ENGL 2323:001 Office: BUS 256A
Term: Fall 2015 Office Hours: TR 3:30-5:00
Time: T 11:00-12:20 by appointment
Location: BEP213 Office Phone: (903) 565-5703
Instructor: Dr. Tilghman Email:
English Literature from the 1780s to the Present
Welcome to Class!
I have high expectations for each person taking this class. I hope that as the semester continues, it will be a place for you to present your thoughts, listen to those of others, and formulate your ideas effectively as you gain an appreciation for the riches that English literature has to offer. If you have any questions or concerns about your progress in the class, see me during my office hours or make an appointment to meet with me. I not only welcome contact with you, I strongly encourage it.
Course Description
This sophomore level literature survey is PATSS certified. The course is a blended (or hybrid) course with approximately 45% of the course delivered in the classroom and the rest of the course delivered online. It is designed to make the best use of both new technologies for learning and student time. The course is divided into three main sections designed to introduce you to writers and literary texts from the Romantic, Victorian, and 20th Century periods of English literature. To help you to better understand the material, the course will familiarize you with cultural contexts for the literary texts assigned in each period under discussion. Significant contexts include 1) the French Revolution; 2) the Industrial Revolution; 3) the rise and fall of the British Empire; 4) the growth of nationalization and the nation-state; 5) world war; and 6) varied perspectives on class, ethnicity, and gender in literary discourse.
Learning Outcomes
The course has six primary goals for its students:
1. familiarity with English literature written between 1780 and the present in terms of specific movements, genres, authors, and styles;
2. demonstrated ability to understand differences and draw connections between different historical periods and cultural communities that are represented in English literature;
3. heightened skills of critical thinking based on thoughtful interpretation and analysis of written, auditory, and visual texts;
4. effective communication of ideas orally and in writing;
5. awareness of social responsibility as it appliesto ethical situations in literature and as reflected in classroom behavior;
6. expression of respect and personal responsibility in the classroom.
These outcomes will be demonstrated in a series of online discussions and journal entries, online quizzes, in-class discussions, and in-class examinations that will include questions requiring both objective responses to specific questions and substantive essay responses.
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Required Course Texts and Materials
1. Apple iPad with iBook app and Kindle app or Laptop Computer with access to Google Books (Note: if you do not have either a laptop or an iPad, pages from the Digital Text can be printed off from Blackboard. You will, however, need regular access to a computer withInternet to successfully complete the course.)
2. Blackboard and YouTube access
3. ENGL 2323 Digital Text, accessed through Blackboard
4. E-text of Hard Times by Charles Dickens, a free iBook or Google Book or a paper copy of the novel
5. E-Text of Regeneration by Pat Barker, a Kindle book to be purchased from Amazon.com orpaper copy of the novel
6. A good dictionary is recommended.
7. Handouts will be provided on Blackboard as needed.
Prerequisites for the Course
This is a Core component course. There are no class prerequisites, but you must be a student in good standing at The University of Texas at Tyler. Students who are on academic probation must get enrollment authorization from the instructor of the class.
What is a Hybrid Class?
"Hybrid" or "Blended" are names commonly used to describe courses in which some traditional face-to-face "seat time" has been replaced by online learning activities. The purpose of a blended or hybrid courseis to take advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning. A blended or hybrid course is designed to integrate face-to-face and online activities so that they reinforce, complement, and elaborate one another. ( A hybrid course is designed to make the best use of new technologies and a student’s time, but it is not for students who are not comfortable with a format that involves considerable personal responsibility and less of a teacher’s presence and instruction in the classroom.
Technology
Requirements:
1. Access to a computer (PC or Mac), personal or on campus (for information about computers and the Campus Computing Center email .)
2. Internet access (high-speed preferred; Blackboard and the videos may be slow to load on satellite or dial-up)
3. Enrollment in Blackboard for the course (Note: The Blackboard platform does not contain barriers for users with disabilities and is both usable and accessible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or situation. For more information, please review their Commitment to Accessibility.)
4. Microsoft Office, or a Word and PowerPoint-compatible program such as Apple iWork or Apache Open Office (free) to view handouts and presentations
5. The ability to view and listen to video and audio recordings
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As a student enrolled in a class delivered in a digital environment you should have these minimum skills:
1. Navigate the Internet using a Web browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or Chrome
2. Send and receive email from your UT Tyler Patriots email account
3. Access and navigate UT Tyler Blackboard
4. Create, attach, open, and save Microsoft Word documents
5. Post to discussion boards, online journals, and wikis
5. Open PDF files
6. Play and view video and audio files
Plug-ins and Helper Applications:
The campus IT department has arranged for discounts on many software packages on the HiEd website
UT Tyler online courses use Java, JavaScript, browser plug-ins, helper application and cookies. It is essential that you have these elements installed and enabled in your web browser for optimal viewing of the content and functions of your online course. Always ensure that you are using the most update version for the browser you choose to access the online learning content. Mozilla Firefox is the recommended browser for Blackboard (
1. Adobe Reader allows you to view, save, and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files (
2. Java Runtime Environment (JRE) allows you to use interactive tools on the web (
3. Adobe Flash Player allows you to view content created with Flash such as interactive web applications and animations (
4. QuickTime allows users to play back audio and video files (
5. Windows Media Player allows you to view, listen and download streaming video and audio (
Technology Help:
For tutorials on how to use Blackboard, please click on the Help tab located on the upper right hand corner of Blackboard. You may also check out On Demand Learning Center for Students at
If you any have issues with logins, connectivity, or with general computer support, email orcontact the IT Support Hotline at (903) 565-5555.
Note: When you call or email IT Support, be sure to include a complete description of your question or problem including
1. the title and number of the course,
2. the page in question,
3. if you get an error message, its description and message number,
4. what you were doing at the time you got the error message.
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Communication, Email, and Netiquette
Announcements: Please check Blackboard regularly for announcements. They will contain important information about the class.
Office Visits: I will be in my office during scheduled office hours and encourage you to visit me about the course. This is especially important if you need clarificationabout how to approach the course or you are struggling with the material it provides. In both cases, the earlier you come to see me, the better. Additionally, I would appreciate getting your feedback on the course. If you cannot see me during office hours, we can schedule an appointment at a time that will work.
Email Policy: Email for this class will be checked regularly on weekdays between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Emails will be responded to within twenty-four hours on weekdays. Email will not be checked or responded to during weekends. An occasion may arise when a faculty meeting, student meeting, or appointment may prevent me from checking email during the scheduled time; however, email will be checked as soon as possible after or before the meeting or appointment. Because of the size of the class, it will not be possible to answer emails that ask for a detailed review of material prior to an examination. Study guides for examination review and in-class question and answer sessions over assigned material are scheduled to provide this information.
Discussion Board Q&As: The Q&A section of the Discussion Board will be checked and responded to regularly on weekdays between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. The Discussion Board Q&A forum will not be checked or responded to during the weekends.
Discussion Board Etiquette: The following guidelines should be followed each time you interact on the Discussion Board to insure your interactions are respectful and professional:
1. Introduce yourself to the other participants on the discussion board before responding to the discussion prompt or entering a discussion.
2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. Remember there is a person behind a written post. Always follow ethical standards of behavior and be respectful to others whose opinions and life experiences may differ from your own.
3. Refrain from inappropriate language and comments that lead to a personal attack or cause conflict. If someone acts inappropriately, do not comment about the post and do not respond to it.
4. Be prepared for online discussions prior to engaging in them and be willing to both ask questions and share knowledge.
5. Respect other people’s time byunderstanding the requirements of the discussion, asking relevant questions, and making thoughtful responses.
6. Take time to check spelling and grammar before posting a comment.
7. Be patient and forgiving of othersmistakes. We all make them.
The above guideline is adapted from Duquesne University’s Center for Teaching Excellence:
Be mindful that the instructor will monitor the discussion board. Should inappropriate conduct occur, notification through emailwill be sent to the offending student in thefirst instance. A significant reduction in the student's participation grade will occur in the second instance. The student will be
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removed from the discussion board and a 0% participation grade for online discussion recorded in the third instance. Note: The instructor reserves the right to modify this procedure.
Online Participation and In Class Attendance Policy
In Class Participation: Because of the limited number of in-class meetings, it is important that you attend each of them. A reduction in your in-class participation grade will result for each class missed. See the grading section below.
Online Participation: You will be expected to participate in class discussions on the Discussion Board both formally (with assigned discussion prompts) and informally with your classmates. A reduction in the discussion participation portion of your online participation grade will result for each failure to adequately respond to an assigned discussion prompt. On the hand, thoughtful and relevant posts will improve your participation score. See the grading section below. In addition to the Discussion Board, a Reflection Journal has been provided for posting your thoughts after the completion of the assignments for each of three periods of literature.
Course Grading
Your grades for this class will be calculated as follows:
Participation & Discussion Board: 15%
Online Quizzes: 10%
Romantic Period Examination: 25%
Victorian AgeExamination: 25%
Twentieth Century & After Examination25%.
Instructor Response Time on Quizzes, Examinations, and Discussion Board Posts:
For examinations, grades will be posted on Blackboard under My Grades within one weekafter taking the exam. Examination answer sheets will be returned during the first F2F meeting that follows the submission or the exam. Quizzes are graded online and a quiz grade should post immediately after a quiz has been completed. Because in-class attendance and discussion board participation are cumulative, the grades for these components of the course will posted at the end of the semester.
Reading Exams:There will be three, in-class reading exams: one for each of the three major periods of literature under study. The examinations will be based on the assigned texts, in-class and podcast lectures, assigned videos, and discussion. Each exam will consist of an objective component and an essay component. The purpose of the objective component will be to test your familiarity with and comprehension of assigned material. The purpose of the essay component will be to demonstrate your ability to think analytically, draw connections, synthesize ideas, and communicate effectively as you engage with passages from selected texts.
In-class Exam Review: During class on the Tuesday immediately preceding an examination, an in-class exam review will be scheduled. This review is your chance to ask any questions you have about the upcoming exam while going over the study guide provided by your professor. Attendance is required for in-class exam review sessions.
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Late Policy and Examination Make-up: For those who have an official excuse from dean, coach, instructor, or doctor, two make-up examination dates will be scheduled. Students who have obtained an official excuse will be notified of the date, place, and time for the make-up examination. Students with an official excuse to make up the third and final examination should inform the instructor at least one week before the examination date.
Quizzes: Six online unit quizzes will be given for the Romantic, Victorian, and Twentieth Century & After periods of literature (two quizzes for each period). Access to the unit quizzes is located on the Blackboard
menu bar. You make take a quiz in its entirety or return to finish it at any time before the quiz completion date for that quiz. To return to a quiz at a later time, be sure to click on the “Save All Answers” tab. Note: if you click on the “Save and Submit” tab, your quiz will be submitted for grading, and you will not be able to return to it at a later time. Check the course calendar for the scheduled deadlines for quiz completion.
Late Policy for Online Quizzes: Both quizzes for each period of literature must be taken before the scheduled online examination review for that period of literature. They cannot be made up after the due date has passed for the period of literature they cover.
Discussion Board and Reflection Journal
Discussion Board: Six discussion prompts will be posted on the Discussion Board throughout the semester (two prompts for each major literary period). You will be expected to post a thoughtful response (of not less than 100 words) for each of the discussion prompts assigned by the professor and to make a thoughtful comment (of approximately forty words) on at least one post made by a classmate for each of the six discussion prompts.
Late Policy for Discussion Board Posts: Both discussion board posts for each period of literature must be taken before the scheduled online examination review for that period of literature. They cannot be made up after the due date has passed for the period of literature they cover.
Reflection Journal: A Reflection Journal will be provided in which you may post your thoughts about the course as you move through it. Its purpose is for you to reflect (in not less the 100 words) on your progress after you have completed the readings, quizzes, and discussion board posts for each of the three literary periods covered in the class. At the end of the semester, the journal will be marked as "satisfactory," "exceeds expectations," or "unsatisfactory." It will affect your participation grade only if you fail to adequately post inthe journal or, more to be desired, if you post entries of substance and thought. Please note that only the professor will be able to read your journal entries.
Academic Honesty
You must not submit work that has been copied, wholly or partially, from a book, article, essay, newspaper, another student’s notebook, paper, test, or any other written or printed or internet or media source. In the event that extra credit paper is assigned, another writer’s phrases, sentences, or paragraphs may be included as part of your work only if presented in paraphrase or quotation with the source appropriately cited both in the text and in an attached bibliography. Academic dishonesty will be reported and may result in failure of the course.
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Disability Services
In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) the University offers accommodations to students with learning, physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. If you have a disability, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, PTSD or ADHD, or you have a history of modifications or accommodations in a previous educational environment you are encouraged to contact the Student Accessibility and Resources office and schedule an interview with the Accessibility Case Manager/ADA