| Unit name | Ways of Reading 2: Critical Thought and Theory |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL10104 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Chris Muller |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Building on the work undertaken in 'Ways of Reading 1', this unit will offer an introduction to a broad range of critical thinkers and theorists, and to creative writers thinking reflectively about their work. Students will be asked to consider the relevance of these materials to a range of primary texts and to the development of their own critical voice. There will be opportunities to compare and contrast a variety of approaches to literature, and to consider the relationship between critical or reflective thought and creative writing.
Aims:
This unit aims to build on the work of 'Ways of Reading 1', encouraging students to consider a variety of approaches to literature - in part through engagement with a range of critical thinkers and theorists. The unit will focus these discussions on five or six literary texts, which will be read from a variety of perspectives; a range of shorter critical texts and essays will also be introduced. Students will be encouraged to develop and/or to reflect on their own critical voice.
Students will have had an opportunity to read a range of critical thinkers and theorists, and to consider their work in relation to a range of primary materials. There will have been opportunities to read five or six literary texts and to think about the relationship between critical and creative work. Students will have been encouraged to develop their own critical voice.
The unit will normally be taught in one three-hour seminar per week, which will utilise a range of teaching methods including short lectures by the tutor(s), formal and informal presentations by students, and small group discussion.
Students will be assessed through a 72-hour take-home examination, which will normally be set at 2pm on a Friday afternoon with students required to submit by the same time on the following Monday. Answers should preferably be word-processed, and of between 3,000-3,500 words (excluding footnotes). The format of this examination is based on similar 24-hour examinations offered in full-time programmes. The longer time period is designed to make it practical for part-time students to complete such an examination, given that they may have a variety of other commitments. The question/s will be intended to assess students' ability to reflect on the main ideas covered in the unit as well as on their own changing understanding of the issues involved. The 72-hour format is intended to encourage answers which are more thoughtful and imaginative than is possible in more orthodox exams.
Prior to the summative take-home exam there will be a formative take-home exam. The unit mark will comprise the mark for the summative take-home exam.
