 on 18/8/24
Weighting: 10%

 

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of material covered in the unit through an online quiz. Further information pertaining to the task can be found on the iLearn site for the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies.
  • Understand and be able to describe some of the key features of a range of texts from the modern to the contemporary.
  • Apply understanding of literary techniques to literary study and beyond to other situations.

Textual Analysis Task

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 23.55 on 8/9/24
Weighting: 30%

 

Through a written task, students will demonstrate skills in textual analysis task based on a set topic. Further information pertaining to the task can be found on the iLearn site for the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies.
  • Understand and be able to describe some of the key features of a range of texts from the modern to the contemporary.
  • Apply understanding of literary techniques to literary study and beyond to other situations.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 37 hours
Due: 23.55 on 3/11/24
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will write a research essay relating to the unit’s key themes and concepts. Further information pertaining to the task can be found on the iLearn site for the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies.
  • Understand and be able to describe some of the key features of a range of texts from the modern to the contemporary.
  • Apply understanding of literary techniques to literary study and beyond to other situations.

Participatory Task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 36 hours
Due: Ongoing, weeks 1-12
Weighting: 20%

 

Preparation of notes relating to set weekly 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:
  • Demonstrate critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies.
  • Understand and be able to describe some of the key features of a range of texts from the modern to the contemporary.
  • Engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain 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

Lectures and online forum activities start in Week 1.

Students are expected to attend or to listen to all recorded lectures before completing online forum activities 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 (students must buy, borrow, or stream the following – they are not supplied texts):

  1. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Edition recommended)
  2. Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (Norton Critical Edition is recommended as it provides useful additional material that will aid in your study of the text. The Penguin edition is also acceptable if this is more readily available to you.)
  3. James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk (1974) - Any edition
  4. Wajdi Mouawad, Scorched, (2011, revised edition translated by Linda Gaboriau)
  5. Elfie Shiosaki, Homecoming (2021)
  6. Daniel Clowes, Ghost World, (2020, Penguin Books)

Recommended

Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle, This Thing Called Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing (Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2015).

 

The remaining weekly readings/viewings are available in Leganto on the iLearn site for ENGL/X1002.

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 2024.01R of the Handbook