ENGL 2010
Introduction to Literature I: Fiction
3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:
English 2010 provides the opportunity, through reading, discussion, and short projects, to analyze short stories and a novel in terms of their literary characteristics. This course is designed to give students experience in reading and interpreting literature.

Course Objectives:

You will learn to

1) relate literary experience to the human condition,

2) identify the elements of fiction and understand how those elements relate to theme,

3) distinguish literary style from other types of writing,

4) identify the characteristics of the writing styles of selected authors,

5) understand the importance of setting and character in a story or novel.

Prerequisites:
ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 are prerequisites for this course. This is to ensure that the student has sufficient skills to effectively explore and develop arguments about new ideas and to communicate them in writing.
Course Topics:
This course will explore the elements of literature. It is strongly suggested that each module be completed in the order presented in order to build a solid foundation for subsequent material.
           - Introduction: Reading and Writing about Fiction
           - Plot
           - Character
           - Setting
           - Point of View
                   (The first test will cover the preceding elements.)
           - Symbolism
           - Theme
           - Style, Tone, Irony
           - A Study of Nathaniel Hawthorne
           - A Study of Flannery O'Connor
                   (The second test will cover the preceding elements.)
           - A Critical Case Study: William Faulkner's "Barn Burning"
           - A Cultural Case Study: James Joyce's "Eveline"
           - Applying the elements of fiction to the novel form
                    (The final test will cover the preceding elements.)
Specific Course Requirements:
There are no specific special course requirements necessary for successful completion of the course other than a working knowledge of how to operate in the WebCT environment.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:
Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course: 
http://rodp.bkstr.com
 
A novel of your choice (selected by the student and approved by the instructor) - guidelines and suggested titles are included in the course materials
 
You should have ready access to a college-level dictionary and a grammar handbook for reference (no specific one is required)
Supplementary Materials:
There are no other materials required for this course.
Hardware Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. 
There are no additional hardware requirements for this course.
Software Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. 
There are no additional software requirements for this course.
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information, virtual and physical office hours, and other communication information.
 
Barring unforeseen circumstances, all communication with the instructor will be acknowledged within 36-48 hours. Anticipated exceptions to this will be posted in advance on the Discussion board.
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:
All quizzes, assignments, and tests will be available through the WebCT interface. No proctors are needed for the quizzes or tests. 
 
The quizzes are open ended. That is, they are made available to you early in the course from the first day of the course and have no specific deadline dates. However, you will only be able to submit answers to the quizzes once. 
 
The tests have limited access. They have a time limit and a limited availability window. Students will be on their honor to complete the tests without the use of notes and/or texts.  Once the student begins the test, a maximum of two hours will be available to complete it. There will be at least a 48 hour window in which each test will be available. These windows will be clearly posted in the Calendar section of the course. 
Grading Procedure:
The grade for this course will be based on several types of assessment tools. 
 
Frequent reading quizzes will be used to ensure the student understands the material presented in the text and online materials. These quizzes will include objective questions (matching, multiple choice) and short answer response questions.
 
Periodic assignments will allow the student to explore the significance of the various elements of fiction as they apply to various works read in the course. 
 
Three tests will measure the student's ability to identify the elements of fiction and distinguish literary style as it pertains to selected authors. Tests will contain a combination of objective questions (matching, multiple choice), short answer response questions, and brief essay response questions.
 
Three fully developed papers will explore the student's experience of the ideas in the works read in class and place them in context in the student's real world environment. Specific requirements will be discussed in the individual assignments.
 
The student will also participate in a discussion forum to share perspectives with classmates. Discussion questions will be provided as a starting point, but any element of the week's reading material is acceptable discussion material. The student is expected to participate in at least 10 of the 14 weeks of discussion. The student's participation will be graded on BOTH frequency of participation and quality of input. The instructor will also be an active participant in the discussions.
 
These assessment tools will be weighted as follows:
          Reading quizzes (10 total - 10 points each)            100 points
          Periodic assignments (5 total - 20 points each)       100 points
          Discussion Participation                                        50 points
          Tests (3 total - 100 points each)                          300 points
          Papers (3 total - 150 points each)                         450 points
 
Grading Scale:
900-1000 points = A/excellent performance 
800-899 points = B/very good performance 
700-799 points = C/good to acceptable performance 
600-699 points = D/below average performance 
less than 600 points = F/failing performance
Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects:
Details of each assignment are included on the specific assignment page in the Assignments section of the course.
 
Week 1: Read the Course Introductory Material
            Read Chapter 1 in the text
            Read Chapter 2 in the text
            Complete the Week 1 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 2: Read Chapter 3 in the text (omit pages 83-96)
            Read "The Cask of Amontillado" in the text (462-67)
            Study the Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 2 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 3: Read Chapter 4 in the text
            Read "Girl" in the text (439-41)
            Study the Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 3 "Character" Assignment
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 4: Read Chapter 5 in the text
            Read "A & P" in the text (467-72)
            Study Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 4 Quiz
            Begin writing process on Paper #1
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 5: Read Chapter 6 in the text
            Study Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 5 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
               Complete Test #1
Week 6: Read Chapter 7 in the text 
            Study Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 4 "Symbolism" Assignment
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 7: Read Chapter 8 in the text 
            Read "Wild Swans" in the text (455-62)
            Study Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 7 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
            Submit Paper #1 for grading
Week 8: Read Chapter 9 in the text
            Read "Class" in the text (473-86)
            Study Vocabulary List
            Complete the Week 8 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 9: Read Chapter 11 in the text
            Complete the Week 9 Quiz
            Participate in the weekly discussion
            Begin writing process on Paper #2
Week 10: Read Chapter 12 in the text
             Complete the Week 10 Quiz
             Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 11: Select your novel for approval by the instructor
             Once approved, begin reading your selected novel
             Complete the Week 11 "O'Connor" Assignment
             Complete Test #2
Week 12: Read Chapter 13 in the text
             Complete the Week 12 Quiz
             Participate in the weekly discussion
             Submit Paper #2 for grading
Week 13: Read Chapter 14 in the text
             Complete the Week 13 Quiz
             Participate in the weekly discussion
             Begin writing process on Paper #3
Week 14: Complete reading your selected and approved novel
             Complete the Week 14 "Novel" Assignment
             Participate in the weekly discussion
Week 15: Complete the Week 15 "Final" Assignment
             Submit Paper #3 for grading
                Complete Test #3
            
Class Participation:
Your participation in this course is a vital part of the learning environment. Participation includes more than just reading the assignments and completing the quizzes, papers, and tests. You need to use all of the resources available to you. The discussion board is available to you to engage in class-wide explorations of your responses to the readings and the stories. If you don't understand something, post a question to the discussion board. In all likelihood someone else in the course will be able to help you understand what you may not be able to figure out on your own. The weekly discussion questions are NOT optional. You should respond to the prompt in the assignment and read other students' responses as well. I also encourage you to reply to each other's postings. A large part of learning is sharing ideas. I will monitor and provide feedback to postings as well as add probing questions that are suggested by your own responses. In addition, the email system is available to communicate with the instructor. The instructor is a resource for you to use, too. The discussion board will also be used to post general information applicable to the class as a whole, so you should check it frequently.
Punctuality:
Each week of the course has specific elements that need to be accomplished in that week. Each week's assignment builds on the material in previous weeks. Therefore, you should work on the material in the order given in the schedule of assignments. With the exception of the tests and papers, as long as you complete the material for each week in the week it is due, there are no specific days or times that you need to participate. You can work on this course at a time of day best suited to your needs. The detailed due dates for the papers and tests are listed in the calendar and should be met. Assignments may be turned in early, but late work (completed after the week noted in the calendar) will not be accepted, neither will late papers or tests.  
Course Ground Rules
A list of basic assumptions and ground rules are noted below:
  • Complete assignments in the order and week assigned.
  • Participate in weekly discussions in addition to completing the reading, quizzes, and papers.
  • Actively communicate with other students.
  • Learn how to navigate in WebCT.
  • Keep abreast of course announcements.
  • Communicate within the course as opposed to using a personal e-mail address.
  • Address technical problems immediately.
  • Observe course netiquette at all times. 
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember, without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members.
Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading are included within the assignments. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with her/his home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:
If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org