Introducing Literature 1 (Credit Plus) (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No prior knowledge required, although reading of the set texts is essential.

Content of Course

1. Essay titles given out. Study skills introduction and time management. Reading: close and skim. Introductory lecture. Brainstorming: How to analyse a novel? Extracts from novels.

2. Mind-maps and note-taking. Lecture. Great Expectations.

3. Writing a literature essay I: Preparation, planning, and writing. Great Expectations.

4. Writing a literature essay II: Presentation, bibliography and using Turnitin. Great Expectations.

5. Library visit: finding secondary source material for the essays. Poetry. Introductory lecture. Brainstorming: How to study poetry? Sonnets.

6. Submit practice essay . Review close reading: Poetry. Scottish Poetry.

7. Practice essay returned. Review practice essay. World War I Poetry.

8. Practice practical criticism: Drama. The Importance of Being Earnest. Lecture. Brainstorming: How to study drama?

9. Essay plan due. Practice practical criticism: Prose. The Importance of Being Earnest.

10. Essay plan returned.  Essay planning workshop. The Importance of Being Earnest.

Please note that the timetable is subject to change.

Teaching method(s)

Teaching methods will include a mix of lecture and seminar style teaching with small group work and discussion time.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired:

• The skill to read texts with perception;

• The language necessary to ease that understanding;

• A broad picture of nineteenth-century literature;

• The ability to express their understanding both orally and in writing;

• They will also have developed skills for independent learning, including reading texts critically; taking notes; and planning and writing essays.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Dickens, Charles., 1994 Great Expectations, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

• Wilde, Oscar., 2008. The Importance of Being Earnest in The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays, Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics.

Study Skills:

• Northedge, Andrew. 2005. The Good Study Guide (New Edition) Milton Keynes: The Open University.

Background reading:

• Alexander, Michael. A History of English Literature, London and Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Class Handouts

Poetry will be provided in class. Selected extracts from related texts, exemplar materials etc will be given on a weekly basis.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.