Unit information: Introduction to Literature and Community Engagement 2 in 2019/20

Unit name	Introduction to Literature and Community Engagement 2
Unit code	ENGL10049
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Mrs. Thomas-Hughes
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of English
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

‘Introduction to Literature and Community Engagement 2’ is the second in a series of four cumulative units which aim to prepare and support students in the development and execution of individual community-engaged projects as part of their undergraduate studies on the English Literature and Community Engagement BA.

Community Engagement is a practice-led discipline. Teaching in community engagement combines: practical, skills-focused, discussion-based workshops; ‘expert masterclasses’ led by community engagement or reading group experts; and seminars which examine the ideas of community, engagement and the practice of reading in contemporary society.

This unit critically examines the practical application of service-learning pedagogy through literature/literacy focused community-engaged projects. Students will be introduced to examples of reading-groups and other literature-focused community-engaged projects from a range of contexts and will consider these in relation to the development of their own community-engaged projects.

The unit enables students to develop implementable community engaged project plans which draw on academic literature alongside resources and frameworks from a range of ‘community-engaged’ contexts (from the voluntary and statutory sectors). The unit incorporates skills-based training to support the facilitation of groups.

The unit introduces reflection as a method for developing and evaluating community-engaged projects and intersects this with further direct teaching of research and academic writing skills.

Aims

• to enable students to design an implementable community-engaged project (such as a reading group). Projects are not limited in context (e.g. a workplace, local charity, school, children’s centre, older people’s home, prison, library or museum) but will pertain in focus to literary forms (from novels, short-stories, poems and biography to film, theatre, graphic text and oral-culture).
• to enable students to make critical consideration of service-learning pedagogy and notions of ‘community’ and community engagement’ as they relate to the practise of developing and running a community-engaged project.
• to develop students’ skills in organising, planning and managing a community engaged project, including: recruiting and retaining project participants/group members, facilitating informal learning spaces, choosing appropriate materials, managing conflict, assessing risk.
• to develop students’ understanding and use of reflection as a method for developing and evaluating community-engaged projects.

Intended Learning Outcomes

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

1) demonstrate an ability to use critical understandings of ‘community’ and ‘community engagement’ to inform the development of community-engaged projects.

2) articulate how the study of English Literature might be used to underpin a community-engaged project.

3) design a community-engaged project in a suitable placement.

4) critically assess their community-engaged project design and reflexively evaluate their methodology and approach.

Teaching Information

Through the year:

• 5 x 3-hour seminars
• 2 x 4.5-hour day schools
• 1 x 4.5 hour conference
• 1 x 1-hour one-to-one meeting with tutor.

Assessment Information

1 x 5-10 minute oral presentation and Q&A on community-engaged project. (ILOs: 3 & 4 )

1 x reflective essay (3000 words) (ILOs: 1 - 4) 100%

Reading and References

Bolton, Gillie. Reflective practice: Writing and professional development. Sage publications, 2010.

Clark, Christina, and Kate Rumbold. "Reading for Pleasure: A Research Overview." National Literacy Trust (2006).

Foasberg, Nancy M. "Online reading communities: From book clubs to book blogs." The Journal of Social Media in Society1.1 (2012).

Hartley, Jenny, and Sarah Turvey. Prison Reading Groups: What Books Can Do Behind Bars: Report on the Work of PRG 1999-2013. University of Roehampton, 2013.

Long, Elizabeth. Book clubs: Women and the uses of reading in everyday life. University of Chicago Press, 2003.

Maynard, Sally, Sophie Mackay, and Fiona Smyth. "A survey of young people's reading in England: Borrowing and choosing books." Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 40.4 (2008): 239-253.

Peplow, David. "’I’ve never enjoyed hating a book so much in my life’: The Co-Construction of Identity in the Reading Group." Pragmatic Literary Stylistics. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2014. 152-171.

Plus, a range of texts, resources and toolkits from the voluntary and statutory sectors.