Irvine Valley College

Online Literature Study of the School of Humanities and Languages

Literature 110 - Popular Literature

Spring 2013 - Ticket #62740 // Marjorie Coverley Luesebrink, MFA, Instructor

Class runs from

About Your Class

Overview: This Online Popular Literature class examines the work of selected popular writers from various genres. Within these genres, we will be looking at the theme of "genre-specific responses to the historical surround" - that is, we will examine each of our works in terms of the social system that it reflects.  We will explore the historical, social, political, cultural, and literary dynamics that give rise to the work as well as examine its impact on mainstream literature and reading audiences. Students will read texts, participate in online discussions about these texts, and write essays and research papers on the topics of the class.  All work will be carried on electronically, so you will need a good familiarity with the computer.  You should be able to prepare electronic manuscripts for submission, participate in Discussion Lists online, and be able to access e-mail regularly.  

Each Semester Unit Topic will take as its framework a specific genre in Popular Literature.  The study activities for each Unit will include these regular, important steps:

1.  Read the Lecture for the Unit.

The lecture for each Unit will consist of some background about the culture/time period, the topic, the author, and the book that is assigned for that Unit.  It will also contain links to many other sites on the WWW.  You should follow all the (still viable) links and explore the recommended sites to get the fullest value from the Lectures.

2.  Complete the reading of the Assigned Text or Texts.

The texts are not unduly long, but you will need to set aside time to read each one - they are the essence of the course.

3.  As you are doing your reading, post a response each week about what you have read to the Discussion List.

It is a mandatory requirement that you post at least once a week to receive a grade of C in the class.  You can always start (one post a week) with a simple like/dislike response to a text, or you can participate in threaded discussions as they arise. Go to Discussion List.

Please note:  You cannot pass the class unless you post ON TIME each and every week of the class.  If you need to back-post because of illness or emergency, please e-mail me at the first opportunity for permission to back-post.

4.  Respond to other students' written responses.

One way to keep engaged in the weekly Discussions is to make responses to posts of your colleagues.

In addition, you will be working on a Research Paper.  The topic of this paper may center on one of the authors we will be reading or on an author of your own choice (see Assignments).  

All of our activity will be carried on with e-mail and discussion groups, and your experience in the class will be enhanced by an active participation in these events.  If you have specific questions, the menubar at the bottom of the page will give you detailed information to ask questions or get further help.

The Lecture Notes for Unit 1 contain a discussion of some guidelines for critical responses to your reading.

Please see 

Assignments

Syllabus

and Lecture Notes for more information!

Read and Enjoy!

Learning Outcomes

Marjorie Coverley Luesebrink, MFA, your Instructor, is a Professor of English in the School of Humanities and Languages, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, California.

See my Online writing at Home Page.