Students

ENGX209 – Children's Literature

2018 – S2 OUA

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and Tutor
Geoffrey Payne
Contact via 98508726
AHH North Level 2
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ENG110 or ENGX120
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit offers an introduction to the range of literature, both past and current, written for children, including picture books, poetry, and a variety of realistic and fantastic fictions (novel and film) for younger readers and adolescents. Key concepts and a common conceptual language employed in discussing and analysing children's literature will be introduced. Issues addressed include: the idea of a literature for children, visual and verbal textualities; notions of genre; gender representation; and the place of books in the socialisation of children. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

General Assessment Information

Extensions

Extension requests should be made at least 24 hours before the assignment due time. Requests of a short duration (up to 1 week) should be directed to your tutor. Requests for longer extensions should be submitted formally via the Ask system (https://ask.mq.edu.au/splash.php).

Unless otherwise stated in your iLearn unit, late submission of written work will result in a deduction of 2 marks from the total percentage grade for each day beyond the due date, or date to which an extension has been granted.

Extensions are granted only on grounds of illness or misadventure, and appropriate supporting documentation must be submitted. Work submitted after 3 weeks beyond the due date, or date after which an extension has been given, will not be accepted. If you are having problems completing an assignment, please contact the tutor as soon as possible.

 

OUA Special Circumstances Process

Special Circumstances refers to late withdrawal from a unit and your request to have your circumstances taken into account for a possible refund of fees and removal of a "fail" result.

Applications for Special Circumstances are to be submitted to Open University Australia directly.

https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/student-support-services/special-circumstances/ (https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/student-support-services/special-circumstances/)

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Forum Participation 10% No Weekly ongoing
Essay One 20% No Sunday, Week 4
Essay Two 30% No Sunday, Week 10
Final Quiz 40% No Sunday, Week 13

Forum Participation

Due: Weekly ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Students are required to engage critically with weekly readings and offer considered posts in the forums each week.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Essay One

Due: Sunday, Week 4
Weighting: 20%

Essay of 1200 words. For task details and topics see the ENGX209 iLearn site.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Essay Two

Due: Sunday, Week 10
Weighting: 30%

Essay of 1500 words. For task details and topics see the ENGX209 iLearn site.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Final Quiz

Due: Sunday, Week 13
Weighting: 40%

A 2 hour online exam.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Delivery and Resources

Unit Requirements and Expectations

It is expected that students will listen to weekly audio lectures, read set primary texts, participate thoroughly in online discussion and submit all items of assessment. It is also imperative that students participate in the weekly discussion forums.

 

Unit Webpage and Technology Used and Required

Online units can be accessed at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au.

PC and internet access are required. basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Please contact teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements. Consult the OUA website for more detailed information on technology requires:

https://www.open.edu.au/getting-started/studying-through-oua/computer-requirements.

 

Required Reading

In addition to the primary texts and poems that are provided via the ENGX209 iLearn site, students are required to acquire the following texts for study:

Almond, David. The Fire Eaters

Child, Lauren. Beware of Storybook Wolves

Dubosarsky, Ursula. The Red Shoe

Forward, Toby and Izhar Cohen, The Wolf's Story

Gaiman, Neil. Stardust

Herrick, Steven. Pookie Aleera is not my Boyfriend

Reeve, Phillip. Mortal Engines

Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men

Vaughn, Mathew (dir.). Stardust (film).

 

Additional secondary texts are available via eReserve.

Unit Schedule

A unit schedule is available via the ENGX209 iLearn site.

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

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

  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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 outcome

  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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

  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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

  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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

  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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

  • Understand some aspects of literary theory currently used in discussions of children's literature, such as narrative theory, metafiction, intertextuality, and theoretical discussions of genre
  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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

  • Have attained a conceptual language with which to discuss children's literature and a level of visual, verbal and critical literacy
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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 outcomes

  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz

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 outcomes

  • Have gained a broad overview of kinds of children's literature, from a child's first books to 'young adult' literature
  • Understand a range of concepts employed in discussing and analysing children's literature, such as ideology, notions of childhood and adolescence, gender, and concepts derived from schema theory and theories of visual representation
  • Be able to critically examine the uses of children's literature, with particular reference to social issues, subjectivity and the place of books in the socialisation and enculturation of children and adolescents

Assessment tasks

  • Forum Participation
  • Essay One
  • Essay Two
  • Final Quiz