Students

ENGL219 – Pulitzers, Bookers, Nobels: Prize-Winning Books

2018 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Roberta Kwan
Antonina Harbus
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ENGL120
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores books judged to be the best. It focuses on the qualities of books that win literary prizes and the impact the prize system has on the production and reception of literature. We will read primarily British, American, and Australian novels that have won literary prizes, such as the Booker and Pulitzer prizes, the Miles Franklin Award, the Orange Prize for fiction, and works by authors who have won the Nobel Prize for literature. Topics of particular interest include the idea of literary quality, popular versus critical acclaim, and the future of a literary canon, or list of the finest or most important books.

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:

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Assignment 1 10% No 11.59 pm 24 August 2018
Assignment 2 20% No 11.59 pm 21 September 2018
Research Essay 50% No 11.59 pm 11 November 2018
Tutorial 20% No Each teaching week

Assignment 1

Due: 11.59 pm 24 August 2018
Weighting: 10%

See ilearn site for details


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assignment 2

Due: 11.59 pm 21 September 2018
Weighting: 20%

See ilearn site for details


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Research Essay

Due: 11.59 pm 11 November 2018
Weighting: 50%

See details on ilearn site


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Tutorial

Due: Each teaching week
Weighting: 20%

See details on ilearn site


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Delivery and Resources

Online units can be accessed at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Students must consult the unit's iLearn site for details of required texts.

Students are expected to attend listen to one lecture each week and one tutorial (see schedule and explanation iLearn site). Attendance at lectures is expected; attendance at tutorials is compulsory, in order to remain eligible to pass the unit. Lectures are recorded and will be available through the Echo 360 system.

For further details, see the details on iLearn.

 

Unit Texts

Art Spiegelman, The Complete Maus

Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

Jennifer Egan, A Visit From the Goon Squad

Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending

Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North

 

Unit Schedule

See ilearn site

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 outcomes

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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

  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 2
  • 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

  • Ability to engage in informed critical discussion on unit content with peers and teachers, entertain others’ points of view, and to argue a critical position
  • Ability to apply understanding of literary success and ideas of the canon — and challenges to those ideas — to literary study and beyond to other situations
  • Understanding and ability to describe sites and measures of literary taste and quality in prize-winning novels
  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 2
  • Research Essay
  • Tutorial

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 outcome

  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment task

  • Tutorial

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

  • Demonstrated critical reading habits, interpretive analysis, research, and effective communication, with particular application to the field of English studies

Assessment task

  • Tutorial

Changes from Previous Offering

Reduced reading list (5 novels instead of 6) to permit more time for comparison and overview of the prize systems