Introduction to Literary Studies, Professor Daniel Anderson
ENGL0150.003, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45
Greenlaw Hall 316

Office hours will be held Tuesday 9:30-11:00 and Wednesdays 11:00-12:30 (and by appointment). My office is in Greenlaw Hall, room 533. (I’m sometimes in room 314.) My office phone is (919)962-8480. I can be reached by e-mail at iamdan@unc.edu. My cell is (919)740-8559. My twitter name is @iamdan.

Most of the course information and activities will play out at http://teachmix.com/ilit. Consult the site regularly for important tasks and to participate.

There are two books for the course (No Country for Old Men and Watchmen), available at student stores. I will also post a number of online readings.

Goals

In this class you will learn about the ways that digital technologies are changing the study of language and literature. The main goals, however, are to become producers rather than consumers of digital materials. You will develop multiple projects with the aim of generating new knowledge about literary texts. You will also develop your skills in collaboration and multimedia composing. And you will explore your own imagination, taking risks and experimenting with what it means to develop and study creative works in the twenty-first century.

Assignments

There will be five key components to the course:

• An essay on poetry
• An e-poetry video
• A film review video
• A video essay on Watchmen
• A promotional video

You may continue revising these projects for the duration of the course.

There will also be "walkthrough," reflection videos that will accompany the major assignments above. And there be a number of smaller, improvisational projects assigned throughout the term. You will also be expected to provide feedback to your peers during the semester. You will also make regular postings using the class Web site and/or Twitter. Use the hashtag #ilit

Participation

A good deal of activity will take place through our class site. You will be required to use the site to exchange ideas, review one another’s work, etc. You can participate on the site using social media tools—commenting, rating, updating. In class, helping with projects, joining discussions, being prepared, and offering materials for critique are expected as part of your participation.

You will also be required to read the course texts; reading responses will be key to your participation and will be collected on our site. You will be asked to demonstrate your participation in the course portfolio (see below). Portfolios that do not demonstrate satisfactory participation will not receive full credit for the course.

Attendance

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each session. Late arrivals may be prevented from adding their name to the daily attendance roster. If you miss more than three class periods, your grade may be lowered based on the number of absences you have.

Grading and Portfolio

Your final grade will be based on meeting all of the requirements in the course and on a portfolio of your work. The portfolio is the main project for the course. You will also collect and reflect on the materials you have created throughout the term. We will discuss and develop the portfolio throughout the semester.

Policies

You will be asked to use computers in and out of class to conduct activities in this course. You must allow time and seek assistance for any technical issues that arise when completing computer-based activities (information and technical assistance are available at http://help.unc.edu or 962-HELP). You should also be aware that electronic class activities will be public in nature. We will be posting materials and conducting activities on the Internet. In addition, the course Web site is available publicly on the Internet. No protected information will be shared, but the assignments, projects, and activities will be conducted and available publicly. Additionally, the activities related to the class may be viewed, discussed, and shared by the instructor, the students, or others—as part of conversations about teaching or publishing efforts. I will ask you to sign a permission form indicating that your work may be viewed and shared electronically or used for publishing.

Students must also observe appropriate behavior during all computer-based activities related to this class. Students must act with respect and responsibility. Engaging in activities deemed to be offensive or inappropriate will be considered a violation of the UNC Honor Code.

Plagiarism and originality: Any student found plagiarizing work in this course will be considered in violation of the UNC Honor Code.

The Big Picture

We will be experimenting heavily with what it means to write about literature. We will learn the ins and outs of manipulating the computer screen to express ourselves. And we will be sharing our creativity publicly, collaborating and connecting with others.