ENG 281 CI - Introduction to Literary Studies

4 Credit(s)

An Introduction to the study of Literature focusing on genre, research methods, and critical approaches. In the twenty-first century, navigating the world of interpretation also means learning how to work with information technology, and how to use technological tools for scholarly and creative work. This course substantially concerns itself with contemporary literary and cultural studies in the digital age. Students will not only read about critical digital practices, they will become practitioners of digital information science and critical digital humanities projects. This course thus prepares students in the English major to navigate the cultural and critical modes of the twenty-first century. Digital humanities and critical digital humanities projects and methodologies are now central components of teaching and learning on almost every college and university campus. These are prominent aspects of pedagogy and scholarship in the humanities and are also points of intersection with the humanities and other areas of inquiry. In order to prepare students for the digital-rich environments of our contemporary culture, this course has been developed in collaboration with information science and digital humanities experts on campus, and both programs will provide instruction and expertise in the course as needed to fulfill its ILOs. In this course, students will learn about different approaches to literature, developing an understanding of the critical frameworks that provide the assumptions, strategies, and governing questions for the practice of interpreting texts, at the same time as they make use of the technological tools that are now the everyday reality of literary research and interpretation. Librarians will help guide instruction in information technology tools and methodologies, and students will build projects that make use of critical digital methodologies within a digital humanities platform. This is a gateway course required for English-Literature, English-Writing, and English-Teaching majors.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 110 or W tag.