Q: What is the purpose of this course?

A: English 304 is a broad survey of early British literature. It should begin with origins, however conceived (Beowulf is a popular starting point, but others begin a bit later, with Langland, Chaucer, etc.) and end in the eighteenth century (many instructors find Romanticism a convenient stopping point, but others stop earlier in C18). However you mix and match, you should introduce students to multiple genres and emphasize broad historical themes. Although many instructors require research and writing in some form, the primary focus should be on broad exposure: readings and written assignments should, in the aggregate, serve this broader aim. From the standpoint of the broader curriculum, students in 304 should build on the close reading and critical interpretive skills honed in 220 and 252, and they should build their knowledge of broad cultural historical themes in British literature to prepare them for more intensive work in 300- and 400-level seminars on more specialized topics. Although the impetus to cover ground prohibits deep engagement with any single field’s critical literature, some integration of criticism helps to frame debates about the literature of particular periods and extend the skill-building in decoding critical arguments that begins in earnest in 252.

Q: What textbook/s do you assign?

A: Most instructors opt for the Norton or the Longman anthologies. Which you choose will be a matter of taste, and of which particular texts/authors you want to feature. Rarely, instructors will eschew the anthology altogether, and cobble together individual plays and novels in book form, plus a lot of .pdfs. Here are the current (Spr 24) editions of the anthologies:

• Greenblatt, Stephen, Ed., The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 10th ed., vols. A, B, C (ISBN 9780393603125).
• Damrosch, David and Kevin J.H. Dettmar, Eds.  The Longman Anthology of British Literature, 4th ed., vols. 1A-1C (ISBN: 978-0205693337).

Q: What's the best way to assess learning in this course?

A: Perusing the sample syllabi, one finds a striking diversity of approaches here. Rather than prescribe a set of "best practices," it seems best to survey various kinds of assignments that instructors can mix and match, including:

• low-stakes informal writing: response papers, blog or discussion board posts, in-class essays, quizzes.
• short essays: well-written and closely-observed responses to particular prompts aimed at particular texts or clusters of texts.
• exams: many instructors issue a midterm and/or a final, usually with short essays and often with passage identifications.
• longer essays: some instructors (see Robbins and Hennessy’s syllabi, for example) assign formal research papers, usually of about ten pages with a relatively small number of sources, generally on a topic of students' own choosing.
• participation: how you evaluate it depends on your priorities and protocols, but it is essential to communicate to students what you expect in class, and how you will evaluate this aspect of their performance.

Q: Are there specific policies that must be incorporated into my syllabus?

A: Yes, please check the sample syllabi on the Academic commons group page. You must include the “Learning Outcomes” you deem appropriate for 304 along with the standard language for ADA Policy, Academic Integrity, and Policy on Sexual Misconduct. Here's an example. For the specific language for standard College-wide polices mentioned above, plus best practices for all syllabi at Hunter, check out the Hunter College Faculty Senate's excellent guide.

Q: What resources do I have access to as an instructor?

A: Please visit the 304 instructors’ group page on the CUNY Academic Commons, where you will find sample syllabi, course units, and so on. I encourage you to post your own helpful documents to this page, and contact me if you have problems joining or using the group. ACERT, Hunter’s center for teaching and learning, is a lively hub linking instructors, librarians, ed tech specialists, etc.: their site has a wealth of teaching resources, and they host scores of events on pedagogy each year.

Q: What are my options in terms of “learning management systems” (LMS)? Do I have to use BlackBoard or Brightspace?!

A: You are free to use whatever you’re comfortable with. By default, all courses get Bb shells (or Brightspace from AY 2024-5), which you are free to customize/use. But there are many alternatives, including free/open options based on the WordPress blogging platform. Instructors can now host course materials on CUNY Academic Commons sites like this one: there are hundreds of sites to browse there for inspiration. Get started here if you're interested.