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| Semester | spring semester 2021 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | As we make sense of what we read, we use an ancient cultural technique to construe meaning, often without really reflecting the process. Reading literary texts involves interpretation - but how does this work? And how has our increasing use of e-books and iPads changed the way we read and interpret texts? Do we read literature differently today? This course introduces learners to a variety of ways of interpreting literary texts, from time-tested methods such as close reading and historical contextualization to the more recent, computer-assisted practices of distant reading. Next to these professional practices, we will probe the benefits and limitations of the screen-based reading all of us perform every day as we move from hyperlink to hyperlink. Along the way, we will inquire into the materiality of texts, asking ourselves what difference it makes whether we encounter a poem, a play or a novel on a Kindle, in a paperback, a hardback or a manuscript. While we will take a modern American poem as our tutor text, you will encounter a great variety of literary texts and forms, some of them culled from the library holdings of the University of Basel. The course consists of a 6-week online part and 8 face-to-face seminar sessions (see “Bemerkungen”). |
| Learning objectives | Students get in-depth knowledge of various professional methods to interpret texts. |
| Bibliography | Texts and materials (videos) will be accessible on the online platform FutureLearn. Additional preparatory reading for the eight face-to-face sessions is made available on ADAM. |
| Comments | - Online part (6 weeks): engagement with diverse lay and professional reading strategies in the digital age (close reading, hyper reading, social reading, historical contextualization, distant reading, surface reading); reflection on the different materiality and functions of different reading media (print book, ebook reader, tablet, smartphone). - 8 face-to-face sessions (online, via Zoom): preparation and consolidation of the online part; advanced subject-specific discussions; students are prepared for the online discussions; feedback on online components. Note that during Zoom sessions, students are requested to switch on their cameras. For copyright reasons, any recording of the sessions is prohibited. Should we return to offline teaching for the face-to-face sessions later in the term, the sessions will be streamed so that those students who wish to particpate from home will be able to do this. |
| Weblink | FutureLearn |
| Admission requirements | Students must have completed their BA proseminar level. To access the course, students have to register at the learning platform FutureLearn. |
| Course application | Please register on MOnA. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz - |
| Comments | 7 face-to-face sessions on 3.3., 17.3., 24.3., 31.3., 7.4., 14.4., 28.4. 6 weeks online from 15.3. to 25.4. |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 03.03.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 17.03.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 24.03.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 31.03.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 07.04.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 14.04.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Wednesday 28.04.2021 | 14.15-16.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | 750-word report on experience of this course. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |