Hello, potential students! In this class, we will study British literature from the late 1700s through the early the 20th century. We will cover the Romantic, Victorian, and Modernist periods; however, we will place a heavy emphasis on the Romantic period as a foundation for what follows, and we will follow a Gothic thread throughout the class, which will include texts such as The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Social justice themes (e.g., slavery, the "woman question," social class, and imperialism) pervade these texts, as do debates about literary aesthetics.

 

Instructor:

Dr. Sally Demarest

 

Email: 

sarah_demarest@cuesta.edu

 

This course will meet in a hybrid modality:

We will meet in person on Tuesdays from 12:00pm-1:20pm in Room 6106, and will we conduct the rest of the class asynchronously online. There will be no required Zoom meetings during the rest of the week, but there will be some optional office hours during which you can ask questions and talk to me about your work.

 

Course Start and End Dates: 

January 16, 2024-May 17, 2024

 

How to Begin:

Please login to Canvas on the first day of the semester (see dates above) and begin working in the class.  If you do not log in within the first three days of the class, you may be dropped so that I can accommodate other students who are trying to add the class.

Prior to the first day of class, I will send an email to your my.cuesta.edu address providing you with a reminder that class will be starting and log in procedures for Canvas, the learning management system (LMS) used to deliver course content. You can access Canvas by logging into MyCuesta, then clicking on the Resources Tab, then clicking on Canvas in the Online Learning Channel, or by typing the Canvas address into your browser address bar. 

If you are not familiar with logging into Canvas, please refer to the Canvas Quick Reference GuideLinks to an external site.. Once logged into Canvas, click on the ENGL 246B course card on your dashboard, and then you will be given directions for how to get started. Be sure to read all the directions on the course home page. If you are having difficulty logging into Canvas and need assistance please email me, or email technical support at this email address: support@my.cuesta.edu.

If you need to contact me before the class starts, please email me any time:

sarah_demarest@cuesta.edu

 

Catalog Description:

Provides an introduction to the study of literature with an emphasis in both literary composition and critical thinking. This course develops critical thinking and writing skills through the close study of major genres of literature: poetry, fiction, and drama. Students receive instruction in analytical and argumentative writing by studying literature and criticism and by identifying sound and fallacious methods of reasoning in assessments of literature.

 

Learning Management System that houses the class:

Canvas

 

What you should know:

• This course is 18 weeks.
• We weekly in-person meetings on Thursdays from 9:00-10:20am in Room 6301.
• There will also be optional times when we can meet on Zoom, but there won't be required Zoom meetings.
• We will have some online discussion and assignments.
• You will have homework assignments and readings due every week.
• You will write a series of essays that will include drafts and peer reviews.

 

Required Texts (can be purchased through the Cuesta BookstoreLinks to an external site.):

• Longman Anthology of British Literature, Vol. 2A (5^th ed), 2B and 2C (4^th ed.), Damrosch, et al.
• Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, Penguin Classics
• Regular access to the internet, email, and Canvas

 

When to Start:

Please login to Canvas on by Tuesday, January 18^th, and begin working in the class.  

 

Waitlist:

If you are on the waitlist for the course, be sure to check your email regularly (it's best to check twice a day). If a spot becomes available, you will receive an automated message from Cuesta, and you will have just 24 hours to add the class, or you will lose the spot and be dropped from the waitlist. If you are still on the waitlist when the class starts, please email me on the first day of class to check on your status and the likelihood that you’ll be able to add.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course the students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of selected major authors, texts, and genres of the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern periods of literature.
2. Analyze the relationship between texts and their historical, philosophical, social, political, religious, and aesthetic contexts.
3. Write clear and coherent interpretive arguments about British literature that are supported by textual and contextual evidence.
4. Demonstrate comprehension of texts and contexts through productive academic discussion about works from the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern periods of British literature.

 

Required Regular and Effective Contact:

This course requires regular and effective contact among all students and the instructor for the full 18 weeks of the course. We will achieve this in a variety of ways, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• weekly in-person meetings
• interaction between students (and the instructor) in discussion forums and collaborative assignments
• weekly homework readings and submissions
• virtual office hours
• optional Zoom meetings
• viewing of short video lectures and content
• instructor feedback on written work
• announcements
• email messages

 

Accommodations: 

This course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class, such as extended time on exams or other resources, please work with Disabled Students Programs and Services and the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.

DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services)Links to an external site. or 805-546-3148.  

 

 

About Canvas, the Course Learning Management System (LMS):

This online course will be using a Web-based Learning Management System called Canvas as the method to disseminate information. Canvas provides the framework for the course including PowerPoint presentations, student data files, the tools to receive and send course materials, and a grade book. Using the communication tools, you can communicate using e-mail, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forums and groups. Please feel free to ask questions, look up YouTube videos on how Canvas works, and contact our support desk when needing help: support@my.cuesta.edu. If you send an email to the support desk, please describe the problem you are experiencing and include your name, class, section number (CRN), and instructor's name.

 

Online Learning:

If you have never taken an online class or this is your first experience with Canvas, please be patient with yourself and with the technology. Online classes are not inherently easier, although they may be much more convenient for many students. You should expect to spend at least as much time as you would on a 4-unit course that meets face to face (8-12 hours per week), and sometimes it will feel like it takes more time than a regular course because you have to do so much of the work on your own. Since there is no lecture component, much of this time will be self directed, and there will be a substantial amount of reading, video viewing, studying, and writing required. This course is completely online using Canvas; all coursework (discussions, assignments, quizzes) is submitted online. There are no face-to- face meetings.

 

 

 

PLEASE REVIEW THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RESOURCES BELOW

 

Canvas Browser requirements/minimum computer specifications

Academic Policies (add, drop, waitlist, academic honesty, etc.)

Distance Education Support

Disabled Student Programs and Services

If you have a disability and might need accommodations (support services) in this class, please contact Disabled Student Program & Services in Building 3300 as soon as possible to ensure that you receive the accommodations in a timely manner.