WELCOME TO ENG 214-B1Y

a hybrid class

WHAT ARE HYBRID CLASSES?
 

Hybrid courses combine the face-to-face interaction of a regular on-ground class with the flexibility and convenience of an Internet class.

Hybrids can be especially helpful for students with work, family, and other obligations that make it difficult for them to attend the three hours of class on-campus each week. It is also a good choice for students who might be interested in completely online classes but still feel the need for some face-to-face time with the instructor and fellow students.

This ENG 214 section will meet on campus with the instructor only once a week on Tuesdays from 11:10 to 12:35 in Wade-Martin (room to be assigned) in a workshop format. For the rest of the time, students interact on the course website (from home and at times convenient for them). Although students are on campus only half as much as in a traditional class, their access to the instructor and fellow students is much greater.

INSTRUCTOR

Travis Gordon, travisgordon@mindspring.com, 738-7785

ORIENTATION

No orientation is required for this class. Students will receive WebCT training and assistance in class during the first two weeks. 

TEXTS

The following texts will be available at the MTC bookstore on Beltline (NOT Airport) or via the Web on sites like Amazon.com [http://www.amazon.com] or ECampus [http://www.ecampus.com/homepage_html.html]. There are other textbook sites. If you are ordering your books from an online textbook website, you are responsible for getting the books by the time classes start. You must pay for fast delivery if ordering at the last minute.

Arana, Marie. Cellophane.

Chopin, Kate. The Awakening

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road.

Pickering, James. H. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Fiction. 11th ed.

Pickering, James H. Reader's Guide to the Short Story to Accompany "Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Fiction." 11th ed. [ISBN 0-13-173391-5] This 100-page booklet usually ships with the Pickering anthology. It is a required textbook for this class. 

Proulx, Annie. Close Range: Wyoming Stories. (We will be reading selections from this anthology. Not all the stories are required reading.)

You will be reading an additional novel and reporting on it in your analytical paper.

PREREQUISITES

English 102

COURSE
DESCRIPTION

This course introduces you to narratives from several cultures and will help you develop appropriate strategies for reading fiction. We will concentrate on the nature of genres and on analytical reading and writing.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completing Eng 214, you should be able to:

• identify and describe different genres of narrative fiction.

• analyze the literary elements of various genres of narrative fiction.

• understand and evaluate some of the cultural factors that determine the conventions of certain genres.

• increase your understanding and appreciation of narrative fiction through research (using both traditional print and web sources).

MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS

The student is required to:

• Submit all reading responses.

• Participate in weekly discussions of readings (in class and online weekly).

• Take all quizzes.

• Write one 3-5 page analytical essay and revise if necessary.

• Work as part of a group to design and produce a website incorporating traditional paper and web research. The group will use small group discussion boards, email, and chat rooms to collaborate on this project. This project will require access to a college library.

• Submit two essay exams

COURSE
GRADE

Your grade for the course will be calculated as follows. For the role of participation, check the course FAQ on the course website on your first visit.

Your course grade (in course points): A (270-300 points), B (240-269 points), C (210-239 points), D (180-209 points). F (179 points and below)

COURSE
OVERVIEW

Here's a quick overview of the course. We begin the semester by looking at the terminology we'll be using to discuss narratives—with special focus on the concept of genres. The Pickering Reader's Guide will be our focus.

We will read and discuss a selection of stories from the Pickering anthology and several of the stories in Proulx's Close Range. We then read three novels reflecting different social classes, values, and beliefs. Each student will read a fourth novel selected from a list and write an analytical paper.

Writing assignments? Throughout the course, you will be submitting reading responses (or microthemes). These average 300-400 words each. You will also contribute to discussions on the class bulletin board. You will complete one analytical paper of approximately 1,200 words. In the last month of the course, you will work in a group to produce a term project, a webquest or web-based research project.

Quizzes and exams? I'll be posting quizzes on the web site frequently. The questions I ask are not demanding. I give these reading quizzes only to encourage you to complete the readings on time and to focus the discussion that follows. Doing well on them will help your course grade considerably.

OTHER
HELPFUL
RESOURCES

MTC Bookstore
Tuition Information