This course will introduce students to the study of the novel in English. Focussing on a mixture of established and contemporary texts by a diverse range of authors, it will meld critical exploration with skill-acquisition via a series of interactive workshops, alongside seminars and lectures. Students will be encouraged to refine their appreciation of the novel as an art-form, and develop transferable skills in communication, critical reflection, and digital fluency.

Seminars x1 (one hour)

Lectures x2 (one hour)

Workshop x 1 (one hour)

None

None

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Critical Skills Toolkit, totalling 1000 words - 30%

■ Assessed Essay: 2500-word essay - 60%

■ Seminar Contribution - 10%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the toolkit and essay, but extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on seminar contribution. Written response to seminar material in advance or after seminar as an alternative to seminar contribution.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ Situate the literary, formal, and conceptual study of the novel in a contemporaneous critical milieu.

■ Foster the acquisition of critical skills through the integration of interactive forums, including online and blended learning platforms.

■ Embed academic writing skills and the skills of critical reflection in a range of participatory pedagogical fora.

■ Encourage a robust sense of the intellectual and conceptual vigour of English Literature as a critical discipline in the academy.

■ Promote an inclusive curriculum via the study of a diverse range of writers and texts.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Engage with the linguistic, formal, socio-political, and thematic complexities of the novel as a literary art-form.

■ Navigate the digital world with fluency, and cultivate a hybrid approach to online and analogue practice and research.

■ Acquire transferable skills in relation to writing, communication, evidence-selection, and analytical reasoning.

■ Develop an independent and flexible approach to critical thinking and cultural reflection.