Course Title: Produce Writings - Non-Fiction
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2012
Course Code: COMM5436
Course Title: Produce Writings - Non-Fiction
School: 345T Media and Communication
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4171 - Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing
Course Contact : Program Administration
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4815
Course Contact Email:mctafe@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Teacher: Kate Holden
Email: kate.holden@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 105
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
The competency Produce Writings –Non-fiction VBP552 is delivered and assessed in conjunction with the following competencies:
CUVCOR03A: Develop, refine and communicate concept for own work
CUVCOR11A: Source information on history and theory and apply to own work
CUSRAD01A: collect and organise information
Course Description
This course aims to give you the skills and confidence to embark upon a career as a freelance print journalist, and to prepare for a career as a non-fiction writer. It will help you to cultivate a professional approach and a critical awareness of appropriate language, style, and word length for a range of publications and audiences by:
- analysing a range of journalistic and other non-fiction material from various publications
- writing and workshopping in class
- researching and writing ‘publishable’ articles/chapters for assessment
- discussing contemporary issues in the media and publishing
- emphasising the importance of grammatical, well-constructed sentences and paragraphs
- developing competence and confidence in planning, drafting, re-drafting, editing and pitching articles and non-fiction work
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP552 Produce Writings - Non-Fiction |
Element: |
1. Analyse the purpose of the writing task |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 The purpose of the work is confirmed with relevant parties |
Element: |
2. Investigate the scope of the writing task |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 The level and scope of the writing task is analysed to determine the length and style of the work |
Element: |
3. Plan the writing task |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 The writing task is planned to reflect the media, scope, structure and content of the work |
Element: |
4. Create the writing task |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Components of the information required and the form in which the writing will be developed, constructed and presented is resolved |
Element: |
5. Realise the writing task |
Performance Criteria: |
5.1 The writing task is appropriate for the media, the context of the brief and the style of the subject matter |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to plan, draft, edit and pitch a variety of non-fiction for a range of publications.
Details of Learning Activities
In this course, you learn through -
In-class activities:
• lectures
• industry speakers
• teacher directed group activities/projects
• peer teaching and class presentations
• group discussion
• class exercises to review discussions/lectures
• reading of excerpts of writings and set texts to provide examples of writing elements
• workshopping of students’ own projects
• analysis/critique of writings of students’ choice
Out-of-class activities:
• independent project based work
• writing and reading assignments
• online and other research
• independent study
Teaching Schedule
Please note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the weekly order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of speakers and resources.
| Week Beginning | Class content | Assignments due | Competency & Elements |
| Week 1 |
Intro to the course
|
|
VBP552 - 2 CUVCOR03A - 1 CUSRAD01A - 1 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
| Week 2 |
Observation pieces, scenes, people Organising notes |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A - 1 CUVCOR11A -1 |
|
| Week 3 |
Columns, personal and expert Column exercise |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A - 1/2 |
|
| Week 4 |
Research and approaching an unfamiliar subject Library tour |
CUVCOR11A -1 |
|
| Week 5 |
Odd jobs of writing: opportunities and variety Style exercise, noun+verb, writing from imagery Workshop column assessment piece |
VBP552 - 1 / 3 |
|
| Week 6 |
Interviewing. Guest speaker Interview classmate and write up, workshop |
Column due | VBP552 - 4 CUVCOR03A - 2/3 CUVCOR11A - 2 |
| Week 7 |
Writing profiles Vox pop interviews and write up |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUSRAD01A - 1/2/3 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 8 |
Business of being a writer: dealing with editors, publishers, agents, freelancing, pitching, royalties etc Pitch exercise |
VBP552 - 2 -4 CUSRAD01A - 1 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Mid-semester break Thursday 5 April to Wednesday 11 April |
|||
| Week 9 |
TBC Workshop profile assessment pieces |
CUSRAD01A – 1-4 | |
| Week 10 |
Reviews, book reviews Review exercise |
Profile due | VBP552 - 1/2 |
| Week 11 |
Reviews Film/theatre/music review exercise |
VBP552 - 3/4 CUVCOR03A - 2 |
|
| Week 12 |
‘How to’ writing100-word exercise |
VBP552 - 1 CUVCOR03A - 2/3 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 13 |
Guest speaker on blogging for writers Workshop review assessment piece |
VBP552 - 1 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 14 |
Guest speaker TBC | Review due | CUVCOR11A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A – 1-4 |
| Week 15 |
Presentations | Presentations | CUVCOR11A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A – 1-4 |
| Week 16 |
Presentations | Presentations | CUVCOR11A - 1 |
| Week 17 |
Assessment Week - no class |
||
| Semester 2 | |||
| Week 1 |
Literary non-fiction | VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1 CUSRAD01A - 1 /2 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 2 |
Memoir Memoir exercise |
VBP552 - 3-5 CUVCOR11A - 2 |
|
| Week 3 |
Memoir Memoir exercise |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1 CUSRAD01A - 1 /2 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 4 |
Biography Family history/biography exercise |
VBP552 - 3-5 CUVCOR11A - 2 |
|
| Week 5 |
Magazine/mainstream article Workshop memoir assessment piece |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A - 1 /2 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 6 |
Mainstream writing Team exercise on devising magazine liftout |
Memoir due | VBP552 - 3-5 CUVCOR03A - 3 CUVCOR11A - 1 /2 |
| Week 7 |
Travel writing Personal travel writing exercise |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 1 /2 CUSRAD01A - 1 /2 CUVCOR11A - 1 |
|
| Week 8 |
Travel writing guest speaker TBC Guidebook writing exercise |
VBP552 - 1/2 CUVCOR03A - 3 CUSRAD01A - 3/4 CUVCOR11A - 2 |
|
| Week 9 |
Opinion writing Opinion exercise |
VBP552 – 1 |
|
| Week 10 |
‘Researching and writing a feature article Workshop opinion OR travel assessment piece |
VBP552 – 1-3 CUSRAD01A - 1-4 |
|
| Week 11 |
TBC | VBP552 – Realise the writing task CUVCOR01A – Communicate concept |
|
| Week 12 |
True crime: visit to Law Courts | Opinion OR travel due | CUSRAD01A - 1/2 |
Mid-semester break |
|||
| Week 13 |
Industry speaker Workshop Law courts exercise |
CUSRAD01A - 3/4 | |
| Week 14 |
Presentations | Presentations | CUVCOR11A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A – 1-4 |
| Week 15 |
Presentations | Presentations |
CUVCOR11A - 1/2 CUSRAD01A – 1-4 |
| Week 16 |
Summing up; business of being a freelancer, farewell | CUVCOR11A - 1/2 | |
| Week 17 | Assessment Week - no class |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
You are expected to read widely from newspapers, a broad range of magazines/journals (including online) and non-fiction books. Such readings will be supplemented by hand outs distributed in class. |
References
You are advised to look at the course blackboard site for ongoing updated information. |
Other Resources
You require access to a computer and to the internet for this course
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral presentations and through the application of learned skills and insights to your writing tasks.
Assessment Tasks
To demonstrate competency in this course, you will need to complete the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback on all assessment.
Detailed briefs for each assignment will be provided to you in class and on blackboard, including industry-specific criteria such as: clarity and appropriateness of angle, clear audience targeting, etc. Your participation in the drafting and class workshopping process will be considered in assessment of assignments.
Assessment 1: 1 x EITHER 800 word column OR 600 word review (20%) Due 15/3/2012
Assessment 2: 1 x 1200 word profile ( 20%) Due 19/4/2012
Assessment 3: Class presentation Sem 1. Topic to be negotiated ( 10%) Due 24 & 31/5/2012
Assessment 4: 1 x 1500 word memoir ( 20%) Due 9/7/2012
Assessment 5: 1 x EITHER 1200 word travel piece OR 1200 word opinion piece (20%) Due 20/9/2012
Assessment 6: Class presentation Sem 2. Topic to be negotiated ( 10%) Due18 & 25/10/2012
Assessment tasks in this unit are graded.
To demonstrate competency in this course, you will need to complete the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback on all assessment.
80 – 100% HD High Distinction
70 – 79% DI Distinction
60 – 69% CR Credit
50 – 59% PA Pass
Under 50% NN Fail
For further information on the criteria used for grading, please refer to the course blackboard site.
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant Unit of Competency. These are available through the course contact in Program administration.
Other Information
Submission of Assessment Tasks
You are required to submit all assessment tasks in hard copy with a completed School of Media and Communication cover sheet. You are expected to keep a copy of all assignments submitted.
Late Submissions
If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension before that due date..
Please refer to the course blackboard site for information on late submissions and on applying for an extension.
Feedback
You will receive both spoken and written feedback on your work. Where appropriate, this feedback will also include suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is about the honest presentation of your academic work. Presenting work that fails to acknowledge other people’s work within yours can compromise academic integrity. For further information on academic integrity and plagiarism, please refer to the following URL. http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kkc202lwe1yv
Special Consideration Policy
Please refer to the following URL for information on applying for special consideration:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qkssnx1c5r0y;STATUS=A;PAGE_AUTHOR=Andrea%20Syers;SECTION=1
Course Overview: Access Course Overview