Over 3 dozen instructional webs and forums on selected stories, plays, and poems stock this site, which is intended for use by any teacher for free as resources or materials for a course that introduces students to literature. Introductions to reading drama, poetry, and short fiction lead the site. Multimedia instructional webs include those on "Icarus," "The Glass Menagerie," and "Shakespeare";"Sonnet 116"
Up to 5 sample course syllabi are active during any semester and linked from the Current; link on the cover.
This collection of literary materials includes sample syllabi, sample lessons, links to other resources for both students and teachers. While labeled as a course, it is a collection of materials that could be added to a course. Materials are based on Virginia Community College System’s English 112 course.
Type of Material:
Largely a text-based website.
Recommended Uses:
This would best be used by instructors looking to find websites which they could add to their own online lessons. It could be used for in-class work or homework.
Technical Requirements:
Most instructional webs and forums can be accessed over a 14.4 modem, but faster is recommended. Many sites indicate they are formatted for Internet Explorer; however, I saw no differences in how it appeared in IE, Safari, or Foxfire
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Students using the site will find materials designed to help them
• Identify elements of literary work including fiction, poetry and drama
• Read critically
• Formulate and support a literary argument
To introduce students to short stories, poems, and plays To enhance students' appreciation and understanding of imaginative literature To present strategies and activities to strengthen close and critical reading To offer opportunities to think and write creatively and expressively To offer opportunities to write formal arguments To review scholarly research methods and academic writing conventions
Target Student Population:
English Composition
Upper Level High School or College Students
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Minimum technical skill (website navigation).
English language competency
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The collection includes many assignments that an instructor could implement in a face to face class but which would require alterations to include in an online course.
There's a lot of good information about different elements of English composition. There's also good examples and opportunities for self-assessment. One could easily take the content provided here as the substantial starting point for developing a composition course.
Concerns:
Due to the number or broken links, it it not possible to work through any one lesson completely.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Teachers could use these webs as supplemental homework assignments or as ways of guiding a class discussion. Lessons for several literary texts from multiple genres are included as well as sample student essays and instructions on writing about literature.
Concerns:
Some of the material is dated (inaccessible formats such as real audio) or the materials are not clearly organized in a way that can maximize finding items easy to adapt or direct students towards.
Due to the number of missing links, no lessons can be read entirely.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Users from VCCC will find materials keyed to their objectives and learning outcomes. Materials include sample essays and sample answers. Parts of the course are clearly labeled for students and for instructors.
Concerns:
The collection contains a large number of broken links. Navigation through an individual lesson is difficult as it often requires clicking on various icons rather than using labels (back, home, etc). Pictures are not tagged. Materials are not organized in clearly.
he tool is quite text-heavy without a strong and easy layout which means a lot of clicking around, scrolling through and clicking back to find one's way. The layout feels a bit dated and some of the images and links have since disappeared or don't work.
Other Issues and Comments:
It's good content but just hard to navigate.
Creative Commons:
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