Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NIL
Unit rationale, description and aim
Professionals working in literary studies and creative writing need to appreciate and be able to explain the place of Asian literature in the contemporary field of global literature. In this unit you will apply your conceptual knowledge of literature, genre and cultural context to describing and analysing contemporary Asian literary traditions and products. This unit involves the completion of a special project that integrates academic learning, employability skills and attributes and an improved knowledge of organisations, workplace culture and career pathways in the cultural and educational industries. The project comprises working as interns at the Singapore Writers Festival, attending a guest lecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS) delivered by specialists in South East Asian Literature, and participating in a workshop with senior English students from South East Asia on the role of literature in generating cross-cultural understanding. The aim of this unit is to develop students’ capacity to identify and interpret the significant preoccupations of Asian literature and enhance their employability skills.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Demonstrate an independent approach to learning in relation to theoretical approaches and textual knowledge of contemporary Asian literature (GA7, GA10)
LO2 - Communicate clearly in written form, in a style appropriate to a specified audience (GA5, GA9)
LO3 - Work collegially to complete a range of activities as a member of a team (GA1, GA5, GA6, GA7, GA9, GA10)
LO4 - Apply knowledge, skills and methods of literary studies to complete a relevant research project in contemporary Asian literature (GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9)
LO5 - Reflect on the process and output of a research project/placement experience to articulate their academic and career development learning (GA4, GA5, GA9).
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
Content
The unit will be structured in three parts:
Part One: Pre-internship preparation
Part Two: The Singapore Experience: Internship and Cultural Immersion
Part Three: Research Project and Reflections on the Learning Experience
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will run in intensive mode with mixed mode classes using Webinars and full attendance required in Singapore. Prior to travel to Singapore, students will engage in exercises, discussions and readings to ensure they are fully prepared for their internship experience. This will include induction into the internship and expectations in relation to travel to Singapore as well as developing an understanding of contemporary Asian writing.
In Singapore, the unit includes an internship, a workshop with senior English students from South East Asia, and a guest lecture on Asian writing at the National University of Singapore or equivalent. Students will benefit from an immersive, intercultural learning combined with professional experience.
The final part of the unit requires students to write up their research and to reflect on their learning experiences. This final part of the unit will emphasise clear writing and research as key skills in developing well-argued and evidence-based analyses, and will focus on reflective learning practices.
Assessment strategy and rationale
This placement component of this unit (part 2) will be assessed by a pass/fail grade and students must complete the requirements of this component to gain a pass for this hurdle.
The assessment tasks for this unit will be graded and have been designed to assess students’ developing skills and knowledge over the course of the unit.
The research task requires students to demonstrate their ability to locate and synthesise scholarly arguments with their own ideas and to make insightful conclusions about contemporary Asian literature.
The reflection task requires students to reflect on their experience and what they have learned through the unit on the role of literature in generating cross-cultural understanding.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Hurdle requirement Students must be vaccinated as required and have medical clearance to travel outside of Australia. | nil | nil | nil |
Hurdle Requirement Satisfactory completion of internship and learning activities in Singapore. | Pass/Fail | LO1, LO3 | GA1, GA6, GA7, GA10 |
Research task This task requires students to demonstrate an understanding of key debates and issues in contemporary Asian writing. | 50% | LO2, LO4 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
Reflection Task Students will write a 1,500 word report reflecting on their learning experience on the role of literature in generating cross-cultural understanding and relating it to both their experience in Singapore and literary studies. | 50% | LO2, LO5 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA9 |
Representative texts and references
Brians, Paul. Modern South Asian Literature in English. Greenwood Press, 2003.
Daniel, Ryan, and Daniel, Leah. "Enhancing the Transition from Study to Work: Reflections on the Value and Impact of Internships in the Creative and Performing Arts." Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 12, no. 2-3 (2013): 138-53.
Kramer-Simpson, Elisabeth. "Moving from Student to Professional: Industry Mentors and Academic Internship Coordinators Supporting Intern Learning in the Workplace." Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 48, no. 1 (2018): 81-103.
Miller, Barbara Stoler (ed). Masterworks of Asian Literature in Comparative Perspective: A Guide for Teaching. Routledge, 2016.
Pollock, Sheldon. Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia. University of California Press, 2003.
Sadana, Rashmi. English Heart, Hindi Heartland: The Political Life of Literature in India. University of California Press, 2012.
Sankaran, Chitra, and Leong, Liew Geok (eds). Complicities: Connections and Divisions: Perspectives on Literatures and Cultures of the Asia-Pacific Region, Bern: Peter Lang, 2003.