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ENGL590 Contemporary Literary Criticism: Theory and Practice

Updated: 25 September 2012
Credit Points 6
Offering Not offered in 2013
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions ENGL290 or ENGL390 or ENGL490
Notes

offered in odd numbered years
Combined Units ENGL390 - Contemporary Literary Criticism: Theory and Practice
Coordinator(s) Jennifer McDonell (jmcdonel@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This is a fully online unit which introduces students to the key tenets of a selection of modern critical theories, including New Criticism, Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, Feminism, Deconstruction and Postcolonialism. The unit modules encourage a critical and open attitude to the study of literary works by examining six of the most influential modes of analysis that characterise English literary studies as a discipline. At the completion of the unit students will be able to appreciate the interdependence of these theoretical modes, as well as their application and their limitations for the study of English literature and culture. The unit provides opportunities for the student to practise applying selected literary theories to texts and engage in activities and assessment tasks in the context of an online learning community.

Materials Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. identify and discuss at an advanced level the key tenets of six major contemporary critical theories: New Criticism, Structuralism, Psychoanalytic theory, Feminism, Deconstruction and Postcolonialism;
  2. apply the six theories to literary texts with a high level of competence;
  3. understand at an advanced level the multiple ways in which texts produce and circulate meaning;
  4. discuss, debate and establish a dialogue in online fora;
  5. solve problems arising from the discussion of contemporary theories studied in the unit; and
  6. demonstrate sophisticated knowledge and understanding of literary critical approaches in order to develop in students the skills of inquiry, including professional standards of communication and information literacy.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
This unit introduces students to a range of modern critical theories applicable to the analysis of texts in the discipline of English, knowledge of which is assessed in the set assessment tasks. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
These skills will be taught, assessed and practised in the Discussion Board tutorials and in the essay writing assessment task. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
These skills will be taught, assessed and practised through all the learning activities of the unit which studies critical theories from Europe, Britain, the United States and importantly, the way these have been inflected by globalisation and postcolonial theory. 		True True True
4 Information Literacy
Information literacy is specifically addressed in the online resource research project, and given that the unit is fully online, effective use of internet resources is taught, practised and foregrounded in all of the assessment tasks and is integral to the completion of the unit. 		True True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Taught and practised through the introduction of advanced online research skills as well as in specifically assessing students' ability to read culture in an informed way. 		True True True
6 Problem Solving
Problem solving is taught, assessed and practised in all assessment tasks. Problem solving exercises based on unit content inform weekly discussion topics, online quiz questions and the written assessment task. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
The unit involves a large component on online discussion and the ethics of responsibility and concern for others is integral to effective and constructive participation in the unit. 		True
8 Team Work
The online assessment task will be a group project and the weekly Discussion Board discussion groups will largely be managed by participants in the unit with moderation by the unit coordinator. Documents pertaining to the aims and management of group participation are distributed online. 		True True
   

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