Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit is seen as an appropriate discipline/content study in your program because of the importance of writing to teaching. For you, and for your future students, writing is both a major means of communication and a significant learning process. This unit gives you opportunity to practise contextualised writing using a range of discourses with some consideration of current research on the practice and teaching of writing. The workshop elements in the unit provide experience in writing in such a way that it can be applied both to your own writing development and to your future teaching.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to workshop writing in collaboration with your tutor and peers. You will demonstrate your skills as critical readers, in line with current educational perspectives in your course, and will become informed writers of fiction, non-fiction and criticism. You will also improve your skills as editors and will discuss a wide range of issues related to literature, literacies and discourse.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. display a positive orientation to personal learning and teaching which foregrounds reflection on practice (EPA1.5)

2. model and promote inquiring, cooperative and independent approaches to learning (EPA3.2)

3. demonstrate preparedness to enter the consultative, collaborative and critical relationships that are embedded in communities of practice (EPA 4.2)

Content

This unit covers the following topics:

1. Writing and discourse
This topic approaches the nature of writing as a process of transforming experience and information for particular purposes and audiences as well as the process of drafting and editing individual writing.


2. Critical reading and critical writing
Examples of personal writing, short stories, literary essays, feature articles and poetry will be modelled and workshopped. Writing practice will include the critical examination of exemplars and their characteristics.


3. The practice and craft of writing
You will attempt narrative and expository strategies, including: characterization and dialogue in fiction writing; imagery, metaphor and personal reference in poetry writing; clarity and organization in report writing.


4. Editing
The practice of editing will be integral to all work in this unit, as a process of drafting and polishing a piece of writing for a defined communicative purpose and audience. Knowledge of the availability, function and use of guides to the conventions of standard Australian English will be considered as part of this editing process.


5. Research on writing and writing development
This unit defines writing as a process, taking into consideration reports from outstanding writers on their personal approaches to composition and creativity and the nature of factual, informative writing and imaginative, fictional writing.


6. Guidelines for teaching writing
This topic will conclude the unit and be part of a reflective and evaluative process that will relate to your own experience as writers.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit is conducted internally as three hour writing workshops, where you will be required to take a collaborative approach to learning. You will be provided with best practice examples of good writing, producing your own writing as a response to these and to weekly exercises and writing prompts. Conferencing with tutors and peers will occur throughout the unit.

Assessment

Assessment will be both formative and summative, based on the submission of two major pieces of writing and a third 2 part assignment.

Assessment name: A piece of fictional writing
Description: Length: 1500 words
Relates to objectives: 1 & 2
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Assessment name: Essay
Description: A literary essay on a topic of personal interest
Length: 1500 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, & 3
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Assessment name: Assignment
Description: A two part assignment including a short essay on creative writing as teaching practice, and three original poems illustrating your understanding of poetics.
Length: 1000 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, & 3
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts

Burroway, J. (2007). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft. Sydney: Pearson.

References

Bird, C. (1996). Dear writer. Milsons Point NSW: Random House.

Grenville, K. & Woolf, S. (1993). Making stories: How ten Australian novels were made. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Monteith,M. & Miles, R. (Eds). (1992). Teaching creative writing. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Wilkinson, A. (1986). The writing of writing. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

Wolitzer, H. (2001). The company of writers. New York: Penguin Books.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 10-Jan-2013