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ENGL 2320 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

ENGL 2320 - Modern World Literature

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

Reading representative and significant works of world literature from 1650 to the present, including literature from the rich traditions of Africa and Asia; discussion of the literature within its social and historical context. 

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  • Understand and explain the literature or concrete meaning of a work.
  • Understand and explain a figurative or abstract meaning and the applied meaning of a work.
  • Recognize and explain the abstract meaning as a theme of a work.
  • Recognize and identify various elements and genres of literature.
  • Explain relationships between literary elements in one work and those of other works.
  • Explain relationships between literary elements and the cultures from which the authors come.
  • Explain relationships between themes and/or cultures from which works come and the student's own values.
  • Write acceptable essays about primary literary sources (the works themselves); acceptable essays have appropriate organization, well-developed paragraphs, support from the text, few language errors, and proper documentation.
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

ENGL 1020; ENGL 2310 is NOT a prerequisite. 

Course Topics:
  • The Enlightenment
  • Satire
  • Slave Narratives
  • Romanticism
  • Democracy
  • Women's Issues
  • Literature of Asia, India, and Africa
  • Colonialism
  • The Harlem Renaissance
Specific Course Requirements:

Students should have a working knowledge of how to operate in the online /Desire2Learn environment.  They should also have competent word processing skills and be capable of creating documents according to MLA style guidelines. 

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:
  • Reliable internet access.
  • A college dictionary or familiarity with accessing a reliable online dictionary.
Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

All quizzes and exams will be available through the Desire2Learn (eLearn) interface under the "Evaluation" tab.  No proctors are necessary for quizzes or exams. 

Quizzes and exams are available for a set period of time, usually 4-6 days.  They have a specific deadline date which will be listed in the calendar under "Course Tools."  You will only be able to submit answers to quizzes once, and the quizzes will be timed.  All reading for quizzes or exams should be completed before starting the quiz.  Successful submission of a quiz unlocks the corresponding discussion for that topic. 

Grading Procedures:

The grade for this course will be based upon several types of assessment tools: reading quizzes, discussions, journal entries, essays, and two exams. 

Reading Quizzes
Weekly reading quizzes will be used to ensure the student has adequately read and understands the material presented in the textbook and in online materials.  These quizzes will include objective questions (usually multiple choice) focused on specific details of the reading assignments.  Quizzes will primarily be used to demonstrate mastery of the first four course objectives and will correspond to specific learning objectives within each module.
Discussions
The student will also participate in discussion forums to share perspectives with classmates and to evaluate the perspective of others.  Since the most effective techniques for analyzing and learning about literature come from writing and discussing what we have read, a large portion of your grade will come from these discussions.  Additionally, these discussions focus on helping students meet several of the course objectives and specific module objectives.  The instructor will engage in discussions as a participant and may also offer additional insights through the assessment feedback box.  The student's discussions will be assessed using the following guidelines:

Basic Rules about Discussion Board Grading:

  • All discussion boards are worth 10 points.
  • Discussion boards close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday of each week.
  • All discussion prompts will generally include a list of questions.  You are not meant to answer each question.  This is our "classroom," so I ask the kinds of questions here that I might ask in a typical classroom setting.   You should address these questions as they pique your interest OR any other aspect of the reading that you want to comment upon.  Just be sure that your contribution is thoughtful and reflects a response to the reading.  Also, be sure that you follow any specific directions (e.g. "answer two of the following" or "respond to all of the following prompts," etc.).
  • Your post should be thoughtful and thorough. For full credit, it should typically be at least one full paragraph (unless otherwise directed) which indicates your understanding of the topic being discussed.  Please note that a full paragraph would be considered 4-6 meaty sentences.  The more successful discussion posts often (not always, but often) have more than one paragraph. 
  • You must respond thoughtfully to at least one classmate's post to be eligible for full credit.  If you do not respond or your response is not thorough and engaging, you will lose the maximum of 2.5 points associated with responding in the rubric.  This means that you start from a "C" level of 7.5.  Please do yourself the favor of engaging in discussion with your classmates.  These points add up over the long run.  Responding thoughtfully means that "I agree" or "Good point" or "Yeah, me too" will NOT count as a bona fide response. 
  • Plagiarized discussion posts will result in a zero for the assignment and possibly further consequences.  Don't try to copy and paste another's post; I will catch you.  If someone plagiarizes your post, you need to tell me; it's your academic integrity at stake, and you should protect it.
Essays
The essay work will involve researching context and criticism of the works being analyzed in the student's paper, as well as exploring the student's comprehension and interpretation of the ideas in the works read for class.  Essays will offer an in-depth analysis of the student's comprehension and interpretation of themes, literary elements, and commonalities in the literature we have read, placing them in the context of the student's real-world environment.  Essays must adhere to MLA style.  Specific requirements including required length can be found in the individual assignment guidelines.
 
Journal
A journal of twelve (12) entries will be submitted over the course of the term.  The first six entries will be submitted as one document to the Midterm Journal Dropbox.  The last six entries will be submitted as one document to the Final Journal Dropbox.  Each individual entry will be a 1-2 page personal reflection of one of the assigned readings in the course.  Thus, the Midterm Journal and the Final Journal should each be approximately 6-12 pages in length.  Students will demonstrate deeper engagement and thoughtfulness with the works they select for journal entries than might otherwise be required for a quiz or assignment.
 
Exams
Two exams will assess the student's understanding of basic literary concepts and his/her ability to analyze the literature he/she has read in the course.  These exams will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and long answer questions.  The final will be cumulative. 
Grading Scale:
Point RangeAssigned Grade
900 - 1000 PointsA
800 - 899 PointsB
700 - 799 PointsC
600 - 699 PointsD
500 and under PointsF
Assignments and Projects:

There will be varying assignments throughout the semester.  Please consult the information in each module for specific guidelines and direction. 

Graded Items

DescriptionPoints
1 Midterm Essay Exam, @ 100 points100
14 Discussions, @ 10 points each; 1 Assignment (Khan) @ 50 points each190
22 Quizzes, 10 points each220
1 Paper, @ 100 points each100
12 Journal entries, @ 20 points each240
1 Final Essay Exam, @ 150 points150
Total Points1000
Class Participation:

Students are expected to participate in the course on a regular basis in order to remain on schedule with all tasks. Readings, quizzes, discussion boards, and other assignments are due each week of the semester.  Regular attendance is considered actively engaging in the course at least twice a week.  It is a good idea to set aside some specific times to devote to the course, just as you would when attending a regular class meeting. 

Late Policy:

As a general rule, late assignments are not accepted.  Here are the conditions under which an exception MIGHT be made: 

  • The student has a serious situation which warrants special consideration.
  • The student has made every effort to contact the professor as soon as possible, preferably before the due date.
  • The student has set a precedent of submitting work on time. 

Please note that discussion boards will not be extended for any reason.  It is not possible to have a discussion in an empty room, and your classmates will have already moved on. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021