English 251 - British Literature II - Tracey Sherard
| Course: | British Literature II |
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| Professor: | Tracey Sherard |
| Email: | tracey.sherard@canyons.edu |
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| Course Length: |
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Introduction
Welcome to English 101. I’m Dr. Tracey Sherard, the instructor of this course, and I’m looking forward to working with you!
I know that foremost in many of your minds is the current Covid19 pandemic. Make no mistake—these are challenging times. I was on research sabbatical in the Spring of 2020 when California went into its first phase of rising COVID19 cases and ‘lock down.’ While I was not currently teaching, I was attending virtual meetings with the English department. I was—and continue to be—amazed by the resilience of our instructors, and most significantly, by you—our students. As you probably already know, most classes at COC are still virtual. I want to assure you that I have been teaching online for over 15 years now and feel optimistic and confident our classroom community can be as valuable and fulfilling as a traditional face-to-face class—provided we all recognize and fulfill our roles in that communal capacity.
Course Description
Catalog Description:
Surveys British literature from the late eighteenth century to contemporary British and post-colonial texts.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Analyze the important literary works of the period in relation to their historical, philosophical, social, political, and/or aesthetic contexts.
2. Analyze the elements of a given text to interpret themes found in the literature and intellectual movements of the period.
Course Objectives
1. Analyze the historical, philosophical, social, political and/or aesthetic contexts of the period.
2. Analyze the primary changes in literary styles, genres, and movements during the period.
3. Analyze important genres, authors, and works of each literary period.
4. For the authors of the period, analyze the chief characteristics of their writing, such as their use of language, tone, genre, and structure.
5. Relate the elements of a given text to the theme in order to generate reasonable interpretations of the text.
6. Relate the elements of a given text to its contexts in order to generate reasonable interpretations of the text.
7. Evaluate the insights and cultural concerns of the period’s literature and compare to contemporary personal and cultural concerns.
8. Compose persuasive interpretive analyses of a given text using proper citation and appropriate academic discourse and the conventions of critical literary analysis.
What to Expect in this Course
You will need to log in to CANVAS on the first day of the course to complete a mandatory orientation and access the assignments for the first week.
Some Basic Information:
While this is a 100% online class, it requires just as much—if not more—time and effort than a traditional in-person one. You will be expected to complete the same amount of work that is required in a face-to-face class (‘class time’ plus ‘homework’). Therefore, expect to spend an average of 8-10 hours a week on reading and writing assignments for this course.
Students who do well in online courses tend to share the following qualities:
They are good at motivating themselves to complete work by deadlines
- They are strong readers and communicate well in writing.
- They have strong time management skills.
- They enjoy active, cooperative learning experiences.
- They have reliable access to the Internet.
- They have basic computer skills, including the ability to cut/copy and paste between documents, send and receive email attachments, and most importantly, save documents in the appropriate requested file formats.
Basic Required Skills:
You will need to have ready access to current word document creating software (Microsoft Word preferred). If you do not have Microsoft Word, you will still be expected to be able to either save (or ‘export’ if you have a MAC) your documents in Microsoft Word and/or PDF formats (no rich text format, Pages, etc.). You will need an up-to date version of an internet browser (See CANVAS login page for compatible browsers). You need to be computer literate, well-skilled in basic document creation and handling. You should know how to copy and paste from one document to another and how to attach documents to emails. You must know how to override default settings in your word processing program to set page margins, spacing, and fonts, so that I can ensure fairness in determining whether your writing assignments meet minimum full-page requirements.
You will also need to avoid working close to deadlines as unreliable internet connections and computer issues do not often result in extended deadlines.
Course Requirements:
In order to successfully complete this course, you must log onto our class site several times a week to retrieve and submit assignments and to participate in collaborative exchanges with your peers. All of these activities involve deadlines (late work may be accepted at the instructor’s discretion with official documentation of a mandated court date, medical emergency, or illness/death of an immediate family member).
This course requires the same amount of total work hours (including time spent in class) as a regular face-to-face, full semester length section. In a regular semester, that would mean time spent in class plus reading and homework, usually totals 8-10 hours. If you cannot devote this amount of time, please reconsider whether this is the appropriate time for you to take a 100% online course.
NOTE: just as in a traditional class, if you know in advance that you are going to “miss” a few class periods, doing a few (not many) assignments ahead of time may lessen the negative impact of your “absence” on your grade. However, while early assignment availability is usually possible, it’s never guaranteed, as I continuously update and create new material depending on the needs of each particular class.
REGARDING COVID19:
We realize that during these unprecedented and rapidly changing times, unforeseen circumstances may arise, and we will do our best to work with you. Having said that, we are obligated to abide by specific regulations regarding weekly “time on task” requirements.
Participation and meeting deadlines each week is expected, but late work can be accepted with official documentation of a mandated court date, medical emergency, or the illness/death of an immediate family member. If any of these situations become an issue for you, please reach out to your instructors as soon as you possibly can so that based on your documentation we can come to a solution together.
To clarify: this is not a class in which work can be completed far ahead of deadlines or made up during the last minutes of the semester. Class-wide discussion boards (where much of the work will be conducted) will be asynchronous, not synchronous—meaning that you can log in at a time of day convenient to you as long as you meet the deadlines.
Definition of Online Learning Terms:
- Synchronous (“in time”: whole class ‘meets’ together virtually on specific days at specific times): This is when an online class meets at specific days and times, all together, as a complete class. This is NOT the format for this class in light of the restrictions the COVID19 pandemic has imposed on so many of our lives).
Versus:
- Asynchronous (“outside of time”: while there are specific deadline requirements, the instructor and students do not ‘meet’ as a whole class on specific days and times. Instead, everyone will be logging into the CANVAS course shell depending on their individual schedules—to meet predetermined deadlines. This IS the format for this class in light of the restrictions the COVID19 pandemic has imposed on so many of our lives).
I will be online at various times during ‘business hours,’ 9-5, Monday through Friday, to facilitate discussion, make announcements, and provide schedule reminders. These virtual ‘office hours’ addressing course-related questions will take place on CANVAS via the Announcements page, the Issues and Questions discussion board, and possibly other means still to be determined. If you have a personal or grade-related question, make sure to email me (otherwise use our CANVAS classroom).
However, I will not be available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so planning ahead to get any questions you may have answered is essential for your comfort and confidence as the course proceeds.
Types of Assessments
I will evaluate your work based on specific assignment instructions. Assignments may include, but are not limited to:
Reading Quizzes
Discussion Board Original and Peer Replies
Exams
Essay Projects
Textbook Information
Required Text Package:
(available through the COC bookstore)
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 10th edition, Vol. D (The Romantic Period), E (The Victorian Age,), and F (The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries)
ISBN: 978-0-393-60313-2
******This is a three-volume package. Please order using the above ISBN # in order to avoid risking not being able to access all of the assigned readings.
Other Relevant Course Information
Contact Information:
I will not be on campus much during the Spring 2022 semester so course-related questions will be addressed within CANVAS, and personal/attendance issues via private CANVAS messaging.
Emails sent before or after the end of a semester will receive an out-of-office email reply. All questions from enrolled students will be answered on the Issues and Questions discussion board on our CANVAS site starting on the first day of class. All emails from non-enrolled students wishing to add will be answered after the 'no-show' deadline.
Adding the Course:
If this course is not full, you should be able to add it via MyCanyons.
If the course is full, the best way to add is to be on the waitlist, as the college will automatically add you if a spot opens up. They will notify you by email so that you can pay your fees and remain enrolled in the course. Students dropped for non-payment will not likely be able to re-add.
If it is full and has gone to a wait list, replies to emails requesting an add code will go out after the “no-show” drop deadline.
In the event that there is room for additional students other than those on the waitlist to add the class, I will know on Thursday of the first week of class, so please contact me by email early that day at the latest (even if you are on the waitlist you need to contact me). If I am able to add you to the class, your name will be sent directly to Computer Support Services via computer by Admissions and Records and it may take 1 business day before your account is created in CANVAS, though I will do my best to expedite that process.
Once again, I want to welcome you to the course – I look forward to “seeing” you Monday of the first week of class when you complete the steps to your mandatory orientation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tracey Sherard, Ph.D.
Professor of English
English 101 Co-coordinator
College of the Canyons
Additional Resources
Canvas
This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:
- CanyonsID Username is your COC student email address (Ex: username@my.canyons.edu)
- CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password
Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.
Online Education
Check out the Online Education website for more information on a variety of topics that can help you be a successful online student such as: exam proctoring, learning styles, computer skills, and tips for student success. If this is your first online course, feel free to take our online learning readiness assessment to assess your skills.
The Learning Center (TLC)
The TLC provides FREE online tutoring resources to COC students!
Academic Accommodation Center (AAC)
College of the Canyons AAC provides educational services and access for eligible students with documented disabilities who intend to pursue coursework at COC. A variety of programs and services are available which afford eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the college programs and activities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations. For more information on their services visit the Academic Accomodation Center website.
Online Counseling
The Counseling Department offers appointments online. You can schedule an appointment by visiting the Online Counseling website. Counselors can help you map out a plan to reach your educational goals as well as advise you on course selection and registration.
Management of Stress and Mental Health
Often the pressure on our students is very strong, involving academic commitments, relationships, outside jobs and family pressure to name a few. The staff and faculty of College of the Canyons are here to see you succeed academically and care about your emotional and physical health. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services, including counseling and mental health services available on campus by visiting the Student Health & Wellness Center in the Student Services Building (across from the bookstore). The phone number is 661-362-3259 that you can call 24/7. You can also e mail for an appointment at StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu. At the Canyon Country Campus the Health Center will be in the new Student Services Building.
Also, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number is now 988. All students at COC are encouraged to enter that phone number in their cells. You can call it when you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide or is in severe distress.
You can also now use the Crisis Text Line: Just text "Courage" to 741741. Someone will get back to you immediately. Its free, 24/7, and confidential.
Veterans Resource Center
The College of the Canyons Veterans Resource Center is a department within the Student Services Division at the college, created to help veterans and veteran dependents with applying to College of the Canyons, enrolling in classes, and requesting VA Education or Vocational Benefits. For more information please visit the Veterans Resource Center website, email veterans@canyons.edu or phone (661) 362-3469.
Library
The Library provides live online and in-person research help, access to a full range of e-resources and physical materials that support the curriculum, individual and group study areas, and much more!
Last updated: 01/12/2022 Sub#: 240