Year
2024Credit points
7Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
Students wishing to undertake an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Education and Arts need to be able to identify different forms, features and structures of spoken, written and visual texts in English and to understand how texts are composed in response to different purposes, audiences and contexts.
In this unit, students will gain skills in interpretation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of texts, demonstrating understanding of, and expressing ideas and perspectives on a variety of textual forms, features and structures. All students will identify, analyse and critically reflect on the ways texts are composed in response to influences such as purposes, audiences and contexts.
This unit aims to develop students’ skills in critical reading through acting on their knowledge of textual forms, features and structures, and in composing their own imaginative and analytical texts. Additionally, the literacy and language needs of the students will be analysed, and guidance given for correction to fundamental errors in literacy.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate detailed and thorough knowledge, perceptive understanding and effective evaluation of the ways meanings and ideas are shaped and changed by context, medium of production, audience and the influences that produce different responses to texts | GC1, GC3, GC11 |
| LO2 | Display a well-developed ability to describe, analyse and use a broad range of language forms, features and structures of texts and explain the ways these shape meaning and influence responses in a variety of texts and contexts | GC2, GC7, GC11 |
| LO3 | Present a personal response showing well-developed skills in interpretation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation and use of texts and textual detail | GC7, GC11 |
| LO4 | Compose imaginatively, interpretively and critically with originality and control for a variety of audiences, purposes and contexts in order to explore and communicate ideas, information and values | GC2, GC7, GC11 |
| LO5 | Engage critically and creatively with a variety of texts in all language modes through the study of literature, media and language features | GC2, GC7, GC11 |
Content
Topics will include:
- How language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects and can empower or disempower people
- Evaluation of texts and the influence of value systems, the context, purpose and mode of communication
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of a wide range of sentence, clause, phrase, vocabulary and abstract nouns in a variety of texts and on particular audiences
- Composition of sophisticated imaginative, interpretive and analytical texts
- Language forms, features and structures of:
- Non-fiction texts (such as biography, autobiography, documentary, newspaper and advertisements)
- Visual and multimodal texts (such as picture books, postmodern picture books, graphic novels and manga, e-books, and film and book trailers)
- Narrative texts (such as short stories, novels and young adult novels)
- Poetry
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Mode for International Students: Attendance on campus: 5 hours per week
Mode for Domestic Students: Multi-mode: attendance on campus: 3 hours per week plus 2 hours online learning.
Duration: 10-week Term
Students are required to actively participate in all lectures, tutorials and assigned learning activities to achieve the learning outcomes. Aspects of the course will be delivered online with online lectures and reading groups to assist in understanding the texts assigned. Other aspects will be workshopped on camps. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit and participate in all assessment tasks. Students are also required to bring their own smart (ability to connect to the Internet) devices to tutorials. Devices can also be borrowed from the library.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Create a short story using either written prose or multimedia that incorporates representation of an aspect of society | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 2 Critical response: An evaluation of THREE texts to demonstrate how authors represent contemporary society (Examination) | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Representative texts and references
Print Texts:
Cheng, M. (2019). Room for a stranger. Melbourne: Text Publishing
Book of selected readings from:
Beneba Clarke, M. (Ed.) (2015). Growing up African in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc.
Heiss, A. (Ed.) (2018). Growing up Aboriginal in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc.
Conway, J.K. (1989). The road from Coorain. London: Heinemann
Pascoe, B. (2019). Dark emu: A truer history. Broome, WA: Magabala Books
Pascoe, B. (2016). Mrs Whitlam. Broome, WA: Magabala Books
Payalic, A., & Divaroren, D. (Eds.) (2019). Growing up Muslim in Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Pung, A. (2018). Close to home. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc.
Pung, A. (Ed.) (2008) Growing up Asian in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc.
Reed, J., & Wake, C. (Eds.) (1964) A book of African verse. London: Heinemann Education.
Seth, V. (2011). The rivered earth. London: Hamish Hamilton. Penguin Books
Online texts
Burrow, K. (2016, Dec 17). Donkey [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRP3b4NntM
Darling, I. (2015, Dec 17).
Paul Kelly: Stories of Me [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnhYma2Jfpc
NFB Canada.(2016, Dec 17).Highrise [Documentary]. Retrieved from http://universewithin.nfb.ca/mobile/index.html
Pearson, N. (2015, Dec 17).
Noel Pearson’s Funeral Oration for Gough Whitlam. [Speech]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsXmYHiuJ8s
The Atlantic. (2015) How the World Perceives the New American Dream [Poster]. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/american-dream-world-diplomacy/410080/