Overview
In the final Portfolio project, you will create a new “unit” for our course, ENG 185: Playing With Texts. This unit will be organized around a specific theme or aspect of English studies and composed of selected course texts, blogs, and projects, as well as new texts of your choice.
Creativity is encouraged when identifying a theme or aspect. What interested you this semester? What questions and curiosities do you have? What is important to you? As you may be including texts you wrote this semester in your unit, you might begin by reviewing your projects and the full collection of blogs for the course. Scan through readings and annotations; review ideas in course slides to make a list of topics of interest and to identify your own approach.
Example units from past students have included:
- Storytelling through Media
- How to Read
- Coping Mechanisms Using Media
- Digital English
- Feminism in Literature
- Identity Disconnect: Multilingualism and Expression
- Internal Conflict in Narrative Texts
- Language amid Tragedy
- Enhancing Textual Interpretation Skills
- The War on Language Choices: Is There a “Right” Way to Frame Global Events?
Details
This may be an individual or a group project. Requirements differ accordingly, so please pay close attention to the details below.
The portfolio will consist of three parts:
- Title Page
- Identifies the title of the unit and its student author(s)
- Introduction to the Unit (minimum 300 words)
- Describes the concept of the unit
- Explains the relationship of the unit to English Studies and to the interests of the author(s).
- Identifies the purposes and goals of the unit: What questions or issues will students explore in this unit? What do you intend that students learn through this unit? How do the included texts fit together as a whole?
- Texts and Rationales
- Includes each text, along with identifying information: title, author, date of publication, publication name, link, etc. (If not included in our course material, full copy of the text should also be included either in full or as a link to file in our Google folder. If using one of our blog posts, please copy/paste the blog content and add the web link).
- Includes the following with each text (minimum 300 words total for each text):
- A clear and concise summary of the text.
- A rationale that explains why this text was chosen and its connection to the larger unit concept. Why did you choose this text? How does it help develop your unit goals? Use this paragraph to highlight any literary/language/rhetorical aspects in the text that are key to your concept.
A bibliography is not necessary if all identifying information is included in the text listing.
If an individual project:
Required: Minimum 3 texts
- At least 2 texts must be from the course (eligible texts include: all blog posts, projects, and course readings). You may – and are encouraged to – make revisions to your own work before including in the portfolio.
- At least 1 new text of student’s choice
If a group project:
With 2 students:
Required: Minimum 6 texts
- At least 3 texts must be from the course (eligible texts include: blog posts, projects, and course readings). You may – and are encouraged to – make revisions to your own work before including in the portfolio.
- At least 2 new texts of students’ choice
With 3 students:
Required: Minimum 9 texts
- At least 4 texts must be from the course (eligible texts include: blog posts, projects, and course readings). You may – and are encouraged to – make revisions to your own work before including in the portfolio.
- At least 3 new texts of students’ choice
If working in a group, be sure that all tasks are divided equally (I will be checking in with you), and that the portfolio and its parts act as a coherent whole. Groups should be established by the start of Week 14.
Submission and Evaluation
On the final day of class, students will preview their portfolio. Be prepared to discuss your developing concept and at least one text that will be included.
The final portfolio is due by the end of our exam slot on iLearn.
- Section 2 (8:00am): Tuesday, May 16 @ 4pm
The final portfolio should be presented professionally, with neat formatting and effective, organized writing. Be sure to use paragraph breaks. No typos.