Colonial/Postcolonial Literary Dialogues Web Site

 

The written work for this class will be the development of a colonial/postcolonial literary dialogues web site with pages for every text read and pages introducing and connecting specific literary dialogues around the focus texts.  Pages will demonstrate a mastery of the academic content of the course, high-quality scholarship, library and web research, html literacy, graphic and artistic skill, and include materials for teachers, and extensive links to on-line resources.  The web site will be created for the use of scholars, teachers, and students interested in postcolonial literature and its dialogues with the British and American literary canons.

 

The web site should be written so as to be useful for students, teachers, and scholars from the last two years of high school through graduate school. When completed the site should be able to serve as an electronic textbook for high school or university courses in British or World Literature with a multicultural focus and/or courses in Postcolonial Literature. The site may be used by specific courses as a supplement to traditional instruction or it may become integrated into virtual learning high schools or universities or it may become a central activity for home schooled or independent learners. The site should also serve as a gateway to literary resources on the web and as a repository of scholarship.

Each group should construct pages for their focus text and the corresponding literary, historical, and theoretical texts listed on the syllabus. Specific thematic ideas or linking concepts should also have their own web site. Additional texts can most definitely be included. Texts from genres underrepresented on the course syllabus, such as poetry, drama, film, historical materials, etc. are especially welcome. Once pages are in progress, it may be important to link pages with those made by other student groups in the class.

 

The site needs to invite visitors to engage in interactive learning. I will attempt to facilitate inclusion of threaded discussion on the site and learning modules with interactive questions. Other ideas for interactivity are most welcome.

Pages for each work or concept need to include relevant background on the text, including an explanation of the text's significance to the theme of colonial/postcolonial dialogue.

Pages for each text need to include lucid and well-documented summaries of relevant scholarly, historical, and critical resources.

Pages for each text or concept need to include additional resources for teachers. These resources can include ideas for curricular units, sample plans for individual lessons (see sample lesson plan), possible activities, study questions, essay tests, paper topics,web quests, etc.

Pages should also have relevant images, archival documents, and photographs. 539 students will need to note all sources on their web pages and take care to avoid using images or text under copyright without permission.

Attractive layout and accessibility of information is crucial. I will attempt to create templates that can give the overall site some uniformity.

Whenever possible links to complete on-line textual sources should be made available.

All pages need to show date last modified and author's names and email addresses.

Protocols for publishing pages will be explained. Students should keep copies of their own work on their own disks.

 

Evaluation

At the time the web sites are displayed to the rest of the class, each student will need to turn in a three-page self-evaluation the group web pages and his or her individual contribution. All students are expected to contribute to all aspects of the web site. The self-evaluation should discuss the academic and educational merits of the site and your individual contributions in the area of research, writing, discussion, planning, web-publishing and give both an individual and group grade. The self-evaluation should point out areas for continued improvement. The professor reserves the right to not accept proposed grades, but will undertake to discuss any changes with individual students.