| Unit name | Community Engagement: Theory into Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL10059 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Ms. Sian Ephgrave |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
none |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Community engagement: theory into practice’ introduces a variety of ways in which ‘community’ and ‘engagement’ can be understood as concepts. You will engage with a range of theoretical perspectives from sociological fields of study including education and wellbeing, which will inform your theoretical and philosophical understanding of the practice of community engagement. You will be supported and guided in creating your own community-engaged project.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is the second in a series of cumulative units which aim to prepare and support students in the design, facilitation and critical evaluation of individual community-engaged projects. The development of a community-engaged project is a required part of your undergraduate studies on the English Literature and Community Engagement BA. You will be expected, as a core part of this unit, to commit a minimum of 30 hours to this practical work of creating and running a community-engaged project.
An overview of content
The unit focalises ways in which sociological theory can inform community-engaged practice. Topics covered include: ideas of normality and difference; participation and power; representation and cultural dominance; imagination and empathy. Ethical concerns and considerations pertaining to the design and facilitation of a community-engaged project will also be examined. The unit will explore how experiential knowledge (your own and that of your community partners and members) can be meaningfully included in your work. Projects are not limited in context (e.g., workplace, local charity, school, children’s centre, older people’s home, prison, library, museum) but must pertain in focus to literary forms (e.g., novels, short-stories, poems, biography, songs, film, theatre, graphic text, oral culture) or to activities linked to literature (e.g., creative writing from literary prompts).
Aims of the unit are:
How will you be different as a result of this unit?
The unit will encourage you to become more aware of your own positionality as a university-based community member. It will provide an opportunity for you to reflect on ways in which you are shaped by your life experiences and the social structures within which we operate. You will bring forward your ideas for a community-engaged project into a practicable project plan.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
This unit is normally taught through a series of three-hour seminars and three ‘Saturday Schools’ delivered across the academic year. Seminars utilise a range of teaching methods including lectures, practical activities and group discussion. Seminars are supported by a range of asynchronous learning activities. As part of this unit, you will have access to a one-to-one tutor, who will support and guide your development of a plan for a community-engaged project. You will be supported in cultivating reflexivity through the setting of regular reflexive tasks.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
2,500-word project plan (or equivalent series of blog posts) 100% [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL10059).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
