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COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Children's Literature is a course designed for adults who care deeply about children and children's books. Recognizing the crucial role adults play in introducing children to the joys of literature, the course encourages and promotes sharing books with children, including infants. The course text, Through the Eyes of a Child, shares this perspective and provides a wealth of information about the history and diversity of children's literature.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
After successfully completing all course assignments, you should be able to:
- Answer knowledge-based questions about the history and importance of children's literature.
- Identify criteria for evaluating children's literature.
- Evaluate a wide variety of books available today for children, from newborns to adolescents, according to stated criteria.
- Recognize and describe the artistry in children's books.
- Discuss issues surrounding children's literature.
- Compose essays on various themes related to children's literature.
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COURSE MATERIALS
You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course.
Required Textbook
Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature, 8th ed., by Donna E. Norton and Saundra E. Norton (Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 2011; ISBN-10: 0-13-702875-X).
The course textbook includes a CD-ROM that allows you to find books quickly in a database containing thousands of titles accessible by title, author, reading level, and key words. The software allows you to browse as much or as little of this information as you want; view a complete record of information for any book on a list; search for specific key words (such as names, titles, topics, etc.); print a summary or complete record of all of the books in a list; annotate books of interest with your own user comments; and add your own list of books to the database.
Menus and buttons allow you to proceed with just a few mouse clicks or keystrokes. All of the frequently used commands have shortcut keys that are displayed in the menus for easy reference. Online Help guides you through the more complex commands. An Undo command allows you to undo the most recent actions.
Additional learning resources include the textbook's companion Web site (http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_norton_through_7). A link to this Web site is provided in each study assignment of the course.
Access to Children's Books
Beginning in module 2, each study assignment requires you to select, read, and evaluate 3–6 children's books. It is imperative, therefore, that you determine where you'll find access to the many children's books you'll be required to read and evaluate during the semester. Typically, a local library will provide all the necessary materials.
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COURSE STRUCTURE
Introduction to Children's Literature is a three-credit online course. It consists of eleven study assignment topics grouped into six assignment modules:
| Module |
Module Title |
Study Assignment (SA) Topic(s) |
| 1
|
Response to Literature |
SA 1: The Child Responds to Literature |
| 2 |
History and Evaluation |
SA 2.1: The History of Children's Literature
SA 2.2: Evaluating and Selecting Literature for Children |
| 3 |
Realm of the Artist |
SA 3.1: Artists and Their Illustrations
SA 3.2: Picture Books |
| 4 |
Literary Forms |
SA 4.1: Traditional Literature
SA 4.2: Modern Fantasy and Poetry |
| 5 |
Realistic and Historical Fiction |
SA 5.1: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
SA 5.2: Historical Fiction |
| 6 |
Nonfiction |
SA 6.1: Biographies
SA 6.2: Informational Books |
Each study assignment includes a brief overview, a list of learning objectives, a reading assignment, and one or more chapter self-tests. Writing assignments in each module include essay assignments and book evaluations. The course also requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination.
For the course's assignment modules (study assignments and writing assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)
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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
In addition to posting an introduction to the class in module 1, you are required to participate in five graded online discussion forums, each focusing on contemporary issues in children's literature.
Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
For additional information on online discussions, see the Online Student Handbook in the General Information area of the course Web site.
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WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Introduction to Children's Literature has eleven (11) writing assignments. Six assignments (one per module) consist of essay questions based on your textbook reading; five assignments comprise book evaluations based on the 5–10 books you read for each module.
Grading Criteria
The grading criteria used to evaluate your written work include:
- Correct language mechanics (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etc.).
- Correct essay style (introduction, body, conclusion).
- Specific substantiation to support all claims and ideas—in other words, give specific examples to illustrate your points.
- Effective use of language (words used correctly and appropriately).
- Correct sentence structure and paragraph structure.
- Interesting ideas—there are no anticipated "right" answers; all ideas are valid as long as they are substantiated and clear.
With respect to your evaluations of children's books, you'll be expected to:
- Address specific evaluation criteria drawn from the textbook.
- Comment on development levels (language, cognitive, personality, and social).
- Incorporate specific examples to illustrate the book's appropriateness at a particular level.
- Present a careful assessment.
Preparing and Submitting Assignments
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the
>>View/Complete Assignment
link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click  to turn in the assignment.
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EXAMINATIONS
You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.
Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all reading and assignments from modules 1–3 of the course. The exam consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and a choice of one essay. The multiple-choice and essay questions are taken from the chapter self-tests and essay assignments, respectively. There should be no surprises on this test. It is designed to measure your understanding of the material you have read and studied.
You may take the examination only during the designated midterm exam period, by choosing one of the following two options:
- Online Proctor Option: If you have a webcam with a microphone and a reliable, high-speed Internet connection, you can take the exam online in the convenience of your home. During the first week of the semester, you will select an appointment through the ProctorU scheduling system. Then, on your selected day and time, you will be monitored by a remote proctor who will communicate with you via your video and audio connection. For further information on scheduling and taking an online proctored examination, see Tests & Quizzes > Midterm Examination.
- Pen-and-Paper Option: You may choose your own proctor or take the exam at Thomas Edison State College during midterm exam week. You should schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site). For more information on scheduling a pen-and-paper proctored examination, see the Online Student Handbook in General Information.
If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.
Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored online exam. It is 1½ hours long and covers all reading and assignments from modules 4–6 of the course. The exam consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and an essay question.
The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you at the start of final exam week. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.
Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
- Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
- Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
- Plagiarizing answers.
- Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
- Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
- Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.
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GRADING AND
EVALUATION
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
| Writing Assignments 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 (essays) |
22 percent |
| Writing Assignments 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 (book evaluations) |
18 percent |
| Online Discussions (5) |
10 percent |
| Midterm Examination |
30 percent |
| Final Examination |
20 percent |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.
Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and examinations are based on the following numerical grades:
| A |
= |
93–100 |
C+ |
= |
78–79 |
| A– |
= |
90–92 |
C |
= |
73–77 |
| B+ |
= |
88–89 |
C– |
= |
70–72 |
| B |
= |
83–87 |
D |
= |
60–69 |
| B– |
= |
80–82 |
F |
= |
Below 60 |
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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first
steps:
- Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
- Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook in the General Information area of the course Web site. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
- Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)
- Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
- If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.
Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:
- To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
- Go beyond the required learning activities in this course and to explore the Web links and learning resources provided on the textbook's Web site (http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_norton_through_7). Looking up "children's literature" on any Web browser will bring up long lists of resources. As with print materials, apply caution and the same level of evaluation to any material found on the Web.
- Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.
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