ENGLISH 252 : Creative Writing: Four Genres

Arts

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Develops practical skills in four writing genres: Poetry, Multimedia, Creative Non-Fiction and Short Fiction. A range of published models will be studied alongside write and workshop exercises; and students will develop close-reading skills. Two portfolios of creative work cover all four genres, based on work begun in seminars.

Course Overview

This is an intensive and challenging course for students interested in developing skills in four genres – Poetry, Multimedia, Creative Non-Fiction and Short Fiction. Our focus is on language and form, and on learning (and demonstrating) imaginative and technical skills in all four genres. Students should have some knowledge of literary terms before beginning this course as well as confidence in writing in English.
 
The course has a unique structure that reflects its subject and an integrated approach to learning: we have weekly seminars (rather than lectures), which include craft instruction, close reading of set texts and writing exercises, and weekly writing homework. For five weeks of the semester, the seminars are three hours long. For the other seven weeks, we have two-hour seminars and a one-hour mandatory workshop held on a different day. In workshops creative work begin in the seminars and submitted as writing homework is discussed and reviewed. This work forms the basis of the two assessed portfolios, which cover all four genres.

In 2025 the workshops will take place in Weeks 3 and 4 (Poetry); Week 5 (Multimedia); Weeks 8 and 9 (Creative Nonfiction); and Weeks 10 and 11 (Fiction).

Both reading and writing skills are assessed throughout the course – through reading quizzes, course book notations, writing exercises and portfolios of revisions. The role of the course within the English major is to enhance both writing and reading skills, to encourage experimentation with form and language, and to introduce students to a range of contemporary work by writers from Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pacific and around the world.

Our course is informed by principles of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, sharing experiences and obligations. Peer review is a part of every workshop and students keep a Writer’s Workbook of notes (from texts and seminars), exercises, notes, research and ideas.


Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 45 points passed including 30 points in English Restriction: ENGLISH 255, 324

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop and demonstrate imaginative and technical skills as writers. (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
  2. Understand and apply a range of forms, styles and issues relating to contemporary creative forms. (Capability 1 and 2)
  3. Develop and demonstrate skills in close textual analysis of the craft elements of published work. (Capability 1, 2 and 4)
  4. Develop and demonstrate skills in verbal and written evaluations of peer manuscripts. (Capability 1, 2 and 4)
  5. Learn and apply enhanced technical skills to the development and revision of creative work. (Capability 1, 3 and 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Seminars: engaged participation; reading and writing tasks. 15% Individual Coursework
Workshops: engaged participation; material submission 10.5% Individual Coursework
Reading Quizzes 18% Individual Test
Writing Homework 8% Individual Coursework
Portfolio One: Poetry and Multimedia 24% Individual Coursework
Portfolio Two: Creative Nonfiction and Fiction 24.5% Individual Coursework

All elements must be undertaken in order to pass the course; both portfolios must be submitted with all required components. If students have unexcused absences from five or more seminars and/or three or more workshops, they may not be permitted to submit the second portfolio. If students do not submit the first portfolio, they will not be permitted to submit the second.

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course is based on cumulative learning and assessment, which is why weekly attendance and the completion of weekly writing homework assignments are essential. The course has seminars and workshops, not lectures and tutorials: no class is recorded. Close readings in seminars are discussions, not lectures.


Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week on related work.

For this course, you can expect three hours of class (seminar and workshop); three hours of reading set texts and preparing for quizzes and seminars; and four hours of work on writing homework and revisions.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required (and taken) at scheduled activities including seminars and workshops to receive credit for components of the course. 

Given the nature of engaged seminars with students, classes are not available as recordings. Other learning activities including workshops will not be available as recordings.

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.

A printed coursebook will be available for sale from UBIQ, to be brought to every seminar (including Week One). Marking-up texts in the coursebook is part of the programme, and will be checked in every class, forming part of the Seminars/Workshop grade component. We will also recommend additional reading (books, essays, etc) via Talis. Some recommended books will be available through short-term loan at the library.

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.

Based on feedback from students this year, the quantity of weekly reading will remain the same, and there will be no changes to the frequency of reading quizzes and writing homework.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

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.

Sometimes we need strategies to help with the demands of a course like this, including issues around timed writing, quizzes, note-taking and workload. We can work with you to develop a personalised learning strategy. Students should contact us as soon as possible with 
any concerns, additional support needs or medical issues. Use of laptops/phones is not permitted in class without support information. Please contact the course convenors directly if you seek an exemption.

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 your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, 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 you may be asked to submit your 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. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 24/10/2024 07:41 a.m.