| Unit name | Special Author Study |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL30023 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Mrs. Jess Farr-Cox |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important
The Special Author Study unit allows students to undertake a focused and detailed piece of longer coursework that is supported by seminar teaching and developed through independent research. The unit examines a range of authors from a broad chronological span. The texts presented are connected across time by a particular theme; each text is representative of the body of work by that particular author. Students are encouraged to work independently by formulating their own essay question and writing in a longer format over an extended period of time. This work is supported by specialised unit tutors who will lead individual seminars and act in the role of academic adviser to students working in their area of research interest. Special Author Study will embed the more advanced skills students will need for the remainder of their degree and particularly the dissertation unit, such as how to plan and structure a longer piece of written work, and how to assemble a wide range of appropriate critical or other materials to answer a specific question that they have chosen and phrased for themselves.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Focus units challenge and empower students to engage with specific elements of advanced literary study. These units, including the final-year dissertation, offer taught components but encourage and enable students to pursue their own research interests. Focus units cultivate ambition and independent learning while drawing on the programme’s range of teaching interests.
An overview of content
This unit is a series of deep dives into single works, looking at various novels from across a broad chronological period in detail. The texts selected are linked together by a theme and therefore by some common theoretical works and approaches. The content of this unit will support you to articulate research questions of your own; encourage you to interpret and apply scholarship in a variety of ways, and to form your own interpretations of the novels; and to prepare you for the dissertation by developing your research skillset as well as your ability to work more independently.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit will support students to be more assured in all stages of their work, from formulating an essay question to planning their work and the fine-tuning of editing. They will be enabled to become more thoughtful learners, capable of reading any kind of text with confidence in their own ideas. Finally, students should have a sense of how literary representations of ideas change between literary periods, allowing them to gain a sense of broader historical and literary perspectives that straddle traditional boundaries.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
This unit is normally taught through a series of 3-hour seminars. Seminars use a range of teaching methods including lectures, group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to attend all timetabled teaching, engage with the reading, and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation. Students will be offered the opportunity to build towards the final assessment. Informal formative activities may include presentations, essay planning, and feedback on shorter written exercises or written drafts.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
4,000 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL30023).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
