Course Title: Literary Environments

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Literary Environments

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

LANG1374

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Dr Brigid Magner

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3772

Course Coordinator Email: brigid.magner@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 9.5.33

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

In this course you will explore the role of literature in producing and critiquing the entanglements between the human and the non-human on a rapidly changing planet. 

You will consider tropes such as apocalypse, the end of nature and the post-human in relation to contemporary literature. You will encounter texts that address climate grief and other affective responses to incremental and catastrophic climate shifts. 

You will be encouraged to critically consider key concepts such as ‘nature’, ‘environment’, ‘animal’ and ‘human’ as culturally contingent, and to understand the ways in which literary texts generate, contest and perform these concepts. 

The literary texts discussed in this course - both fiction and non-fiction - all contribute powerfully to an understanding of the challenges we face in the Anthropocene era. 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes 

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcome:

  • Identify, evaluate and critically analyse cultural, historical and theoretical practices which contextualise your professional practice and further study. 


Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

  1. Analyse and discuss ideas and writing about the climate emergency 
  2. Engage critically and creatively with a range of literary texts relating to climate change
  3. Critically discuss diverse literary approaches to the Anthropocene 


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities which may include project work, lectures, tutorials, class discussion, individual and group activities.

Delivery will be face to face, online or a mix of both. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. 

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning. 

There are also services and resources available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides support from librarians and academic skills advisors via the Ask The Library service as well as range of study support services such as assistance with assignment writing, referencing and academic integrity. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks 

There are three assessment tasks. 

Task 1: Textual analysis (30%) (CLO 1 and 2) 

Task 2: Class presentation and notes (30%) (CLO1) Task 3: Essay (40%) (CLO 1, 2 and 3) 

 

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.