ENGLISH 223 Modern Writing and Critical Thinking - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Explores theories and practices of writing and criticality in academic, civic, and artistic contexts. We consider some of the scripts that organise literate social practices and how to perceive and extrapolate their principles. We explore how we are affected by, how we navigate, and how we transform our immersive world of signs.

Course Overview

This course explores theories and practices of writing and criticality in academic, civic, and artistic contexts. We consider some of the scripts that organise literate social practices and how to perceive and extrapolate their principles. We explore how we are affected by, how we navigate, and how we transform our immersive world of signs. We explore how writing functions in paper and digital environments and how we construe and read literary and non-literary texts for different purposes. We’ll engage critically with your writing and reading practices and we will also practice creative alternatives for recoding what we encounter. This is a critical skills class as well as an opportunity to study new writings and modes.

Readings are from multiple nations and regions: Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada, China, Japan, Oceania, Russia, Sweden, the UK, the US and transnational identities and border sites. Our critical thinking blends Euro and Anglo-American-Australasian modes with Oceania epistemology and digital knowing. We are studying the “trans” (transgenre, translingual, transplace) of writing: “liquid writing” that flows among identities, genres, codes, & places.

This course will help you understand how writing and critical thinking creates and records individuals and societies; articulate underlying assumptions about writing, mind, and identity in textual practices; perceive how texts reproduce and/or swerve dominant discourses; perceive how becoming literate and making texts means more than acquiring a set of linguistic, technical, and genre skills; situate literary texts in other and wider fields of discourse; reflect on what being an active, critically aware writer and reader means for you as an individual, a collaborative maker, and a member of social groups.

The course platform blends Stage 3 and Stage 2 learning. Lectures, of the modular and interactive kind, will typically be our focus in Hour 1. We will examine the differing assumptions, techniques, contexts, and implications of the assigned readings. Hour 2 will typically include group work that responds to the considerations of the first hour as well as to other aspects of the readings and assignments. ENGL 305 students will remain for their tutorial, after a break. ENGL 223 students will attend a separate tutorial.

You co-create and participate in the learning environment and skills practice indicated in the Course description above. To prepare for class, read the assigned texts and compose any assigned writing beforehand. In class, be prepared to volunteer questions and responses and to be called on to do so. Be ready to work with peers in groups and to report back to the class about that group work. Be ready for in-class writing activities.

Attendance is requisite, to foster the ideas and questions we will consider and generate in relation to our learning. If you are not present, you are not part of this co-creation of the class environment. If you are present, you will have a stronger chance of success with class materials. You are permitted, however, one week of unexplained absence, because life sometimes interferes with our plans. Otherwise, if you miss class let me know what’s making it difficult for you to be present. In terms of attendance, for illness and similar emergencies you will need official documentation of the circumstances in order to have an excused absence.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in English Restriction: ENGLISH 305

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Be able to define, contextualize and address questions or problems through multi-disciplinary and multi-media examination of creative materials, expository materials, and critical responses. (Capability 1.3)
Be able to construct reasoned, reflexive arguments and interpretations using valid evidence, close examination of text, and dialogue with peers. (Capability 2.3)
Be able to interact and collaborate with other class individuals and also with peer evaluation groups to accomplish tasks from discussion groups to essay feedback. (Capability 4.2 and 4.3)
Capable of intellectual flexibility, self-assessment and self-directed learning. (Capability 5.2)
Recognise the cultural, linguistic, and historical diversity and global connectedness of creative action and critical discourses. (Capability 6.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Participation	15%	Individual Coursework
Mid Term test	15%	Individual Test
Critical Essay	40%	Individual Coursework
Cumulative test	30%	Individual Test
4 types	100%

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 5 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2022.

Lectures, of the modular and interactive kind, will typically be our focus in Hour 1. We will examine the differing assumptions, techniques, contexts, and implications of the assigned readings. Hour 2 will typically include group work that responds to the considerations of the first hour as well as to other aspects of the readings and assignments. ENGL 305 students will remain for their tutorial, after a break. ENGL 223 students will attend a separate tutorial.

You co-create and participate in the learning environment and skills practice indicated in the Course description above. To prepare for class, read the assigned texts and compose any assigned writing beforehand. In class, be prepared to volunteer questions and responses and to be called on to do so. Be ready to work with peers in groups and to report back to the class about that group work. Be ready for in-class writing activities.

Attendance is requisite, to foster the ideas and questions we will consider and generate in relation to our learning. If you are not present, you are not part of this co-creation of the class environment. If you are present, you will have a stronger chance of success with class materials. You are permitted, however, one week of unexplained absence, because life sometimes interferes with our plans. Otherwise, if you miss class let me know what’s making it difficult for you to be present. In terms of attendance, for illness and similar emergencies you will need official documentation of the circumstances in order to have an excused absence.

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will usually not be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events if online learning is implemented.
Attendance on campus is required for the test if we are not in online learning.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

ENGLISH 223 : Modern Writing and Critical Thinking

Arts

2022 Semester One (1223) (15 POINTS)