Courses

ENG 3023.50

British Literature 1760 to the Present

Summer III 2007

Robert Browning	William Wordsworth

Course Name, Number, and Description:  ENG 3023.50.  British Literature 1760 to the Present.  The Texas Woman's University General Catalog 2005-2007 describes ENG 3023 in this way: "Examines significant works in depth with study of authors and genres in relation to the aesthetic, historical and cultural contexts.  Requires research with primary and secondary sources.  Three lecture hours a week.  Credit: Three hours."

This course satisfies the ENG 3023 requirement for the Bachelor of Arts in English or for an an upper-level English course for the English minor.  It has not been approved to fulfill the requirements of the core curriculum.

Please note that this course is taught entirely asynchronously online.  If you have never taken a Blackboard course before or have questions about the format of the class, please contact me at rgreer@mail.twu.edu and arrange for an individual orientation with me during my office hours.  Please note also that there is no in-class final examination for the course, but I do require that you post a capstone final examination project (which includes a ten-page research paper that uses multiple sources) in the final examination week forum that I will provide on Blackboard.

Faculty Contact Information: Office Location, Phone, Hours:
Russell Greer, Ph.D.  Associate Professor.  Office: CFO 803.  E-mail: rgreer@twu.edu. Fax: (940) 898-2297 (English Department).  Office telephone: (940) 898-2346. Website: www.russellgreer.com

Most students find they can communicate with me quickly through the course itself online or by e-mail (rgreer@twu.edu).  In addition, I will host office hours by appointment in CFO 803 from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout the Summer III semester unless otherwise indicated.  If I cannot hold regular office hours on a particular day or time, I will make an announcement on my web site.  I am typically not available in my office at other times, but I am available by phone and online.  You may also leave me a voice mail at (940) 898-2346.  I usually check for messages once a day (often in the evenings) and try to return calls promptly.

Course Goals

1.  The student will learn the major historical, cultural, and contextual information associated with the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern British periods of literature.

2.  The student will encounter several significant and representative authors and genres from the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern British periods and explore their aesthetic meanings.  

3.  The student will conduct research with primary and secondary sources in Romantic, Victorian, and Modern British literature.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1.  In three "period tests," students will demonstrate the major historical and cultural contextual information associated with the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern British periods of literature. 

2. In weekly postings to discussion forums and other informal assignments, the student will demonstrate critical and aesthetic understanding of several significant and representative authors and genres from the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern British periods. 

3. The student will submit a research paper of ten pages as part of a capstone final examination portfolio that uses primary and secondary sources effectively and demonstrates critical understanding of Romantic, Victorian, or Modern British literature.

List of textbooks and supplies: 

1.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature.  Eighth Edition.  Vol 2 (ISBN: 0-393-92532-3)

2.  Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (W.W. Norton.  ISBN 0393959031)

3.  The World's Wife by Carol Ann Duffy (Faber and Faber.  ISBN: 0-571-19995-X)

4.  They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein (W.W. Norton. ISBN: 0393924092).

Suggested: A Guide to MLA Documentation by Joseph Trimmer (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.  ISBN: 0618338055) or an English handbook with MLA style information such as The Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker (ISBN 0-312-44337-4).

Disability Statement:

”Texas Woman's University seeks to provide appropriate academic adjustments for all individuals with disabilities.  The University will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines, specifically Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with respect to providing appropriate academic adjustments to afford equal educational opportunity.  It is the responsibility of the student to register with and provide medical verification and academic schedules to Disability Support Services (DSS) at the beginning of each semester and no later than the second week of school in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate academic adjustment.  For further information regarding Disability Support Services or to register for assistance, please )contact the office at 898-3835 (voice, 898-3830 (TDD)), or visit CFO 105” (Texas Woman’s University Office of Academic Affairs).

Grading Policy, Major Course Assignments and Examinations and Attendance:

1.  Capstone Final Examination Project: (1) Individual Research Paper; (2) Individual PowerPoint; (3) Bibliography; (4) Self Assessment; and (5) Summary of Dialogues: 50% Due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 9th on the assigned forum and www.turnitin.com.  I will be giving you more specific information about this assignment frequently throughout the semester.  Please note that I will give you a grade for this project on your final feedback, but I require you to meet with me face to face in my office during office hours after the semester for in-depth feedback if you desire it.  Note: I will be available for these optional conferences with you in the fall.  If you would like this feedback and cannot meet with me during the fall 2007 semester (because, for example, you are graduating), I can try to meet with you during the break between the summer and fall semesters.  Please contact me at rgreer@twu.edu to make these arrangements after posting your capstone project.   

2.  Group PowerPoint 1% (Week THREE)

3.  Group Essay 2% (Week SEVEN)

4.  Thesis Statement for your research paper (To be turned in on "Assignments": 1% (Week EIGHT)

4.  Group Annotated Bibliography 1% (Week FOUR)

5.  Reading Tests: 15%.  Three tests (Weeks THREE, SEVEN, and TEN), one on each literary period and the works we have studied in those periods. (5% each)

6.  Participation (Online Attendance): 30%. Credit is given for postings to the discussion questions, anything posted in your group’s forum for a particular week, special assignments, and the weekly summary.  Almost half of your grade will depend on your regular participation online.  You must post a minimum of TEN times a week on the discussion question forums (including the weekly summary) and in your groups, when applicable, and once by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday each week.  Some of these postings will be responses to the study questions; others will be preparation of group responses; others will be responses to your classmates.  If you do not post at least ten times in the assigned week, do not expect a good participation grade for that week.  I will give you a participation grade weekly, but I will announce them only four times times: in Week TWO, Week SIX, Week NINE, and for your final grade after August 10.  Your grade will be determined by (1) the amount of postings and (2)the quality of the postings (equally weighted).  I calculate participation for a week that begins on Monday and ends at midnight on the following Sunday.  Your postings do not need to be long (100-240 words for a primary answer to a discussion question is adequate, and responses can be shorter), but they DO need to advance the discussion helpfully. Postings only count in the week they are due; in other words you cannot “make up” late postings after the week is over.  Postings only count in the following places: (1) the discussion question forums; (2) the weekly summary forum; and (3) your group forum for the week in question (if applicable).  Note: Each week you will be asked to answer three discussion questions, one of which will may occasionally be a group question (after the first week) and/or a question about writing the research paper.  These discussion questions will allow you to earn participation credit and share ideas with your classmates.  At the end of the week you will also post a summary message and attach a Student Summary Form with your best ten postings pasted into the forum.  You may revised these postings for spelling, grammar, style, etc. but they should essentially be the same postings that you made in the forums. Please note that I will grade the postings you submit in your summaries carefully for spelling and grammar, especially in the beginning of the course,  so proofread them carefully!  I will use your attached form to calculate your participation grade for the week. If you do not attach a summary form, you cannot get participation credit for the week.

Miscellaneous

Midterm Conference: Please note that if you have a failing grade after you receive your feedback in Week FIVE, I would like to meet with you in person in my office to discuss ways to improve your grade

Instruction

You will be provided an online study guide for each of the major texts or authors we will read this semester (Tess of the d'Urbervilles, the poetry of Felicia Dorothea Hemans, William Wordworth's Poetry, Robert Browning's Poetry, Katherine Mansfield's fiction, and The World's Wife).  Each study guide will include suggestions for studying the text, including a plot summary, critical approaches, and recommended supplemental reading. 

Student Participation Summary Form

You will post a summary to a forum provided after you have completed all your week's postings and attach a "student participation summary" form.  You can find this form under COURSE INFORMATION.  In this form, you will cut and paste your "top ten" postings from the week.  You may edit your postings for grammar and spelling (in fact you SHOULD edit them for grammar and spelling) but not for content (I will check occasionally to make sure that the they represent your actual work from the week).  I will use this summary form to assign your participation grade.  If you do not submit a summary form, you cannot get credit for the week's work even if you fully participated otherwise.

No Final Examination Required: In lieu of a final examination, you will be required to post a final capstone project and comment on the projects of your classmates during final examination week.  You must post your capstone project to www.turnitin.com and the assigned forum no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 9th.  I will be giving you more specific information about this assignment frequently throughout the semester.  Please note that I will give you a grade for this project on your final feedback, but I require you to meet with me face to face in my office during office hours after the semester for in-depth feedback if you desire it. 

Academic Dishonesty:

“Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the development of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled.  Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook.  Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Libraries’ “Quick Links” under “Research Help” (http://www.twu.edu/library/literacy/index.htm)” (This statement was authorized and mandated by the TWU Provost.  November 10, 2005).

Plagiarism:
The following definition of plagiarism appears in Joseph F. Trimmer’s A Guide to MLA Documentation (Sixth Edition), published by Houghton Mifflin Company (2004): “Plagiarism is theft.  It is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit—or without giving any credit at all—to the writer of the original.  Whether plagiarism is intentional or unintentional, it is a serious offense…You can avoid plagiarism by taking notes carefully, by formulating and developing your own ideas and by using quotes responsibly to support, rather than replace, your own work” (25).  Note that I have used this quotation from a source and have given it full attribution.  You should do the same with your sources.  I strongly urge you to read the discussion of academic dishonesty that appears in Section Four of The Student Handbook and Planner 2005-2006 (pages 133-135).  I intend to follow TWU policy as outlined in this handbook exactly.  It defines plagiarism in this way: “Plagiarism occurs when a student obtains portions or elements of someone else's work, including materials prepared by another person or agency, and presents those ideas or words as her or his own academic work.  The intentional or unintentional use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement shall constitute plagiarism.  Students are responsible for following guidelines of the appropriate course or discipline (ie; MLA, APA)" (133).  In this course, we will use the Modern Language Association (MLA) format.  Penalties for first-time offenses include, at the instructor’s discretion, any of the following: (1) “Written reprimand”; (2) “Assignment of a lower grade on the test/paper/project in question, with an explanation from the instructor”; (3) “Assignment of a 0 on an assignment"; (4) “Assignment of a grade of F in the course" (134). A discussion of the more severe penalties for second offenses appears on pages 134-135.  If you have any questions about whether or not a practice constitutes plagiarism, please contact me before you turn in the assignment. 

To have the ability to teach courses online, we must protect the integrity of the course.  I am able to teach the course and not require an in-class final examination because I check student work on a plagiarism-checking website.  When you submit your group and individual essays to digital dropbox, you will also need to post it to www.turnitin.com; that website, in turn, will generate a report for me.  I will give you instructions about how to do this on Blackboard.  If you have any questions as to whether or not you have used another person's work and not given proper credit, please see me before you submit the work or use www.turnitin.com to check your work BEFORE submitting it to me. You have that option with this program.  If you would prefer not to have your work checked by this plagiarism website, that is your right.  You would, however, need to make arrangements with me to write your capstone project under my supervision in my office during office hours.  If I cannot check your work with the plagiarism-checking website, you must do the work in my presence. Before you turn in any work to turnitin.com, you will need to view the training video supplied on that web site, create an account, and agree to the terms of turnitin.com, including allowing your work to be archived by the company for purposes of checking for plagiarism only.

Tentative calendar of classes, assignments.

Please check here for the Academic Calendar for Summer 2007. Also, please note that this daily syllabus is for planning purposes only and is subject to change. Page numbers for assigned reading (when applicable) are provided.

Week ONE (4-10 June 2007)

Reading:

1.  Norton Anthology: "The Romantic Period"

2.  Norton Anthology: Poetry of William Wordsworth.  "William Wordsworth."  "I wandered lonely as a cloud." "My heart leaps up." "The world is to much with us."

3.  They Say/I Say: Preface (x-xviii), Introduction (1-14), and Chapter One: "They Say" (17-27).

4.  Study Guide for William Wordsworth.

Assignments:

1.           Post your autobiography.

2.           Form learning teams by the end of Week ONE (if you have no preference, I will assign you to a group at the beginning of Week TWO).

3.           Answer three discussion questions, post weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

Week TWO (11-17 June 2007):

Reading:

1.  Norton Anthology: The Preface to Lyrical Ballads. "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood."  

2.  They Say/I Say: Chapter TWO: "'Her Point Is' The Art of Summarizing" (28-38).

Assignments:

1.  Answer discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements. 

Note: I will return feedback for week ONE this week.

Week THREE (18-24 June 2007)

Reading:

1.  Norton Anthology: Felicia Dorothea Hemans.

2.  They Say/I Say: Chapter THREE: "As He Himself Puts It" (39-47).

3.  Study Guide for the Poetry of Felicia Dorothea Hemans.

Assignments:

1.  Answer discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

2.  Group PowerPoint due: 1%.  For this assignment, you will offer a critical perspective (as a group) on how to read and understand some aspect of Wordsworth's poetry.  You may use outside sources, but they are not required.  Your PowerPoint must have ten slides and a clear, strong thesis.  I will grade it primarily on the basis of its thesis.  Does it create an argument about how to read and understand some aspect of either work? Your focus should be on HOW Wordsworth is communicating in his poetry rather than on WHAT he is communication.

3.  Reading Test on Romantic British Literature (5%)

Week FOUR (25 June-1 July 2007)

Reading:

1.  Norton Anthology: "The Victorian Age."

2.  Norton Anthology: "Robert Browning." "My Last Duchess." "The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church."

3.  They Say/I Say: Chapter FOUR: "Yes/No/Okay, But: Three Ways to Respond" (51-63) and Chapter FIVE: "And Yet: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say" (64-73).

4.  Study Guide for the poetry of Robert Browning (dramatic monologues only).

Assignments:

1.  Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

2.  Group Annotated Bibliography.  Please choose a topic as a group related to your reading this semester. Then find book chapters or articles related to that topic and create an annotated bibliography citation for them that does the following: (1) summarizes key ideas; (2) evaluates its usefulness for shedding light on your chosen topic. You only need to submit one item PER PERSON in your group. Please list the names of everyone who participated somewhere on your completed bibliography.

Here is the format for the annotated bibliography that I would like for you to use. I would prefer that you do not use web sites unless, in your opinion, they are outstanding (and then please justify your choice).

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbibEX.html

Week FIVE (2-8 July 2007)

Reading:

1.    Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Phase the First: the Maiden; Phase the Second: Maiden No More; and Phase the Third: The Rally.

2.  They Say/I Say: Chapter SIX: "Skeptics May Object" (74-87) and Chapter SEVEN: "So What?  Who Cares?" (88-97). 

Assignments:

1.  Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

Week SIX (9-15 July 2007)

Reading:

1.  Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Phase the Fourth: The Consequence; Phase the Fifth: The Woman Pays

2.  They Say/I Say: Chapter EIGHT: "As A Result" (101-114) and Chapter NINE: "Ain't So/Is Not" (115-122).

3.  Study Guide for Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.

Assignments:

1.  Answer all discussion questions, and complete all participation requirements.

Note: I will return feedback for weeks THREE, FOUR, and FIVE this week.

Week SEVEN (16-22 July 2007)

Reading:

1.  Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Phase the Sixth: The Convert; Phase the Seventh: Fulfillment

2.  They Say/I Say: Chapter TEN: "In Other Words: The Art of Metacommentary" (123-132).

3.  Group Essay due: 2%. Your group will be required to write one critical essay of 3-5 pages on Tess of the d'Urbervilles.  The essay should be typed, double-spaced, and conform to MLA guidelines.  For a topic, you may choose your own or expand one of the assigned discussion questions. I will also provide some possible additional topics.  Your primary purpose in this essay is to suggest a strong thesis, an argument about how to understand the novel or stories.  I will grade the essay in terms of content, organization, style, diction, and grammar.  You must write complete sentences, and four or more of these major errors will cause you to receive a “20” (F) on the essay portion of the examination: comma splices, fused sentences, apostrophe errors, sentence fragments, or agreement errors.  Therefore, you should make sure during the semester that you understand and can avoid these errors.  If you have questions, please see me during my office hours.  I would prefer that you work with your group for this project.  If you find that you cannot, however, you are welcome to write your own individual essay, but it will need to be at least five pages long.

Assignments:

1.  Answer all discussion questions, and complete all participation requirements.

Week EIGHT (23-29 July 2007)

Reading:

1.  Norton Anthology: "The Twentieth Century." "Katherine Mansfield."

2.  Instruction: Study Guide for the fiction of Katherine Mansfield.

Assignments:

1.  Answer three discussion questions, post the weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

2.  Thesis Statement.  1% Please submit a one- or two-sentence thesis statement for your research paper by the end of the week on "Digital Dropbox." I will evaluate it and provide comments promptly.

Week NINE and TEN (30 July - 9 August 2007)

Reading:

1.   The World's Wife by Carol Ann Duffy: "Mrs. Darwin" (20); "Queen Kong" (31-33); "Eurydice" (58-62); and "Mrs Beast" (72-75). Also, please read the introductory material on Duffy in the Norton (pages 2873-2874).

2.  Reading Test on Victorian Literature Due by 5 August(5%)

Note: I will return feedback for Weeks SIX, SEVEN, and EIGHT this week.

Assignments:

1.  Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.

2.  Final Capstone project due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 9th.  You will post the project as attachments to the forum provided, and you will upload your individual research paper to turnitin.com.

3.  Reading Test on Twentieth Century British Literature due by 9 August (5%)

Final Examination (10 August 2007)

1.  Please comment on at least FIVE of your classmates' projects before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 10.  Failure to comment on five projects will result in a deduction of five points from your own final grade.  When you have finished posting your comments, gather your best five and post them in the "Final Examination Week Summary" Forum.  Participation on this final examination forum functions in lieu of required attendance at an in-class final examination.

I will begin returning feedback for Weeks NINE and TEN and a final grade after 10 August. 

Last updated: 27 July 2007