2030

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Syllabus Contents

• Text and Materials
• Course Description
• Course Requirements
• Late Work
• Essay Grading
• University Writing Center

Questions and Comments

The Experience of Literature

Online English 2030 Syllabus
Summer 2011--Engl 2030-D01 and D03

Instructor: Dr. Maria A. Clayton

PH 329 (MTSU Box 70)

898-2585 (office); Fax 898-5098
491-8170 (cell)
849-8369 (home; no calls after 10:00 p.m.--thanks!)

e-mail address: mclayton@mtsu.edu

I will check D2L email messages at least twice a day, but as a rule, I will not respond to student emails over the weekend. I am also available by phone during telephone office hours (see below), or you may leave a message which I will respond to as soon as possible. I would ask that if serious issues arise, you address them over the phone or in an office visit to avoid the lapses in communication that are sometimes email-generated, particularly during compressed summer terms.

Telephone Office Hours: MTWTh 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (you will have a better chance of trying to reach me at home). Be sure to let me know if you want to schedule a face-to-face office visit so that your trip to campus is not wasted. I am also available via telephone from home at other times; remember that the telephone is a form of technology. :)

I invite you to peruse the About the Instructor .

About Distance Learning: A brief comment about reasonable expectations regarding instructor response time to homework, essays, and tests: as a rule, I will respond to homework within two days (not counting weekends); for exams and essays, you should allow at least a week to receive your grade. Often I will provide faster turn around time, but that will be a luxury not a reasonable expectation. If you need feedback on a rough draft of your Formal Essay before its due date, you need to submit it in a timely manner (at least two to three days before the due date--See Schedule) in order to allow me a reasonable amount of time to respond. For example, if you submit a rough draft after "normal working hours" on a Friday, you cannot expect feedback first thing Monday morning. Online formats allow you the flexibility to submit your work at times convenient to your schedule (within the deadlines); however, they do not imply your professor is "on call" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Note: Students with disabilities that may require assistance or who have questions related to any accommodations for testing, note takers, readers, etc., must inform the instructor and provide certification form the Office of Disabled Student Services (898-2783), so arrangements can be made as soon as possible to accommodate their difficulties.

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Required Texts and Materials:

• Roberts, Edgar V. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 10th ed. Boston: Longman, 2012. While I prefer that you use the 10th, and while all the page numbers are geared to that text, the 9th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2009, will also be OK to use--as long as you're willing to look up the stories' page numbers in the index. Do not use an older edition than the 9th nor rely on the internet for the reading--you need to purchase the ONE required text.
• Print out a copy of the Sophomore Standards for important information necessary for writing your formal essays; pay particular attention to the section titled Standards for Evaluating Written work in Sophomore Literature Courses. I also strongly suggest you print out the Course Content, Syllabus, and Schedule for easy reference.
• Internet and email access: We will use the D2L  email located in the Communication Area of the website. This will allow you to separate your academic from your personal email. You will need to check your D2L email messages and website Announcements daily and remember that, as a rule, I do not respond to student email over the weekends. 

• Additional Suggested Texts: Glenn, Cheryl, et al., eds. Hodge's Harbrace Handbook. 17th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage, 2010.

 Syllabus Menu

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Course Description:

The primary objective of this course of study is the understanding and appreciation of literature gained from active and critical reading and writing; therefore, there is a heavy emphasis on writing--weekly homework assignments, take-home essay components in each of the three unit examinations, a formal essay on the short fiction unit, and discussion group participation (note there are two types of essays; don't get them confused). As our text suggests, "writing is a major mode of thinking. . . an essential reinforcement of reading" (xliii). You will also acquire a basic knowledge of the literary types within the three major genres--fiction, poetry, drama--and of techniques inherent in each. Students will also discover how literature can help in analyzing and understanding the human experience. To this end, we will strive to make thematic connections across time, cultures, and literary genres. What issues are important to us as citizens of the world? How has our perspective of these issues changed or remained constant across time and across cultures? 

Because the method of delivery used is the Internet, through D2L, successful completion of Online English 2030 places a heavy emphasis on student commitment and responsibility. There are no class meetings. The lack of traditional contact is replaced by the use of the Orientation Exercise, Discussion Boards, optional Virtual Chats, and email. If questions arise over any issues--the readings, terminology, essay topics, format, etc.--feel free to post an inquiry on the FAQ Discussion Board or email me, and I will clarify as soon as possible. Be advised that if I think others in the group would benefit from the information in an email message, I will forward the query to them. You are all invited to respond or add to any informal discussion you see on any Discussion Board or email.

Syllabus Menu

Course Requirements:

In general, as a student in this course, you will complete several homework submissions assigned from the Study Sheets, participate in assigned Discussion Boards for each unit, and join the optional Virtual Chats when possible. You will also take part in examinations (objective & short, "take-home" essays) at the end of each of three major units covered in the course and write a formal, critical essay at the end of the first unit. All required components of the course must be completed in order for the student to have the opportunity to pass the course. All required components of the course, with the exception of one portion of the Small Group DBs (see Discussion Board below), may be completed as early as you wish. For detailed instructions on the use of email, discussion boards, and virtual chats refer to the D2L Intro.

Note: Active participation in the course is mandatory; this means accessing the course several times a week. Failure to log on to the course for periods longer than one week will indicate you are no longer interested in completing the course and will be reported as the last date attended.

Orientation Exercise and Quiz

The orientation includes a four-part Orientation Exercise (10-15 minutes each), followed by an Orientation Quiz (up to 50 points). You will automatically be given access to vital course materials (syllabus, schedule, lessons, etc.) with a score of 40 (80%) or better on the quiz. This implies that without participating successfully in this first assignment, you will not be able to continue in the course. You may take it as many times as you need to achieve the min. score of 40. All necessary links for this assignment can be found in Contents, Week 1.

Announcements

You will want to get in the habit of checking the Announcements on the website regularly, preferably daily. I will use the announcements for reminders, clarifications, changes, updates. They can be found on your course's homepage, with the most current announcement listed first.

Homework, Discussion Boards, and Virtual Chats

Although each Lesson offers a Study Sheet, you will not be asked to submit all of them for homework credit. As assigned [see schedule], you will either respond for HW credit to one of the topics listed on the assigned Study Sheet (min. 200-400 words on your choice among 4 topics) or be asked to participate in a Discussion Board on an assigned topic listed under the Week it is assigned (200 words); see the corresponding Week in D2L Content.

The Study Sheets used for the homework assignments are intended to help you review the material, so you should pay attention to them whether or not you have been asked to respond to a particular prompt for your homework submission. Do take advantage of the Mini-lectures offered in each Lesson; they are short, audio elaborations of each Lesson's contents only about 5-7 minutes long.

HW responses may earn up to 20 points, are submitted through the corresponding Drop Box on the Week it is assigned, and must bear an appropriate file name (HW2Smith, HW5Smith); HW need not be in MLA format but are submitted as attachments in the corresponding Drop Box so that I can comment on them. When you see that you have feedback left, be sure to read it so that you can capitalize on the strengths and avoid the weaknesses for future submissions.

Other homework points will be earned during the semester by completing miscellaneous assignments, such as your individual Homepage. In addition, you may earn up to 50 points in the Orientation Quiz and in the MLA Quiz [see Content and the specific Week in which each is assigned].

You will participate in two class Discussion Boards for Unit I and Unit II. There are two levels for this assignment--Small Group DB and Main DB. All the topics are already posted in the specific Week for each, and when their due date comes up,  you will first join your Small Group of four/five classmates in the appropriate Unit's Small Group DB to share ideas about the topic. Each member must participate at this level by the deadline indicated on the schedule in order to receive up to 50 points credit (25 points for initial 200 word input and 25 points for a minimum of two responses to peers' initial input) and meet this requirement of the course; I will check closely for serious participation. If you do not participate at the small group level, meeting the deadlines and all specific requirements posted on the DB's, you will not receive any credit.

As a group, you will come to some consensus about what the insights shared should be, even adding points of disagreement, if needed. Then, each group will select a representative (a different member each time), and have the group rep post to the Unit's Main DB by the deadline listed on the schedule. Small group reps earn 5 extra credit points for submitting. I will offer feedback at this level. Detailed instructions and reminders about these procedures are offered in each unit's DB topics [see the specific Week in Content].

NOTE: to earn the maximum number of points, you must 1) address all three points presented in the topic in a carefully thought out response (200 words) and 2) "dialogue" at least twice with your group members, offering insights/comments on their ideas. You must be sure all your input is thoughtful, thorough, and substantive. 

A second type of DB participation--on-going throughout the whole semester--is the Thematic Commentaries DB--very important for our goals this semester. A total of 50 points are possible for each of you (5 points per each of 10 posts). To earn full credit, you are required to comment on the thematic commentary on at least ten pieces you will read for the course. We will read 18 short stories, 28 poems, and 3 dramas, so pace yourself. For example, you will want to complete at least 3-4 posts each in Units I and II and the remaining in Unit III; what you don't want to do is save most for Unit III; this defeats the purpose of the assignment, which is to share insights with your classmates in a timely, useful manner. Postings after the deadlines set for each receive no credit--check the schedule. The gradebook will be updated as we go along. Be sure to read the post I've offered for each theme before you compose your response.

All discussion boards, Small Group, Main, Thematic Commentaries, are accessed through the specific Week in which they are assigned and are clearly labeled. Do not use attachments in the Discussion Boards.

Virtual chats will be held prior to each unit's exams & formal essays to offer an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about how to prepare, about requirements, etc. These will be optional, but recommended; if you are not able to participate, you will want to view the archives (records) of the chat, once they are made available. Participation in at least one VC earns a one-time 5 extra credit points. The links to the Virtual Chat can be found in the corresponding Week in which each is scheduled. The "archives" can be accessed through the 'clock' icon to the right of the listing of VC's.

In brief:

1. Read the assigned Lesson and specified pages from Literature.
2. Use the Study Sheet for review, paying attention to the terms listed (make a list of them for review purposes).
3. OR (if assigned) by the deadline indicated on the schedule, select and respond to one of the prompts offered in the corresponding Lesson's Study Sheet (200-400 words), up to 20 points.
4. OR (if assigned) by the deadline indicated on the schedule participate in the Small Group DB (200 words min. & respond to at least two peers), up to 50  points. Small group reps earn 5 points of extra credit for posting to the unit's Main DB's by the deadline. Discussion Board assignments will earn zero credit if submitted late.
5. Participate in the "Thematic Commentaries" DB throughout the semester, up to 50 points (5 each for 10 posts).
6. HW written from the Lessons and all essays must be named with the assignment name and your last name, for example: HW2Smith, Essay1finalSmith, Essay3roughSmith.
7. Use the Drop Box links in the corresponding Week in which each assignment is due.
8. Do not use attachments in the DB forums (causes an extra step for all of us in reading your ideas!).

Self-Study Quizzes

There are several quizzes [see corresponding Week] available for review purposes and for help in preparation for the exams. They are another of the aides I've provided for you, like the sample formal essays, the detailed guidelines, the link to the sophomore standards, etc., to help you be as successful as possible in the course [see Study Tools]. Whether you use them or not is up to you, but I recommend them highly. The quizzes will be scored by the system and included as a listing in the grade book, but they will not be averaged into your final grade. You may take these as many times as you wish/need. Just for information purposes, I will check to see who's been participating; this usually gives me a good clue as to who will be best prepared for the exams. You will find the quizzes available on the website through through Content, then, the Week in which they are assigned.

Exams

You will take part in three Unit Exams, one each at the end of the fiction, poetry, and drama units. Each will include objective sections which will test your knowledge of the terminology and its application to the specific pieces you have been assigned to read; particular emphasis is placed on the themes discussed in the pieces, often asking you to comment on thematic links among them. There will also be a "take-home" essay component where you will be asked to respond to two choices from several based on the specific literature listed in the Lessons and submitted through the Drop Box in the corresponding Week each is assigned.  Exams may be taken as early as you wish but by the deadline listed on the schedule. 

If you access the Exams' Objective portions from Content, you will have a better chance of not getting confused. Be careful if you access it from Quizzes at the top of your screen; those links will take to the list of all quizzes and objective portions, and you might accidentally click on the wrong item. Be careful. While the self-study quizzes may be taken as many times as you wish, the exams Objective portions will allow you access only once. 

More information about each unit's exam and how you might prepare for them is available in the Study Tools area in Contents. Be sure both components are completed before midnight on the deadline.

Formal Essay

One formal essay, 700-900 words and based on essay topics provided, will be written at the end of the fiction unit and submitted through the Drop Box in the corresponding Week the assignment is due. Prior to the due date, we will conduct a virtual chat to answer questions or help in any way necessary. Refer to the detailed guidelines and the MLA Documentation PP, Works Cited Formatting, and MLA Document Formatting before you begin asking questions. It is your responsibility to follow the guidelines to the letter--failure to do so will affect your grade.

You have the option to submit a rough draft for feedback through the Unit I Formal Essay Drop Box. I will return your RD w/my comments the same way. The final draft, showing significant changes, will be submitted through the same Drop Box, observing MLA format (see the Sample Essays available in Study Tools), and bearing a file name that reflects the assignment and your name (Essay1roughSmith, Essay1finalSmith). 

Whether you receive feedback or not, both, your final and rough drafts, must be in my hands by the due date to avoid any penalties. You have until midnight on the due date. You may also fax: both at 898-5098, but notify me of your decision to select this alternate method. Your formal essay and rough draft may be turned in early. As a rule, I comment and grade the formal essay in hard copy and return to you via snail mail . . . this is an eye-saving measure on my part! I will be asking for your current mailing address early in the course.

NOTE: Let me offer a clarification here about the the differences between the exam take-home essays and the formal essay. You may get feedback ahead of time on the formal essay rough draft, but not on the take-homes. You will need a full rough draft for the formal essay, but not for the take-homes. You will use MLA formatting for the formal essay, including citations and a Work Cited page (see guidelines), but you need neither for the take-homes. The lack of MLA formatting, however, does not eliminate the need for a clear presentation in the take-homes, one that is organized, well supported, focused on the topic, etc. Hope this helps you keep them distinct in your mind.

Syllabus Menu Guidelines

Essay Grading:

(1) a clear statement, usually in the introductory paragraph, of the essay's central purpose or thesis;
(2) adequate development of the thesis by using numerous examples and by citing several quotations directly from the text;
(3) an organized, logical, and coherent development of the essay's thesis and the smooth integration of quotations into the fabric of the student's own words and ideas;
(4) the effective construction of sentences and paragraphs, and the careful selection of words and phrases appropriate to the topic and the tone of the essay;
(5) a freedom from errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and in the mechanics of citing quotations correctly.

A serious weakness in any one of the five areas or a minor weakness in two of the areas will limit the essay to a grade no higher than a D. Serious weaknesses in two areas or minor weaknesses in three areas will result in a failing grade. The grade of A or B will be given to work that displays the above criteria in prose that is thoughtfully conceived, stylistically vigorous, and forcefully expressed. Strict adherence to the detailed guidelines provided with the essay topics will improve the chances of success.

It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with all requirements. Failure to do so may render the paper unacceptable, cause it to be returned ungraded for re-submission and, therefore, suffer late penalties.

One word about plagiarism, the use of someone else's exact wording or ideas without proper acknowledgement to the source--clear attributions, quotation marks (when needed), citations, and Works Cited entries--will not be tolerated and could result in a failing grade on the individual assignment, on the course, or worse, expulsion from the University, depending on the severity of the offense. All cases of suspected plagiarism are turned in to the Dean of Judicial Affairs with the supporting materials. Be aware that search engines such as <www. google.com> benefit the instructor as well as the student in the speedy locating of essays written on specific topics. Don't get caught in this trap. See MLA Documentation PP.