Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have developed knowledge and critical understanding of recent theory and research in the field of literary studies; the background to the development of such theory and its impact on teaching literature; the processes by which readers come to understand the texts they read and the nature of reader response; the nature and definition of the term `text', and the concept of the `author', including an awareness of the ideological and culturally situated nature of reading; the influence of recent literary theory on current curriculum documents and pedagogical practices. Students should have developed skills in order to read critically and extensively from the prepared reading guide and other references; develop a theoretical position in relation to their reading; undertake curriculum investigations in their classroom or alternative settings, share these in weekly seminars; deliver a class paper analysing the theoretical and/or pedagogical implications of a chosen short article drawn from or related to the prescribed readings; develop or analyse a curriculum unit which derives from one of the literary theories examined in the subject; prepare a carefully researched essay or report focusing on selected theoretical and/or pedagogical issues related to literary theory.
Synopsis This subject will examine recent developments in literary theory and literature education. Specific areas to be explored will include the implications of recent critical theory for the English curriculum; an examination of recent research in the area of reader response; definitions of text (including media texts) and the implications of such definitions for the English curriculum; the use of innovative fiction for both children and adolescents in the teaching of literature. Students will have the opportunity to investigate different ways in which the meanings of texts are constructed, the ways in which cultural expectations can influence these meanings, and the range of curriculum choices available to the English teacher in developing broader approaches to the teaching of literature. A detailed reading guide will be distributed at the commencement of the subject. Students will be provided with access to a number of monographs and journal articles.
Assessment Class and written presentations (2 x 1500 words): 40% + Major essay or investigation (3000 words): 60%