ENGL 330 Online Syllabus (class homepage)

PREREQUISITES: GE area A (esp. expository writing, e.g. ENGL 134, and reasoning, argumentation and writing, e.g. ENGL 145); AND GE area C1 (a 200-level literature class, e.g. ENGL 230 or 231or 251 or 252 or 253). Students enrolled in this class are assumed to have the basic writing, argumentation and analytic skills taught in the Prerequisite classes and to have prior experience in reading and analyzing literature at the 200-level.

A WRITING-INTENSIVE, G.E. AREA C4 CLASS. As a writing-intensive class, ENGL 330 requires a minimum of 3000 words of writing over the course of the quarter, and 50% of the course grade must be based on writing assignments. As a G.E. area C4 class, it provides historical perspective on a significant literary period; covers a range of literary genres and conventions; helps you understand both individual works and their relationship to the social, cultural, and historical context in which they were written, including attention to relevant issues of gender ande diversity; and aims to foster an appreciation of the connections between literary works and non-verbal forms such as the visual arts. Course readings, lectures and writing assignments aim to help you develop the skills necessary to read with insight, engagement, and detachment; to analyze and evaluate works from cultures which are unfamiliar to you; and to write clear, efffective textual analysis that is firmly grounded in close reading of literary texts.

GWR: As a C4 literature class, ENGL 330 may be taken by students wishing to fulfill the Graduate Writing Requirement (GWR). However, please be aware that successful completion of the course does not guarantee GWR certification. To achieve GWR certification, you must 1) have junior or senior standing; 2) pass the class with a grade of "C" or better (a C- is not adequate); and 3) WRITE A GWR-CERTIFIABLE ESSAY on the essay portion of either the midterm or the final exam. To achieve GWR certification, your exam essay must conform to the standards for formal analytic writing about literature: it must present a valid argument (appropiate and adequate content), be logically organized, illustrated with appropriate and adequate textual support, and written using correct mechanics (grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) and in the style appropriate to this kind of writing; see the Paper Writing Guidelines and Essay Evaluation Sheet if you are unsure about the conventions of formal analytic writing about literature. NOTE: Because the final course grade is based upon many factors, not just the exam essays, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A HIGH GRADE IN THE CLASS BUT NOT EARN GWR CERTIFICATION. In other words, if GWR certification is your ONLY reason for enrolling in this class, you may wish to investigate other options.

ENGL 330 introduces the vernacular-language literature of the British Middle Ages -- the foundation upon which modern English literature stands. In addition to presenting a number of important medieval authors and works, the course aims to familiarize you with medieval attitudes toward authorship and textuality, with medieval modes of textual production, and with specific textual practices relevant to the interpretation of medieval literature. By the end of the quarter, you will be familiar with the most significant English-language authors and works of the 8th to 15th centuries and have an understanding of the historical development of vernacular English literature during that period. You will be able to identify and distinguish between the most significant medieval literary genres. You will have gained an understanding of how medieval literature differs from modern literature (and from modern notions of what literature is): e.g. the differences between manuscript and print cultures; the tension between Latin and the vernacular languages; the emphasis on literature as an on-going process rather than an end product, and thus the inappropriateness of modern notions of "originality" or "intellectual property" in the medieval context.
Readings have been chosen as examples of the major literary genres practiced in the Middle Ages, to illustrate key themes, or to showcase individual authors. All readings except selected passages from the Canterbury Tales are read in modern translations.

Other goals of the course: to convince you that medieval literature is neither boring nor inaccessibly difficult; that it is not only interesting but fun to read; and that knowledge of medieval traditions provides a useful context for understanding the subsequent development of literature in English.

Much of what is presented will be new to most of you, and many of the readings reflect assumptions and ideas that appear strange to a 21st-century audience. For these reasons, several remarks are in order.

1) ENGL 330 is a READING-INTENSIVE COURSE. The material covered is unfamiliar, complex and challenging, the pace brisk. One week or another there will probably be a topic/author which you find difficult or simply do not enjoy. If and when this occurs, remember that we will soon move on to something else! Because ENGL 330 is a survey, you are not expected to master the material presented in the depth you would in a 400-level course with a narrower focus. So while you will need to keep up with the readings and should read carefully (using study guides), don't torture yourself if the details of a given text prove difficult to grasp. We are looking for the broad picture, not the close-up; the idea is to provide you with a sense of the way in which English literature -- and English perceptions of what literature is -- evolved during the course of the Middle Ages. Readings will be considered as contextual evidence reflecting the "world view" of the author and period when they were written.

2) Because literary production in the Middle Ages was largely controlled by the (Catholic) Church, many of the readings deal with Christian themes. We will approach these readings as cultural artifacts rather than as articles of faith, attempting to understand the society which produced them and the world view which they represent. While students familiar with portions of the Old and New Testaments may find this background useful, no prior knowledge of Judeo-Christian tradition is assumed or required. If something puzzles you, try the following (in this order!): a) check the footnotes and/or introduction to see if an explanation is provided; b) consult a dictionary or encyclopedia; and c) ask about it in class or office hours. (Chances are, someone else is just as puzzled as you are!)

3) Due to the time constraints under which we will be working, classes will focus on interpretation rather than description. Familiarity with the assigned readings (both background information and primary texts) will be assumed. Readings will NOT be summarized for you in class (which ideally should involve discussion as well as lecture). For these reasons, the success of the course depends largely on you. Please make a personal commitment to come to class regularly, punctually, and prepared. Without these preconditions, ENGL 330 will be of little or no use to you -- and no fun for any of us! SO: be prepared for an intense quarter. But also remember: ENGL 330 SHOULD be -- and usually is -- a lot of fun!

TEXTBOOKS: Some required textbooks have been ordered and are available at the bookstore. If you choose to order them on-line, you MUST got THIS EDITION of the book; DO NOT substitute another edition or translation for these printed works. NOTE: Letters in [square brackets] indicate the abbreviation used to designate this textbook on Calendar of Assignments. D: Medieval Library

NOTE: The following recommended courseware is also available at El Corral (but is not required for this class):

CLASS EMAIL ALIAS: Important announcements concerning this class will be sent over the class email alias: engl-330-01-2192@calpoly.edu . The class email alias is automatically generated using the email address of each enrolled student found in the Cal Poly Directory server. If your Cal Poly email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must

ENGL 330 is designed to encourage YOUR interaction with and enjoyment of the medieval texts we are studying. Because familiarity with the historical and cultural context is needed to understand and appreciate medieval works, assigned background readings and class lectures are an integral component of the class.

Readings on the Calendar of Assignments should be completed BEFORE coming to class on the date assigned. Ideally, introductions and background handouts should be read first; they are the context within which primary readings (i.e. the medieval texts) will be most meaningful. The Introduction and timeline in the Norton Anthology (NA pp. 3-28) provide an overview of historical developments. The NA also has good headnotes to individual authors and works as well as a useful appendix on Literary Terminology (NA pp. A10-A30). Specific introductory pages from other textbooks are assigned on the Calendar of Assignments. Other background information is provided in online readings and study guides. Please note that this background material is an integral part of the course and will be covered on exams. When reading primary texts, refer conscientiously to the critical apparatus (footnotes, glossary, etc.).

A Study Guide will be provided to guide your reading. USE IT!! As a rule, guides will contain a number of general questions based on background information, followed by questions concerning the primary readings. Familiarize yourself with the study questions BEFORE you begin to read, and refer to guide frequently AS you read, jotting down notes as you go along. Upon completing your readings, it's helpful to reread the questions and write up a summary of your ideas. This summary will NOT be collected or graded, but will be helpful in preparing for papers and exams--and class discussion!

Be prepared to DISCUSS readings in class. Note that length and difficulty of assignments vary, so look ahead in the reading list when you are planning your time. You are responsible for ALL the assigned readings, whether fully discussed in class or not, and for material covered in lectures and discussions.

PARTICIPATION, INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT, AND COLLABORATION: ENGL 330 is designed to encourage YOUR interaction with and enjoyment of the medieval texts we are studying. Because familiarity with the historical and cultural context is needed to understand medieval works, assigned background readings and lectures are an integral component of the class. While ENGL 330 is lecture-based, your regular presence will make a real difference in both your enjoyment of the material and the success of the class. You are expected to interact with classmates both during in-class group discussion activities and through participation in a PolyLearn Discussion Group. YOUR active participation is essential to the success of ENGL 330!

Occasional absences due to personal
circumstances are understandable . . . but not excused!

REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN YOUR POLYLEARN DISCUSSION GROUP ARE REQUIRED. Due to the fast pace, any absence causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Please note that EVERY absence will affect the 25% of your course grade that is based on Participation, Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration. Additionally, each missing ungraded assignment (e.g. Discussion Group postings and peer-editing assignments) will be treated like an unexcused Absence, and will affect the Participation, Intellectual Engagement and Collaboration component of your final grade, reducing it from a base of 4.0.

If you have a valid reason for missing class (illness, family crisis, other unavoidable conflict), TELL ME IN WRITING. A written explanation, either in an email or a hard copy note signed by you, is required for an absence to count as excused; be sure to include your full name, the class number, the date(s) missed, and the reason(s) for the absence(s). Any absence for which you do not provide a written explanation will be recorded as unexcused.

Each student starts out with a 4.0 (A) for Participation, Intellectual Engagement and Collaboration. This component of your final grade drops by .05 each for the first and second EXCUSED absences (4.0 to 3.95 to 3.9) and .1 for the third and fourth EXCUSED absences (3.9 to 3.8 to 3.7). This means that if you have only EXCUSED absences, you can miss four class meetings -- a full week, over 10% of the class content -- and still receive an A- (3.7) for attendance.
Additionally, this component of your course grade drops .3 for the first UNEXCUSED absence; the Unexcused Absence penalty increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused absence (from .3 to .4 to .5, etc.). Please note that after four excused absences, any additional absences will be counted as unexcused.

Please note that only absences due to illness, family crisis, or circumstances which are truly beyond your control count as excused. Deadlines for other courses, work conflicts, and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class; you are responsible for keeping work commitments from conflicting with academic ones. Exception: if you are a graduating senior and must travel out of town for a final interview, ONE such absence will count as excused. Please do not schedule local interviews or other appointments during class meetings.

FOR AN ABSENCE TO BE EXCUSED, YOU MUST NOTIFY ME IN WRITING (email preferred). On the subject line, put your class (ENGL 330), the word absence, and the day and date when you missed class (for example, "ENGL 330 absence W 1/9/19"). Please repeat that information in the body of your email and provide a full explanation of the circumstances leading to your absence. (I must understand why you needed to miss class in order to evaluate whether your absence qualifies as excused.)

Online Conversations; Engagement with the Texts and with Each Other. Attendance is not the sole measure of your participation; I am also interested in your intellectual engagement with the material and your willingness to collaborate with your peers as demonstrated by regular participation in an online PolyLearn Discussion Group and through peer-editing of written assignments.

While I notice and appreciate active participation in class discussions, I don't like to penalize students who are less comfortable speaking up in class. The most important measure of your Intellectual Engagement and Collaboration is your out-of-class participation in your assigned Polylearn Discussion Group Forum, to which you will submit 4 (ungraded) Mini-Essays (MEs) and 8 (ungraded) Classmate Responses (CRs). While these assignments are not graded as Written Work, each ungraded assignment that is not submitted to the Discussion Group Forum counts as an Unexcused Absence and will negatively impact the 25% of your course grade that is based on Participation, Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration.

Because ENGL 330 is a writing-intensive GE class, at least 50% of your course grade must be based on written work. The out-of-class writing assignments will be of two sorts:

-- MINI-ESSAY SPECIFICS: These short assignments are designed to make you attentive to details in the works under discussion. They should be narrowly focused on topics that can be covered within the two-page target length. The two-page target length will also oblige you to get to the point (lead with your conclusion; articulate your claims fully and explicitly; avoid broad statements and generalities; no "hook!"); to cut out unnecessary wordiness ("dead wood"); and to express your ideas clearly and concisely.

MEs may be a response to a study question. They should focus on analyzing how a specific aspect of a medieval work helps communicate an author's message or intentions. Regardless of the topic you choose, mini-essays MUST include analysis and interpretation of carefully chosen citations from the text. An effective ME uses close reading of carefully chosen textual evidence to support an interpretive claim about the text or film. You will need a narrow focus so that you can really "unpack" the language and/or images in the scenes and passages you discuss without exceeding the two-page target length. Careful analysis of a single character, a specific relationship, a key image, or an important scene or speech may be enough to fill two pages.

MEs should present a logically organized argument to demonstrate the validity of an explicitly stated interpretive claim; don't simply describe characters or relationships or summarize the plot. HINT: It is often fruitful to analyze how a key image or theme is presented in a limited number of passages or scenes. Close attention to specific imagery, word choice, etc. in a single descriptive passage or significant scene may be enough to fill your two-page target length! Whatever you decide, your MEs must be grounded in close reading: interpretive analysis of specific passages and scenes.

For fuller details, see the Mini-Essay Assignment Guidelines and the Essay Evaluation Checklist. NOTE: You should familiarize yourself with this checklist before you start to write, and take care to avoid the issues and errors that are included on the Checklist and in the Grading Codes!

POSTING GUIDELINES: Mini-Essays are due no later than midnight on the Fridays indicated on the Calendar of Assignments. The text of your Mini-Essays must be pasted into the message field of your Discussion Group posting so that classmates can respond to it in a Discussion thread. Additionally, you must attach your ME as a .docx file so that I can easily access the first draft of the MEs submitted for a grade and evaluate the changes made during the revision process.

-- IMPORTANT: in order to receive credit for each ME, you must post at least two short (but thoughtful) Classmate responses [= "CRs"] to MEs posted by two members of your Polylearn Discussion Group (with whom you may agree or disagree, as long as you do so respectfully and back up your response with your own textual support). CRs must including at least one ADDITIONAL quotation from the text (i.e. a quotation that was not included in the ME to which you are responding) in support of your observations. CRs are due no later than midnight on the Sundays indicated on the Calendar of Assignments.

GRADED WRITING ASSIGNMENT:

Because effective writing is the result of an ongoing process of revision, the three-page Paper you submit for a grade should be a carefully edited revision/expansion of an ME submitted to your PolyLearn discussion group; it must cover substantial new ground and should be 50% longer (three pages) than your initial 2-page ME posting. (Even the strongest writing can be improved through the revision process.)

Although most students choose to wait until the end of the quarter to submit their 3-page paper for grading, you may turn it in earlier in the quarter. To allow time for thoughtful revision and careful editing, hard copy of an ME submitted for a grade will not be accepted earlier than a week after CRs have been posted. Students are encouraged to discuss their ideas with Dr. Schwartz during an office hour, take a draft of their ME to the University Writing Center, and/or get additional feedback from a friend or classmate who is familiar with the conventions of writing about literature (or who has read and understands those conventions, as articulated in the ME Guidelines, the Paper Guidelines formerly used for the final paper in ENGL 380, and the Essay Evaluation Checklist) prior to submitting the revised ME for grading.

-- ONE of your two-page Mini-Essays will be revised and expanded to a three-page graded paper which must be turned in in hard copy, along with a hard-copy print-out of the original ME that has been peer-edited by another member of your Discussion Group. This carefully edited revision/expansion is worth 25% of your course grade. To allow time for careful revision and editing, the revised/expanded ME submitted for grading must be submitted at least one week after Classmate responses have been posted. The header for the revision should begin "Revised ME #: Title."

-- IMPORTANT: in order to receive credit for your Mini-Essays, you must post at least two short (but thoughtful) Classmate Responses [= "CR"] to the MEs posted by two other members of your Polylearn Discussion Group (with whom you may agree or disagree, as long as you do so respectfully and back up your response with your own textual support from the play). CRs must including at least one ADDITIONAL quotation from the work under discussion (a quotation that was not included in the ME to which you are responding) in support of your observations. Classmate responses are due no later than midnight on the the dates indicated on the Calendar of Assignments (generally, 2 days after Mini-Essays are due).

Your eight classmate responses will not be graded as Written Work, but they are required to get credit for your Graded Paper and they factor into the Participation, Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration component of your final course grade: each missing Classmate Response counts as an Unexcused Absence. Additionally, your peer-editing of the first draft of the essay revised and submitted for credit by another member of your Discussion Group is REQUIRED; failure to peer-edit the ME of ONE member of your Discussion Group WILL COUNT AS AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.

There are two Peer-Editing assignments (which each student must complete for ONE other member of her/his Discussion Group). The first is "dry-run" peer edit of ME 1 which ALL students will complete and turn in to Dr. Schwartz. The second, "official" Peer Edit will be completed for a classmate as part of her/his revision process prior to submitting her/his expanded/revised paper for a grade. Both Peer Edits require the Peer Editor to fill out a hard copy print-out of the Essay Evaluation Checklist available as a printer-friendly document on Polylearn (a print-out of the Essay Evaluation Checklist webpage will not be accepted); to write corrections and editing suggestions on the first draft of the ME under revision using the Error Codes at the bottom of the Essay Evaluation Checklist; to CIRCLE on that checklist ALL error codes used in peer-editing the first draft ME; and to write an end comment that points to strengths and/or weaknesses of the ME and provides at least one suggestion for what new material to include while expanding the paper to three pages.

On the front of the hard-copy check-list, the Peer Editor's name must be clearly indicated ("Feedback by NAME") along with the name of the person whose ME is being responded to ("Feedback to NAME"); also indicate your Discussion Group number. If the names are not included, the Peer Editor will not receive credit for this required assignment.

On the front of the hard-copy check-list, the Peer Editor's name must be clearly indicated ("Feedback by NAME") along with the name of the person whose ME is being responded to ("Feeback to NAME"); also indicate your Discussion Group number. If the names are not included, the Peer Editor will not receive credit for this required assignment.

The final paper submitted for grading must be submitted in hard copy AND in an electronic copy (.docx file) that I can submit, if necessary, to a Plagiarism checker. The electronic copy submitted by email MUST:

Sure you can -- if you keep up with the readings! But DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, you will need to budget time for this class.

Finally. . . remember that I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusiasm makes my classes more fun!

Scribes at work

A Note on Academic Integrity:

Cheating includes (but is not limited to) sharing or discussion of quiz passages or exam questions with students who have not yet taken a quiz or exam; making copies of materials that are not allowed to circulate (e.g. graded or ungraded exams); or any other use of course materials from a previous quarter that gives you an advantage over other students without your Instructor's knowledge and explicit permission. Incidents of Cheating will be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs and may result in a Failing Grade.

Plagiarism is a serious offense. I expect that you understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to correctly use and cite information in your papers. In its most basic definition, plagiarism means 1) passing off someone else's work as your own or 2) taking ideas and/or words from others without properly citing them.

In this class, you may refer to ideas or concepts defined in lectures and on my web pages without citing the lectures and web pages explicitly, since I consider that information and these concepts to be "yours" to use freely (provided that you do not copy language directly from my pages). The writing assignments in this class should cite ONLY the Shakespeare's texts, not secondary sources or critics. Both ungraded MEs and the graded ME revision/expansion paper should cite only the play itself and offer arguments grounded in close reading of the text. It is unlikely that students who adhere to these guidelines might inadvertently commit plagiarism in this class.

I strongly recommend that you do NOT consult other online resources for "help" as you grapple with these texts, since in my experience, students using these sites have been most prone to inadvertent (and occasionally deliberate) plagiarism. If you DO consult such materials, you MUST list these resources in a "Works Consulted" section of your ME or graded Paper. Please note that a Work Consulted listing, along with the normal Work Cited listing, will cut significantly into the already limited room you have to make your argument (no more than 2 pp. for an ME or 3 pp. for the revised/expanded graded paper). It is to your advantage to complete the assignments as they are intended; the online resources you may find will not typically help you complete these assignments successfully, and the consequences of even inadvertent plagiarism are high.

That said, if you are unsure of how to avoid plagiarism in your papers, you should talk to me before you turn in the paper. Turning in a writing assignment completed in whole or in part by another individual, or adapted from another individual's work, is plagiarism. If you are caught plagiarizing in this course, you will fail the course and you may be expelled from the university. Finally, you may not turn in a paper you completed for another class for credit in this class; similarly, you cannot turn in work completed in this class for credit in any other class without obtaining express permission from that professor.

For your convenience, I am including below the language from Cal Poly's Academic Integrity policy (CAP 681; see <http://www.osrr.calpoly.edu/plagiarism/> ):

"Cal Poly will not tolerate academic cheating or plagiarism in any form. Academic dishonesty is addressed both as an academic issue and as a disciplinary incident under the CSU Standards for Student Conduct. [. . .] Plagiarism is defined as the act of using intentionally or unintentionally the ideas or work of another person or persons as if they were one's own without giving proper credit to the source. Such an act is not plagiarism if it is ascertained that the ideas were arrived through independent reasoning or logic, or where the thought or idea is common knowledge. Acknowledgement of an original author or source must be made through appropriate references, i.e., quotation marks, footnotes, or commentary. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following: the submission of a work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; failure to give credit for ideas, statements, facts or conclusions which rightfully belong to another; failure to use quotation marks [. . .] when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or even a part thereof; close and lengthy paraphrasing of another's writing without credit or originality; and use of another's [paper], project or [. . . ] part thereof without giving credit. Submitting the same project to multiple instructors as a unique creation may also be considered plagiarism. A project produced for another class must be cited just as when citing any other source. Prior to resubmitting work from a previous course, a student must receive explicit written permission from the instructor of the current course. A project produced for another class must also be cited just as when citing any other source."

Additionally, you should be aware that sharing information about reading quizzes and/or exams with students who have not yet completed the quiz or exam is a violation of Cal Poly's rules concerning Academic Integrity. If you are caught sharing information about quiz or exam questions, you will fail the course and you may be expelled from the university.

Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1999-2019