An online undergraduate course for 60 students
English 230 | Fall 2020 at the University of Victoria
Zoom Class: Tuesdays, 10:30 - 11:20am (optional)
Zoom Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:30am - 12:30pm; Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30pm (also optional)
Taught by Jentery Sayers (he / him / his; jentery@uvic.ca)
With Faith Ryan (she / her / hers), teaching assistant
This syllabus is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.
Contents:
How do we not only read stories but also see, hear, watch, and play them? This course samples various approaches to engaging audio, images, and text in fiction, which has a long and rich history of storymaking with media, from theatre, oral storytelling, and illustrated novels to comics, animation, and radio drama. We’ll examine important works of fiction from the 21st century across numerous formats, including short fiction, graphic novels, podcasts, and games. Along the way, you’ll learn how to write about media and fiction for the web and how to integrate a range of modalities into the interpretive process. I’ll assume no previous experience with media studies or media arts.
In “Contemporary Media and Fiction” (English 230), you’ll learn to:
All four of these outcomes should apply to work across disciplines and occupations, regardless of your major at UVic. They are all incredibly useful when you’re interpreting media and writing for the web.
My name is Jentery Sayers (he / him / his; jentery@uvic.ca). I’m a settler scholar and associate professor of English and Cultural, Social, and Political Thought (CSPT) at UVic. I also direct the Praxis Studio for Comparative Media Studies. I did my MA and PhD in English at the University of Washington in Seattle, and I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where I got my BA and BS (at Virginia Commonwealth University). I’ve been at UVic since 2011, and I teach courses on American fiction, media and cultural studies, and prototyping. This is the 33rd class I’ve taught here, but my first online. I’ll be learning quite a bit as we go. Thanks for your patience, and apologies in advance for any hiccups on my end.
And my name is Faith Ryan (she / her / hers). I’m a settler on unceded Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ lands, and I am grateful for the years I’ve been able to study here. I’m a graduate student in English at UVic, and I did my BA at UVic as well. I’m originally from Ogden, Utah, but I spent most of my high school years in the lower mainland BC. I like contemporary Canadian and American fiction and approaching culture, in all its forms, from a disability studies perspective. Feel free to reach out over the term, even if you’re unsure whether it’s something I can assist you with. If it isn’t, then I can point you in the right direction. I hope you enjoy the course!
I’m asking you to do two things this term:
There are no essays or presentations required for this course. There is no exam, either. Faith and I will be grading your work, and we’ll provide you with rubrics for the blog and discussion forums.
If you are interested and able to participate in a synchronous session, then we’ll meet on Zoom every Tuesday, from 10:30am until 11:20am. Please note that Zoom meetings are optional. I’ll email you the URL for our Zoom, and it’ll remain the same for the entire term.
After our first meeting, the structure of the meetings will remain consistent throughout the term (this way, you know what to expect and may plan accordingly):
I’ll post the prerecorded remarks as well as a recording of the Zoom session to the Brightspace each week in case you’re unable to attend the Zoom meetings or you’d like to refer to my remarks later. The Zoom sessions will also be a space for you to begin, if not complete, your contributions to the discussion forum for the week.
Faith and I will also offer two optional office hours in Zoom each week: Tuesdays, 11:30am - 12:30pm; Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30pm. The URL for office hours will be the same as the URL for weekly meetings, and office hours will be open to everyone who would like to join. We may, from time to time, have a theme for office hours, mostly to engage particular questions you might have as a group at a specific moment during the course.
The balance of the course, including the discussion forums and the blog, will happen in the course Brightspace, which you should be able to access via your UVic account. If you cannot access the Brightspace, then please let me know. You’ll use Brightspace to submit your assignments, and we will all use it to engage in weekly conversations. I’ll also use it to return marks, post announcements, and point to you resources here and there.
The most important thing to know about this course is that I’ll opt for care in every instance. If the workload becomes too much, or we’re juggling more than we should, then we’ll cut materials, including assignments, as we go. I’ve planned for the maximum in advance, under the assumption that we won’t get to everything. And that’s totally fine.
I suggest dedicating 3 to 5 hours of study each week to this course, plus 1.5 hours for the weekly Zoom meetings if you’re able to attend them. To frame expectations and decrease overwork, I assign in the schedule (below) a number of recommended hours to each aspect of the course, and I communicate progress in terms of weekly steps (0-13) toward completing the course, partially because online learning makes time weird for us all, and focusing on one thing can be a struggle right now, to say the least.
Of course, 3 to 5 hours per week is only a guideline. You may find that you need more or less time depending on the activity, your preferences, and your own familiarity with the work and materials involved.
We’ll examine the role of media in contemporary fiction. This means we’ll talk a lot about audio, images, and text: how we read works of fiction but also play, watch, and listen to them.
Here’s a list of works we’ll study in the course. You need to purchase only the first one on the list (Bechdel’s Fun Home).
If this ends up being too much for the term, then we’ll cut material, or some of it will be optional.
I’m also providing you with a free, online textbook on contemporary media and fiction. I wrote it with teaching and learning at UVic in mind. It’s intended primarily for UVic students. Each chapter is available in audio and text formats for listening and/or reading.
Again, the only text I’m asking you to purchase is a copy of Bechdel’s Fun Home (print or ebook), which is available at the UVic Bookstore. It’s $25 new and $18.75 used.
You do not need to purchase any software for this course; however, you’ll need access to the internet and a computer, including a text editor. (There’s more about text editors in the textbook.)
Here’s the schedule for the term. I’ve designed it to scaffold the learning process by presenting the course as a series of 14 steps, each with instructions and assigned materials, accompanied by a number of recommended hours to spend on the tasks at hand (given, again, the “timesoup” that is online learning). The final step corresponds with the completion of the course.
I will use a Brightspace announcement to notify you at least two weeks in advance of any changes. Please note that all discussion forums are in Brightspace, and you’ll publish your blog via your UVic webspace (details about that process are in the textbook).
Before our first optional Zoom meeting on September 15th, please:
Thank you!
This week’s step should consume no more than thirty minutes of your time. Please:
Much appreciated.
This week’s step should consume no more than four hours of your time.
Please note that Friday, September 25th is the last day for adding courses that begin in the first term.
This week’s step should consume no more than four hours of your time.
This week’s step should consume no more than four hours of your time.
Please note that Tuesday, October 13th is the last day for 50% reduction of tuition fees for this course. 100% of tuition fees will be assessed for drops after this date. If you want me to update you on the status of your marks at this time, then please don’t hesitate to ask.
This week’s step should consume no more than two hours of your time.
index.html file and URL for your blog via the “Blog 1” assignment. Your blog should contain three entries (1A, 2A, and 3A), and your URL should follow this convention: studentweb.uvic.ca/~NetLinkID/cmf/, where NetLinkID is your UVic NetLink ID. For instance, if I had a studentweb account, then the URL for my course blog would be: studentweb.uvic.ca/~jentery/cmf/. My NetLinkID is jentery, and my UVic email address is jentery@uvic.ca. It’s odd, but the ~ in the URL is required.Please note that October 12th is Thanksgiving Monday.
This week’s step should consume no more than four hours of your time.
We’ll return your marks for Blog 1 and Discussion 1 this week.
This week’s step should consume no more than three hours of your time.
Please note that Saturday, October 31st is the last day for withdrawing from first term courses without penalty of failure.
This week’s step should consume no more than five hours of your time.
Step away from the course, the discussion forums, and your blog for a bit. Take care. There’s nothing due this week.
This week’s step should consume no more than four hours of your time.
This week’s step should consume no more than three hours of your time.
studentweb.uvic.ca/~NetLinkID/cmf/, where NetLinkID is your UVic NetLink ID. For instance, if I had a studentweb account, then the URL for my course blog would be: studentweb.uvic.ca/~jentery/cmf/. My NetLinkID is jentery, and my UVic email address is jentery@uvic.ca. It’s odd, but the ~ in the URL is required.This week’s step should consume no more than five hours of your time.
We’ll return your Blog 2 and Discussion 2 marks this week.
The last step! Congrats! This one should take no more than six hours of your time.
studentweb.uvic.ca/~NetLinkID/cmf/, where NetLinkID is your UVic NetLink ID. For instance, if I had a studentweb account, then the URL for my course blog would be: studentweb.uvic.ca/~jentery/cmf/. My NetLinkID is jentery, and my UVic email address is jentery@uvic.ca. It’s odd, but the ~ in the URL is required.There are no prerequisites for this 200-level English course.
Blog 3 and either Blog 1 or Blog 2 are required to pass this course. Failure to complete these two assignments will result in a failing N grade (calculated as a 0 for your GPA).
Faith and I will use UVic’s official grading system to produce rubrics for the blog and discussion forums and assess your work accordingly. I do not post marks publicly or outside my office, and I do not use plagiarism detection software.
If you need to request an extension or you’re concerned about the possibility of a late submission, then please email me. I understand that extensions may be necessary for numerous reasons, especially right now. I will comment on all assigned work I receive from you during the term, regardless of when it’s submitted.
The best way to communicate with me is by email (jentery@uvic.ca) and Zoom, either by appointment or during my office hours, which are Tuesdays, 11:30am - 12:30pm, and Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30pm. You can also communicate with Faith by email and Zoom, either by appointment or during the same office hours.
We respond to work email between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Faith and I will provide feedback via Brightspace on each assignment. Feedback on discussions (Discussion 1 and 2) will be bundled with feedback on Blog 1 and 2.
Throughout the term, I’ll request feedback (verbal and in writing) from you on how the course is going. I’ll also ask you to complete Course Experience Surveys at the end of the term (during or just after our last Zoom meeting).
Weekly attendance in our Zoom meetings is optional. I will post on Brightspce recordings of our meetings, including my prerecorded remarks, which will be available in audio and text. Zoom recordings will be available in video.
Participation in discussion forums (marked twice, as Discussion 1 and 2, each 10% of your mark) is expected, but see me with any concerns you have. I’m happy to work with you depending on your situation and schedule.
The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing, and protecting a positive, supportive, and safe working and learning environment for all its members. You and I are expected to adhere to UVic’s equity and human rights policies. You should alert me immediately if you have any questions about these policies and their application, or if you have concerns about course proceedings or participants.
You and I are expected to adhere to UVic’s academic integrity policy and be aware of the policies for the evaluation of student course work. Violations of the integrity policy will result in a failing grade for the given assignment and may additionally result in a failing grade for the course. By taking this course, you agree that all submitted assignments may be subject to an originality review. I do not use software to detect plagiarism in essays or any other assignments.
All course materials are made available by me for educational purposes and for the exclusive use of students in this course. The material is protected under copyright law, even if not marked as such. The syllabus itself is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Any further use or distribution of materials to others requires my written permission, except under fair dealing or another exception in the Copyright Act. Violations may result in discplinary action under the Resolution of Non-Academic Misconduct Allegations policy (AC1300).
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability or health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals, and arrange appropriate accommodations. The sooner you let us know your needs, the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.
Faith and I would like to create a learning environment that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences, and also honours your identities (including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, and ability). Integrating a diverse set of experiences is important for a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary media and fiction. We (like many people) are still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something is said in class (by anyone, including me) that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to talk with us. If you have a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your university records, please let us know. If you feel like your performance in the class is being impeded by your experiences outside of class, please don’t hesitate to talk with us. We want to be a resource for you. You can also submit anonymous feedback, which, with your permission, we may use to make a general announcement to the course. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, Michael Nowlin (Chair, Department of English), is an excellent resource. Finally, please contact us or submit anonymous feedback if you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the course materials.
(Language for this policy was drawn from the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University, and from the work of Monica Linden, in particular.)
The University of Victoria is committed to promoting critical academic discourse while providing a respectful and supportive learning environment. All members of the university community have the right to this experience, and the responsibility to help create, such an environment. The University will not tolerate racism, sexualized violence, or any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment.
Please be advised that, by logging into UVic’s learning systems and interacting with online resources, you are engaging in a university activity. All interactions within this environment are subject to the university expectations and policies. Any concerns about student conduct may be reviewed and responded to in accordance with the appropriate university policy. To report concerns about online student conduct, email onlineconduct@uvic.ca.
Faith and I want you to thrive in this course and everywhere else. Please let us know as early as possible if you have any concerns or if you require any assistance to succeed. We’ll do our best to help.
If you need to cover gaps in care, then please don’t hesitate to bring your children to Zoom meetings. Babies who are nursing are always welcome, as we do not want you to choose between feeding your child and continuing your education.
UVic takes student mental health very seriously, with a website full of resources. We offer services such as assistance and referral to address students’ personal, social, career, and study skills concerns. Services for students also include crisis and emergency mental health consultation and confidential assessment, counselling services (individual and small group), and referrals. Many of these programs are connected with Health Services, which you may contact by phone.
The Student Services website lists several policies that you might want to know about and may make your life at UVic safer and easier. Only some of them are directly related to this course, but they’re still important.
As researchers and instructors who have the privilege to live and work as guests on these lands, we acknowledge with respect that the University of Victoria is located on the unceded territory of the Lkwungen peoples and the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
This syllabus is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.