Unit rationale, description and aim
Reading, describing and interpreting literary texts and genres are each central to the work undertaken by professionals working in literary fields such as writing, publishing, teaching and research. In this unit you will learn to identify and explain how genre and form influence meaning in a range of literary texts including poems, shorts stories, novels and drama and use key formal and stylistic concepts and terms that identify and define a range of literary genres. Through the process of reading and responding to literary texts, students will also have opportunities to question and critically discuss different forms of books and writing both in classes and in assessment tasks. Additionally, students will learn basic research and writing skills to identify, access and properly incorporate scholarly material relevant to literary analysis. This unit aims to provide foundational knowledge and skills in reading, categorising and interpreting texts of different genres and supports the development of basic analytic methods critical to understanding and communicating about literary texts.
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.
Describe key features of literary forms and genres...
Learning Outcome 01
Communicate clearly in written and/or oral form
Learning Outcome 02
Locate, use and appropriately reference a variety ...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply critical reading skills to enhance your unde...
Learning Outcome 04
Identify and reflect on debates within literary st...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- literary forms such as poems, short stories novels and drama
- literary genres and the idea of classification
- tools and terms used in literary analysis
- approaches and debates in literary analysis
- literary research and definitions of ‘literature’
- post-colonialism, race, diaspora, indigeneity, nationalism and multiculturalism, as influences upon categories such as ‘literature’ and ‘literary debates’ and on the development of literary genres.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.
Assessment task one will be timed no later than mid-teaching period and will be a low risk, relatively lightly weighted reading-related task/s to assess student achievement of LO1 and is designed to be both diagnostic (since this is an introductory unit) and primarily formative. The second task requires students to demonstrate their ability to synthesise scholarly arguments with their own ideas to make insightful conclusions about a selection of texts. The final task is summative and requires students to build on skills developed in assessments one and two to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the textual and theoretical knowledge they have acquired in this unit by interpreting texts in terms of form and genre.
Overview of assessments
Short answer /Quiz Task This task requires stud...
Short answer /Quiz Task
This task requires students to demonstrate knowledge of literary terms and their application.
20%
Research Essay This task requires students to ap...
Research Essay
This task requires students to apply basic terms of literary analysis while also using scholarly research material to support a structured and coherent argument.
40%
Summative Task/Exam This exercise tests knowledg...
Summative Task/Exam
This exercise tests knowledge of literary terms and approaches. It requires an ability to analyse forms and genres.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will use exercises, discussions and formal assignments to encourage a questioning approach to literature. Students will have the opportunity to explore literary forms and genres and will investigate literary terms, the various genres of literature and strategies for developing insightful interpretations. By establishing definitions for literary terms and approaches and then questioning these definitions, students will come to understand that critical questioning is a crucial part of the discipline. Finally, the unit will emphasise clear writing and research skills as key skills in developing well-argued and evidence-based analyses.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the teaching period. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy.
The unit is hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS) site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences.
Mode of delivery: This unit may be offered in different modes, as described below.
On Campus
Most learning activities or classes are delivered at a scheduled time, on campus, to enable in-person interactions. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
Multi-mode
Learning activities are delivered through a planned mix of online and in-person classes, which may include full-day sessions, to enable interaction. Activities that require attendance will appear in a student’s timetable.
Online unscheduled
Learning activities are accessible anytime, anywhere. These units are normally delivered fully online and will not appear in a student’s timetable.
Online scheduled
All learning activities are held online, at scheduled times, and will require some attendance to enable online interaction. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
ACU Online
In ACU Online mode, this unit is delivered asynchronously, fully online using an active, guided learning approach. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress