Syllabus for LIT-291-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

From the formal cadences of a Shakespearean sonnet to the echoes of everyday speech in the poems of Nikki Giovanni, literature records our purest emotions and our keenest observations. Literature both reflects and shapes our view of the world, spanning many cultures, time periods, and levels of learning. Students can embrace the great richness and diversity of literature through Analysis and Interpretation of Literature. This course incorporates both contemporary and traditional works in its selection of literary texts. It also places a strong emphasis on writing about literature, allowing you both to refine compositional techniques and to apply advanced literary analysis.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing Analysis and Interpretation of Literature, you should be able to:

• Apply essential literary terminology, including terms such as character, irony, point of view, symbol, tone, and theme.



• Assess the ways that language, literature, and written expression bring meaning, understanding, and order to experience.



• Interpret and analyze works of literature in terms of elements such as theme, imagery, setting, use of language, and character development.



• Compare and contrast themes in different works of literature.



• Compare the ways that different genres express meaning differently and draw conclusions about effective literary expression.

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COURSE MATERIALS

Required Textbooks

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course.

• Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 9th ed., by Edgar V. Roberts (NY: Pearson/Longman, 2009).
  
  ISBN-13: 978-0-13-604099-6

• Study Guide: Literary Visions, 9th ed., by Elizabeth Penfield; revised by Jose Flores (NY: Pearson/Longman, 2009).
  
  ISBN-13: 978-0-13-604101-6

Video Programs

• Literary Visions, 24 half-hour programs produced by the Instructional Telecommunications Consortium.

Note: The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Each reading and viewing assignment includes the necessary links for accessing the video stream.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Analysis and Interpretation of Literature is a three-credit online course based on the telecourse Literary Visions. It consists of five modules.

The course requires you to complete five written assignments, take a proctored midterm examination, and take an unproctored online examination. You are also required to participate in five graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum during the first week of the semester.

For the course's assignment modules and detailed week-by-week assignment schedule (reading and viewing assignments, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, Analysis and Interpretation of Literature requires you to participate in five graded class discussions.

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 posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and ideas as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions 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.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Analysis and Interpretation of Literature has five (5) written assignments. For the assignment topics and questions, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

The written assignments are the primary means for you to express yourself verbally, controlling content and meaning. Due dates for each assignment are listed in the course Calendar.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each reading assignment. Also, be sure you read the Writing Activities section of each lesson. It provides general guidance and will help you complete your assignments. In preparation for the examination, you may wish to outline answers to writing activities not assigned in the syllabus. Do not, however, send these additional writing activities to your mentor. Only the questions within the Assignment Modules section of this syllabus are required and should be sent to your mentor.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed. Formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines (see also Basic Documentation Rules).

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 submit your assignment file.

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EXAMINATIONS

You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination.

Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all reading and assignments from Modules 1 and 2 of the course, along with Unit 3.1 through Study Guide Lesson 13. The test is made up of identification items, essay questions, and analyses of literary works.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation during the first week of the semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

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.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored exam. It is two hours long and covers material from Study Guide Lesson 14 onward (parts of Module 3 and all of Modules 4 and 5). The test is made up of identification items, essay questions, and analyses of literary works.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the beginning of the final week of the semester. 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.

Sample Examination
You will find a sample online examination in the Tests & Quizzes area of this course site. Use this sample exam to familiarize yourself with the online testing setting and format before you take your online exam. Keep in mind the following potential differences between the sample exam and your online exam:

• The content of your exam will match the content of your course; the sample exam has some generic questions on art history, world history, and environmental science.
• Your exam is likely to include only one type or at most several types of questions (such as multiple choice or essays). The sample exam includes all the types that you might encounter in an online assessment at Thomas Edison State College.
• You will be able to enter and take your exam just once—once you have entered the exam you must complete it. The sample exam may be taken as often as you like.
• There will be a penalty for exceeding the time limit in your actual midterm and final exams (see the "Statement about Cheating" below), whereas there is no corresponding penalty with this sample 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:

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

Note: 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, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. 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.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule your midterm exam and arrange for a proctor, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. 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.)



4. 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.



5. 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:

1. 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 your 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.



2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.



3. The Study Guide is the basis for the course. It will guide you through the reading and the viewing. Each lesson follows essentially the same format. It is crucial that you follow the steps outlined in the Lesson Assignment section of each Study Guide lesson.



4. From time to time you will be assigned readings from Appendix A in the Study Guide. Please note that the page numbers given in the guide are wrong. Just go to Appendix A to find the appropriate reading.

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