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1
Where to Read About. . .
Teaching Philosophy 2
Outcomes & Pedagogy 3
Course Work, Schedule
and University Calendar 4
Responsibilities, Policies
and Procedures 5-6
Course Purpose and Value
Department of English
and Modern Languages
Why read and study literature? Because, in its exploration of the complexities and splendors of the human condition, literature encourages
our attentiveness to the ethical issues that characterize human existence and allows us to exercise our moral
imaginations. Thus, the more we engage with literature, the better we understand others, ourselves, and the
world around us. The better we understand others, ourselves, and the world around us, the more capable we
are of cultivating meaningful personal and professional relationships and adding value to our own and others’
lives. Exploring and engaging in such nuanced reading and thinking further contours our capacity for
compassionate and empathic observation, as well as our responses to individual and social concerns.
Simply put, literature makes us better people and citizens.
“That’s great and all,” you might be thinking. “But how can the
study of literature be helpful in the pursuit of my [non-English]
degree?”
Since essentially all academic and professional endeavors require some form or level of critical and creative
thinking, writing, and personal and social responsibility, the work of this course is vital to your academic and
professional success. No, you very likely won’t be asked to analyze a sonnet or the fall of a tragic character
outside of a literature class or during a job interview. However, what you gain by engaging in such academic
tasks will prove valuable in many other areas of your life and education. To be sure, the observation, thinking
and writing skills you will develop in this course will prove relevant outside the walls of our classroom and
beyond the context of this course.
Don’t believe me? Just watch.
English 3382
British Literature Before 1800
Your Professor
Dr. Melissa Hudler
How to Contact Me
Maes 50
880-8575
[email protected] *Emails sent after 4:30 and on the weekends will be responded to the
following week day
When I am Available
for You
M-Th 2:00-3:00
F 10:30-12:00
~ and by appointment ~
Dear Students, Welcome to the class! I look forward to getting to know you and to sharing this time with
you each week as we journey into unfamiliar worlds through the literature of bygone eras.
While such literature, along with the ideas and experiences it encompasses, might seem
irrelevant to our 21st-century experiences and sensibilities, I endeavor to make this “dusty
old literature” relevant to your worldview and human experience. Thus, we will engage
primarily with works that illustrate timeless aspects of the human condition.
Because students’ perspectives and insights never fail to enhance my own engagement with
the literature and thus enrich my teaching experience, you should expect to take an active
and vocal role in our class meetings. Each semester, I look forward to the buzz of students’
intellectual conversation and to the invigorating experience of lively class discussions. You,
my dear students, will have much to do with the satisfaction and joy of my semester.
Likewise, I hope that I, through your learning experiences in this course, achieve the same
for you.
My hope is that our engagement with the literature will enrich not only your academic
experience but also your personal lives. Indeed, my primary goal for teaching has always
been to guide students to recognize the value and relevance of literature and writing to
their intellectual and personal growth.
All best wishes for an enlightening and successful semester!
Dr. Hudler
Required Materials
Masters of British Literature,
Vol. A, Longman, ISBN
0321333993
Note-taking supplies
Loose-leaf paper/perforated
spiral (for submission of work
completed in class)
Reliable access to LU Learn-Blackboard
“I believe the purpose of reading is to exercise
or incite one’s imagination; specifically, one’s
ability to imagine being different”
The Practice of Reading
Denis Donoghue
2
I am sharing my teaching philosophy with you so that you understand the motivation behind
my teaching strategies and methods, which are grounded in the research and pedagogy of
active and collaborative learning.
I came to university teaching after a few years in the school system. It didn’t take long for
me to trade my student-centered and active learning techniques for the traditional instructor-
centered (lecture-based) and passive learning techniques so pervasive in higher education.
Fortunately, it also didn’t take long for me to become absolutely bored with this method of
teaching and to recognize its limitations, particularly for such skill-based and discussion-
centered courses as literature and composition.
My philosophy of teaching privileges a student-centered classroom, and, as such, is
grounded in student ownership of learning. I believe that students should own and thus act
upon their education, rather than allowing their education to act upon them. I believe that
students should know what they want from their education and should understand how their
education can enhance their academic and personal goals, desires, and values. I believe that
teaching is a responsibility, not just a profession, and thus believe that I have a moral
obligation to provide for my students the opportunity to discover their intellectual voices
and refine their abilities of expression, as well as to provide a safe and respectful
environment in which to achieve this.
In the same way that teaching is a responsibility, learning is a social act in that it involves a
responsibility not only to one’s own learning but also to the learning of one’s peers. As
such, learning requires dialogue and collaboration. This philosophy is firmly grounded in
research, synthesized in the following chart:
It is through active and collaborative activities that I will guide you to be more precise,
critical, and creative thinkers; more mature and articulate writers; and, overall, more
observant and thoughtful learners and citizens.
Finally, I believe that teaching is a mode of learning. Therefore, your perspectives and
interpretations will be central to our discussions. As I consider myself holding a dual role,
that of teacher and student, I find great pleasure in learning and improving as a result of my
interaction with students.
“Collaborative learning
gives students practice in
working together when the
stakes are relatively low,
so they can work
effectively together later
when the stakes are high.”
Ken Bruffee
Teaching Philosophy, or A brief Treatise on the Beliefs of a Virtuous Professor
In my teaching,
I am attentive to diverse
learning preferences,
and I encourage and
respect the student voice.
“Education is the kindling of
a flame, not the filling of a
vessel.” Socrates
“Spoon feeding in the long
run teaches us nothing but
the shape of the spoon.”
E. M. Forster
“Tell me and I forget, teach
me and I may remember,
involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
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The analysis of literature requires active practice,
for we are using literary analysis to develop
specific cognitive skills that can be used in a
variety of academic and real-world settings.
Moreover, research has proven that students
achieve deep learning only through active
engagement with course content and assignments
and through meaningful interaction with their
peers.
To that end, I will provide you with a variety of
active and collaborative learning experiences.
The value of such learning experiences is
evidenced in a 2012 survey conducted by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The results of the survey report that employers
desire employees with strong critical thinking,
communication, and teamwork skills.
To be sure, the active and collaborative activities
in this course will equip you with these
professionally necessary and desired skills.
How We Will Accomplish These Outcomes
To accomplish the above learning outcomes,
you will interact with the literature for this
course in various ways, such as reflecting on
your reading, actively participating in class
discussions, and collaborating with your
classmates on analysis and interpretation
activities. Indeed, the more varied your
opportunities for engaging with the literature
and for displaying your understanding and
ideas, the more authentic and deeper your
learning will be. Moreover, with the Personal
Development Plan (PDP), you will take an
active role in assessing your progress and
reflecting on ways you and I can improve your
learning during the course of the semester.
Please know that I am invested in your success,
so you should not hesitate to seek my help at
any point during the semester.
Also know that I expect you to help me help
you by approaching the course and all of the
work involved in a sincere, responsible, and
proactive manner.
Research has proven that
students achieve deep
learning only through
active engagement with
course content and
assignments and through
meaningful interaction
with their peers.
Student Learning Outcomes A Humble Defense of the Necessity for Assignments of Various and Sundry Kinds
Caption describing
picture or graphic.
Department and Course Outcomes
Department
Ability to write purposefully within the
discipline for an educated audience.
Considerable skill in focused literary criticism.
Considerable skill in integrating research into
critical essays.
Opportunity to present your learning through
clear, salient, and supported oral and/or visual
speeches/demonstrations and/or through
discussion of group or class topics.
Course
Formulate insightful questions about the
literature.
Develop cogent arguments that reveal your
critical understanding of pre-1800 British
literary culture.
Express your arguments and interpretations
clearly and in logical and well-developed
responses and essays.
Synthesize your knowledge and understanding
of course content, analysis, and research
methods into a suitable final project.
State Outcomes
Social Responsibility
In written responses, presentations, and/or
discussions, you will illustrate an understanding of
social, cultural, historical, scientific or technological
forces that stimulated literature in one or more
literary movements or periods.
Personal Responsibility
In written responses, presentations, and/or
discussions, and potentially in the same response
used to measure “social responsibility,” you will
illustrate an understanding of the complexities of
personal choice or the role of the individual within
his or her social and cultural environment—as
evidenced in at least one literary work.
Department Statement on State-mandated Outcomes:
Since most of what we teach in our literature courses reflects
the interplay of the individual within his/her society, “the one
and the many,” and since we do not have field tests or
laboratories in our disciplines, we see social and personal
responsibility as a dynamic rather than two distinct activities.
www.soic.indiana.edu
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I believe that methods of assessment should contribute to learning—not just
measure it. To that end, the assignments for this course build from each other so
that you can accomplish deep, focused learning and ongoing improvement.
Discussion Starters
You will complete discussion starters for each reading assignment. These will
consist of a brief critical reflection (50-75 words), 2-3 discussion questions, and an
explanation of the value of your questions (i.e. why they’re worth asking; why you
want to ask them). To assist your work toward the Research Project, you should
consider the modern-day value/relevance of the literature when generating your
questions. Your Discussion Starters will be due each day discussion for a reading
assignment is scheduled to begin. These assignments must be typed and brought
to class. You will turn them in following group and/or class discussion. Your credit
for these will be determined at the conclusion of each unit and will be based on the
number of quality Discussion Starters you have submitted on time.
*Discussion Starters that are not typed will not be accepted*
Requiring you to type these assignments guarantees 3 things: (1) the assignments
are not completed in class, (2) I can read them, and (3) you have access to them to
complete other course work, since I will collect and keep them for periodic grading.
Discussion Starters will not be accepted late!
Critical Reflections
You will complete 2 Critical Reflections over the course of the semester. For these
assignments, you will perform a close analytical reading of 1 work or group of
works assigned together. These writings should stem from the content of the
appropriate Discussion Starters and be further informed by group and class
discussion, but not by research. CRs will be due at the conclusion of the reading
units for which you choose to complete these assignments. Each CR must be 2
double-spaced typed pages.
Literary Analysis
You will complete 1 Literary Analysis, the topic of which must be derived from
your Critical Reflections. Thus, your Analysis will be an expansion of one or more
(related) CRs. This formal essay will reveal your ability to assert a cogent analytical
claim and sustain logical development of and support for your claim. Your Literary
Analysis will be due at the midterm and must be 4-5 typed pages.
Research Project As a final showcase of your learning, you will complete a project that reveals the
value or relevance of the literature to our 21st-century world. We will address such
relevance as appropriate during class discussion. You will support your assertion of
value/relevance via primary and secondary source material. Graded portions of the
Project will consist of evidence of progress (written and/or oral) and the completed
project. I encourage you to think creatively and to make use of technology in order
to accomplish an engaging and authentic project.
More detailed requirements for each assignment will be provided.
Course Engagement
A consistent display of meaningful engagement in course content and class
activities will be considered for the purpose of rounding up semester point totals.
Such engagement is characterized by regular and complete attendance, consistent
participation in class activities, and timely completion of all course work. You will
receive the number of points needed to boost your semester point total.
*Regular and complete attendance: not exceeding allowed absences, no
late arrivals, and no early departures
How You Will Showcase Your Learning, or the Means by which to Prove Yourself a Noble and Learned Pupil
09/20 Non-payment
purge (after 5 pm)
Last day for full
refund on dropped
(not withdrawn)
courses
09/25 Final non-payment
purge after 5 pm
10/02 Final non-payment
purge (after 5 pm)
10/06 Last day to drop or
withdraw without
academic penalty
11/10 Last day to drop or
withdraw with
academic penalty
11/23- Thanksgiving
Holiday
12/11 Last class day
15 Points 5 points/reading
unit
20 Points 10 pts. each
25 Points
40 Points Progress 10 pts.
Project 30 pts.
TOTAL: 100
The quality of
your course
engagement will
be considered in
the event your
point total is 5 or
fewer points
from a total that
will boost your
letter grade.
Unit 1
Middle Ages
Unit 2
Early Modern Period
Unit 3
Restoration & 18th Century
Unit 4
Research Project
Depending upon the pace
of the class, Unit 3 and
Unit 4 might overlap.
Detailed unit schedules
will be provided over the
course of the semester
University Calendar
Course Schedule
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Responsibilities and Policies for the creation of a fair and productive learning environment
In my effort to create a student-centered class, I have worked to create a learning-centered, rather than a
policy-centered, syllabus. However, to ensure a productive, organized, and respectful learning environment,
responsibilities must be articulated and policies must be established and enforced. Accordingly, you would be
wise to heed the following:
Failure to display respect for the work and goals of the course, the instructor, your classmates, and ultimately
your own learning experience will result in the following progression of consequences:
verbal request/warning and/or written warning (depending upon the nature of the offense)
dismissal from class with a documented absence
meeting with department chair and/or other relevant party
The creation of a fair and productive learning environment is a shared responsibility; therefore, I include
responsibilities for myself.
I reserve the right
to alter as needed the
course policies,
procedures, and
requirements described
in this document
in order to maintain
the integrity of this
course
and its goals.
Your responsibilities are to. . .
Attend class regularly, promptly, and completely
Engage fully and attentively in the work of the course at
all times (i.e. not engaging in anything unrelated to this
course for any amount of time)
Make meaningful contributions to group and class
discussions
Display common courtesy and respect to your peers and
to me
Complete and submit on time all assignments according
to given requirements
Uphold academic honesty and integrity in all work
completed and submitted
“What if I arrive late or need to leave class early?” If you arrive late, please enter class quietly, so as not to disrupt the learning environment and know that you have been marked
absent. Therefore, you must inform me after class (or during group discussions) that you came in late so that I can change your absence
mark. It is your responsibility to ensure that your absence mark is changed. If you need to leave class early, please tell me at the
beginning of class. An early departure of 10 minutes or more will be documented. After 3 late arrivals, early departures, or a
combination, subsequent instances of either will remain or be documented as absences.
“How many absences are allowed without penalty? You are allowed 3 (TTH) or 4 (MWF) absences, no matter the reason for them. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use/plan your
absences wisely so that situations beyond your control do not put you beyond the allowed limit. For university-sanctioned events,
relevant documentation must be submitted prior to the scheduled absence(s). Otherwise, these absences will count against your total
absence allowance, and the make-up and/or late work policies will be enforced. Depending upon the situation, submission of
assignments might be required prior to your scheduled absence, even with prior notice.
“What if I accumulate multiple absence marks?” Every absence beyond the 3rd and up to 7 will carry a 5-point penalty per absence. More than 7 absence marks, no matter the reason,
will result in failure of the course. This is departmental policy.
My responsibilities are to. . .
Facilitate learning via instruction, materials, and
assignments conducive to the goals of the course and in
the best interest of your learning experience
Provide a safe zone for intellectual exploration and
experimentation and opportunities to learn from
failures
Offer clear and helpful feedback on written
assignments
Maintain a respectful, organized, and supportive
classroom environment.
Be consistent and fair, yet flexible when necessary
without undermining the efforts and responsible
behaviors of other students.
Attendance, with Regularity and Punctuality proving Necessary Qualities of this Virtue The degree and quality of your own and your classmates’ learning, as well as the quality of our cooperative learning
environment, depend significantly upon your punctual, complete, and regular attendance. I will take attendance at
the beginning of each class meeting. If you arrive late or disengage from the class by occupying yourself with
anything unrelated to this course, you will be marked absent.
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Late and Make-Up Work We will both suffer less grief if your understanding of late and make-up
work is that it is essentially not permitted, and that you are expected to be
a mature, responsible college student and thus get your work in on time no
matter what it takes.
But let’s imagine some possible situations. . .
“What if I’m absent the day a Discussion Starter is due?
As long as you email your DS to me the day it is due, you will receive
credit for it. Your DS grade will be penalized 1 point for each DS not
submitted. Because of the nature and purpose of the Discussion Starters,
these assignments will not be accepted late.
“What if I’m absent the day a Critical Reflection is due?”
If you are unable to attend class the day a CR is due, you should email
your work to me that day. Without official documentation for your
absence, there will be a 5% deduction for each day (not just class days)
your paper is late. This includes weekends, as email is always “open”.
“What if I’m absent the day the Literary Analysis is due?”
This assignment will be submitted to Blackboard, so your inability to
attend class should not impact your ability to meet the submission
deadline. If you are unable to submit to BB by the deadline, please email
your work to me. The grade penalty for submitting late is explained above.
*Technology-related excuses will not be accepted. Therefore, I strongly
encourage you to use Onedrive (provided free by Lamar) or another cloud
service of your choice so that your work is always available to you
anywhere and on any computer.
“What if I’m absent the day I’m scheduled to give a presentation?”
You must contact me before the next class meeting to reschedule your
presentation. Do not wait until your return to class to reschedule, as I
will not address this matter in class. If you do not contact me ahead of time
to reschedule, you will not be allowed to give your presentation.
“What about the Research Project?”
The research project will not be accepted late, as the due date is set as late
as possible while still allowing me sufficient time to meet the University
deadline to submit final grades.
“What if I’m absent because of my participation in a University event?”
In the event of a University-sanctioned absence, the above policies will be
adjusted appropriately only with official documentation of your
participation submitted prior to your scheduled absence.
Academic Integrity
You are required to uphold academic integrity in all work completed for
this course. To that end, I aim to provide a learning experience that does
not tempt academic dishonesty.
Plagiarism is the offense of passing off another’s work and/or ideas as
one’s own—an offense that puts a student at risk of failing the course.
You should always consult me if you are unsure if or how content in your
papers should be documented. Consequences of plagiarism: (1) failure
of the assignment or the course, depending upon the nature and/or extent
of the plagiarism, (2) report filed with the Department of English and
Modern Languages, and (3) notification sent to the chair of your major
department and to the Provost of Academic Affairs, Dr. Kevin Smith.
Repeated reports of academic dishonesty during the course of your
enrollment at the university may result in expulsion from the university.
The University’s policy on academic dishonesty is detailed in the Student
Handbook. You are responsible for reading this information and for
seeking clarification of any unclear content from me or from your advisor.
Dropping the Course It is your responsibility to complete the required procedures for
dropping or withdrawing from the course (see “Class Schedule and
Registration Procedures” on Lamar’s website). I will not drop a
student who stops attending class. In the event of an extended
absence due to illness or personal hardship, you must instigate the
drop/withdraw process by contacting your major department or the
Records Office to request that the drop be completed on your behalf.
Be aware of the drop dates and, if the need arises, begin the drop
process in a timely manner.
Requesting an Incomplete The Incomplete is reserved for a student who has completed all
course work up to the event (illness, family emergency, or
debilitating accident) that prevents him/her from completing the
course. The missed course work must be submitted by the deadline
indicated on the Incomplete Request form; otherwise, the I will be
changed automatically to an F.
Students with Disabilities In coordination with the Disabilities Resource Center, every effort
will be made for this course to be a meaningful component of a
student's individualized educational plan. Any student registered with
the DRC is responsible for keeping me informed of specific needs via
official documentation from the Office. Such documentation must
be presented at the beginning of the semester and before affected
assignments are assigned.
Contact: 880-8347, 880-2225, http://www.lamar.edu/disability-
resource-center/
Academic Continuity Plan In the event of an announced campus closure in excess of 4 days due
to a hurricane or other disaster, students are expected to login to
Lamar University’s website’s homepage (www.lamar.edu) for
instructions about continuing courses remotely.
Emergency Procedures
Severe Weather:
Follow the directions of the instructor or emergency
personnel
Seek shelter in an interior room or hallway on the
lowest floor, putting as many walls as possible
between you and the outside
If you are in a multi-story building, and you cannot
get to the lowest floor, choose a hallway in the
center of the building
Stay in the center of the room, away from exterior
walls, windows, and doors
Violence / Active Shooter (CADD):
CALL- 9-1-1
AVOID- If possible, self-evacuate to a safe area outside the
building. Follow directions of police officers.
DENY- Barricade the door with desk, chairs, bookcases or
any items. Move to a place inside the room where you are not
visible. Turn off the lights and remain quiet. Remain there
until told by police it is safe.
DEFEND- Use chairs, desks, cell phones or whatever is
immediately available to distract and/or defend yourself and
others from attack.
Additional procedures are detailed here
Responsibilities and Policies (cont.)
University Procedures