:: Introduction to Literature Online ::

This course is a continuation of English 100. It builds upon the reading and writing of English 100 to emphasize comprehension and composition of the critical essay. The content will introduce you to major authors and to techniques of fiction, drama and poetry. Reading and analyzing examples of fiction, drama and poetry will help you to better understand the human condition and to develop an appreciation for good literature. You must have successfully completed English 100 before you can take English 102.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the elements of fiction, drama and poetry
demonstrate an understanding of the artistic use of the English language such as the selection of words and situations, the use of imagery, symbolism, figures of speech and the organization of ideas and sounds
describe the historical development of the basic literary forms
read carefully and critically for ideas in literature
write about literature in an organized manner
use the appropriate terminology in discussing the various forms of literature
interpret the insights provided by good literature.

Contacting The Instructor

My name is Dr. Barbara Marshall, and I am your instructor for this course. The best way to reach me is through my e-mail address: bmarshall@cypresscollege.edu. You can also call me at the college at: (714) 484-8661. If you prefer, you can contact me in person during my campus office hours or by appointment. Cypress College is located at 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress, Ca, 90630, and my office is located in Room 221 (second floor) of the Humanities Building. You can also leave a message anytime on voice mail by calling (714) 484-7000 then extension 48423.

I will be participating in discussions and providing feedback throughout the course. BUT, I will only be online Monday through Thursday. If you want an immediate response from me, be sure to get the question or comment to me on those days.

How This Online Class Works

This class runs for nine weeks. It is conducted entirely online. Our "classroom" is a web-based learning environment called Blackboard and can be accessed through this specific web address: http://cvc.blackboard.com

You will probably want to bookmark it (or put it into your favorites) for easy access. At the site, you will login. You will need your username and password (which I will assign to you) every time you enter the site. Every Monday and Thursday new information and assignments will be posted to this CourseSite. I strongly recommend logging into the course several times a week in order to complete assignments, participate in class discussion, and to benefit from classmate and instructor input. When you first enter the site, you will be at the Main Course Window. Here you will find the latest announcements regarding the course and directions for that week’s activities. All activities are located at this Coursesite itself; you will pick up all lectures, assignments, do quizzes and engage in discussion on the Blackboard site. At your leisure, you may be interested in visiting the Prentice Hall Companion Website, a site designed to interact with your textbook and which provides some supplemental information. Regardless of where the activities are located for the week, you will always need to enter the Blackboard CourseSite first to get specific instructions. For more detailed information about the course topics and course timeline, see below.

What You Will Need To Get Started

First of all, you need the following equipment and capabilities:

a computer with Internet access
a web browser – Netscape 4.0 (or higher) or Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher)
e-mail address
a word processing program.

The Required Textbook

Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing 6^th edition by Roberts & Jacobs

The textbook provides the core information for this class. You should plan to have the textbook before the class begins as you will pick up reading assignments on the first day. If you have already previewed the schedule of assignments that follows in this document, you can, of course, begin your reading early!

Don’t be overwhelmed by the length of the book. We will be working with specific selections from each category: short story, poetry and drama, but you are not responsible for reading the entire text! (For information on what we will be reading, check the course syllabus below.) The book is available for purchase through the Cypress College Bookstore. To purchase online, go to: Cypress College Bookstore

Academic Honesty Policy

You are expected to conduct yourself ethically in this course at all times. If you would like a detailed explanation of the ethical conduct expected of you and the consequences for unethical conduct, go to the Cypress College Website, http://www.cypresscollege.edu and click on the catalog link. Then go to the general Information link and scroll down to Academic Policies (page 9 in the catalog, but probably page 8 on your screen).

Student Grievances

If at any time during this course, you have a problem with me, please tell me about it right away. If for some reason we cannot resolve the issue between us, you should check the college catalog for information on the specific steps for you to take to file a grievance. For information on the grievance procedures, go to the Cypress College website, http://www.cypresscollege.edu and click on the catalog link. Then click on General Information and scroll down to Student Grievances (page 35 in the catalog, but probably page 34 on your screen).

A Word To The Wise — Student Responsibilities

Although this course is taught through the internet and not on campus, it covers the same materials as any campus-based Introduction to Literature course. This means that you are expected to spend the same amount of time working on this course as you would on any other campus based course. It is important to keep this in mind as you proceed through this class. With no set meetings, online course work is easy to put off. Don’t do it! Set up a schedule for yourself. Check in with the course at least 3 times a week to get new announcements, respond to discussions and work on assignments. The successful online student is independent, and self-motivated. I believe you will find, however, after a couple of sessions, that online learning offers you great flexibility and is actually fun! You will probably also be surprised at how well you will come to ‘know’ your fellow classmates online.

Information About Student Services

The Cypress College Website, http://www.cypresscollege.edu(and especially the Library page located in the site) contain valuable information about the College and its programs and services. Below are some important phone numbers for your convenience, all in the 714 area code:

Admission and Records: 484-7346
Adult Re-entry Program: 484-7120
Assessment: 484-7223
Career Planning Center: 484-7120
Disabled Student Programs and Services: 484-7368
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services: 484-7368
Financial Aid: 484-7114
Health Services: 484-7361
Student Activities: 484-7198
Student Educational Development Center: 484-7368
Transfer Center: 484-7132
Veteran’s Affairs: 484-7344
Writing Center: 484-7183

For additional information about college programs and services, call the college at 484-7000 and press "0" for operator.

Counseling Appointments for Online Students

Phone appointments are available for online students. Just call your counselor during the day (Monday through Thursday), identify yourself as an online student in this class, and request a phone appointment. If you do not have your counselor’s phone number, go to the Counseling page on the Cypress College Website, www.cypresscollege.edu The phone numbers for the counselors are listed there. If you need to speak to a counselor in the evening, you can call the counseling center at (714) 484-7015 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Again, be sure to identify yourself as an online student if you would like to make a phone appointment

EMAIL-A-Tutor

Cypress College now offers tutoring through e-mail. Responses to your questions take 24 hours or less, Monday through Friday. Here’s how it works:

1. Open your e-mail and put your Perm Number in the subject box.
2. Write out your question
3. E-mail to — WCTUTOR@cypresscollege.edu

The Cypress College Library

Through the library web page you can access an online catalog listing books from the libraries at Cypress College, Fullerton College, Goldenwest College, Orange Coast College, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach. To check out books from the above libraries, you will need your campus ID card. From the library web page, you can also access a periodical database of 3000 magazines and journals (check EBSCOHost) by clicking on "Search for periodical articles" and logging on with the user ID of "Cypress" and the password of "College." The library website is: Cypress College Library

Student Evaluation

Here are the activities in which you will be expected to participate and for which you will be graded:

Orientations and Surveys

These activities require participation only.

Orientation – The orientation is designed to acquaint you with the Blackboard system through which the entire course functions. It should be completed by the first day of the course. Enrolled students will receive information regarding the orientation prior to the start of the class.
Pre-Course Survey – this brief survey is a requirement of the state for online courses and it will help Cypress College in the development of future online classes. It also should be completed by the first day of the course.
Post-Course Survey – this survey is also a requirement of the state for online courses and will also help Cypress College in the development of future online classes. It will appear in the Announcements area of the Blackboard CourseSite toward the end of the course and is due at the end of the course.

Assignments

For each topic covered in this course, there are reading assignments usually followed by a brief quiz designed to test your comprehension of the material.
There is also a test at the end of each unit: the Short Story, Poetry and Drama.
In addition, there are two 2 1/2 page papers, one on the Short Story and one on Poetry.

Discussion

Many of the topics covered in this course will also involve discussion questions. Discussion questions are located in the Communication Area of the CourseSite, and I will usually begin the discussion thread. Students are expected to participate in the online discussions with input that is logical, that offers constructive insights or differing points of view, and that is understanding of the postings of other classmates. Discussion postings may NOT involve foul or offensive language; use of such language will result in disciplinary action.

Grading Policy

Reading Quizzes – 30%
Two Papers – 25%
Unit Tests – 25%
Discussion Participation – 20%

Here is further explanation on the course credit components:

1) Quizzes – 30% of the course grade
Brief regular reading quizzes (at times a single question requiring 2-5 sentences of feedback) on the reading assignments.

Your grade on the Quizzes will be determined by the total number of points earned out of the total number of points available.

In order to receive an ‘A’ for this component, your total number of points must be 90% of the points available.
In order to receive a ‘B’, your total points must be 80%.
In order to receive a ‘C’, your total points must be 70%.
In order to receive a ‘D’, your total points must be 60 %.
Failure to complete at least 60% of the quizzes or failure to receive credit for at least 60 % of the quizzes will result in an ‘F’ for this component of the total grade.

2) Papers – 25% of course grade
There will be two formal short (21/2 page) papers during the course: one on a Short Story assignment and one on Poetry. These papers will essentially reflect your interpretation and understanding of the piece(s) and will not require outside research.

The papers must be submitted in the proper format and written with a word processor. Information and review will be provided when the specific assignment is given.

3). Unit Tests – 25% of course grade
There will be three unit tests: one at the completion of the discussion of the Short Story, one after Poetry, and one after Drama. Each unit test will be a review of the material covered in that section. I will advise you of what you need to be responsible for as we go along. There will be no other exams.

4). Discussion – 20% of course grade
With the Orientation, you will begin to see how Discussion works on Blackboard. It will be in the Communications Area of the CourseSite. There will be discussion questions following each reading assignment, and you are expected to check in and add your comments or questions. Ideally, you should plan on at least two comments for each discussion. (Comments are usually relatively brief, 1-5 sentences). As a discussion thread develops, you will be responding to the comments and observations of your classmates as well as to the original discussion point.

Your individual Discussion Comments will be graded on a credit/no credit basis.

In order to receive an ‘A’ for this component of the class, you must participate in the discussion and receive credit for your responses for 90% of the discussion questions.
In order to receive a ‘B’, you must participate and receive credit for 80% of the discussions.
In order to receive a ‘C’, you must participate and receive credit for 70% of the discussions.
In order to receive a ‘D’, you must participate and receive credit for 60% of the discussions.
Participating in fewer than 60% of the discussions, or participating in more discussions but failing to receive credit for the comment, will result in an ‘F’ for this component of the course grade.

Grades for quizzes and assignments will be posted regularly for your review.

Course Syllabus By Week

Beside each date below, you will see the general list of readings for the week. For the specifics of these reading assignments, however, you will need to pick up the course lecture and assignments information which will be available by Monday and Thursday of each week on the Blackboard CourseSite: http://cvc.blackboard.com. There you will find that you will be assigned some of the readings listed below in the first half of the week and others in the second half.

Remember to check into the CourseSite to pick up new information and directions that will become available to you every Monday and Thursday!

Week 1 – Class Begins; An Overview of Fiction; Plot & Structure in the Short Story; Characters; Point of View of the Narrator

Readings Include:
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
"Barn Burning" by William Faulkner
"A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell
"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan

Week 2 - Discussion of the Short Story Continues
Setting: The Background
Tone: The Expression of Attitude
Symbolism
Idea or Theme: The Meaning and The Message

Readings Include:
"The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros
"And Sarah Laughed" by Joanne Greenberg
"A & P" by John Updike
"The Story of An Hour" by Kate Chopin
"The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck

Week 3 - Discussion of the Short Story Continues
First Paper Assignment is Given with Guidelines

Readings Include:
"The Horse Dealer’s Daughter" by D. H. Lawrence
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe

Week 4 - Discussion of Poetry Begins:
Characters & Setting in Poetry

Readings Include:
All examples pages 661-679;
"Song" by C. Day Lewis
"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe
"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
"A Letter Sent to Summer" by Jane Shore

By The End of This Week:
First Paper On Fiction is Due
First Unit Test on Fiction is Assigned and Due

Week 5 - Discussion of Poetry Continues
Words & Imagery
Tone & Sound

Readings Include:
"Night Sounds" by Carolyn Kizer
"A Time Past" by Denise Levertov
"It’s Only Rock and Roll…" by David Wojahn
"she being Brand / -new" by e. e. cummings
"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Week 6 - Discussion of Poetry Continues
Form; Symbol; Theme and Idea in Poetry
Second Paper Assignment (on Poetry) is Given

Readings Include:
"Desert Places" by Robert Frost
"Nikki-Rosa" by Nikki Giovanni
"Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall
"True Love" by Judith Viorst
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Week 7 - Discussion of Drama Begins
Dramatic Forms
Tragedy & Comedy; Realism and NonRealism

Readings Include:
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
By The End of This Week:
Second Paper on Poetry is Due
Second Unit Test on Poetry is Assigned & Due

Week 8 - Discussion of Drama Continues
Readings Continue with Death of A Salesman

Week 9 - This is the Final Week of the Course
Discussion of Drama Continues

Before the End of This Week:
Third Unit Test on Drama is Assigned & Due
Post-Course Survey is Due

Cypress College