Why is the course 4 weeks? That seems like a long time.
The course runs for four weeks, but it's actually just sixteen hours in the classroom. We distribute those hours over four weeks because there's a lot to process: students need time to make ideas and techniques their own.
Why do the classes meet at night, or early in the morning?
These classes are a pioneering project in international education, focused on students who are engaged both in places like Indonesia and in the West (the U.K. and the U.S.) Since Indonesia and the U.S., for instance, are almost exactly twelve hours apart, classes have to happen in the few shared hours of the day.
How does the online course work?
We meet in a live, virtual classroom environment twice each week. It's entirely online, and we can see both a presentation board and live audio-visual feeds of each other. The environment is sound-sensitive, too, so it automatically foregrounds the video feed for whoever is talking. Overall, it's a really rich, live classroom. A lot of other interactions happen outside of that: students turn in papers, receive feedback on papers, and consult with the professor on platforms ranging from Skype to Google Docs.
How will I get the reading material?
All of the reading for the course is provided online, for free, on the course website. Aside from a basic style guide, students should not expect to buy physical textbooks.
What will I do in between classes?
You'll think about the literary texts you're studying, ask questions of your professor about those texts, craft interpretations of them, and write those interpretations down. We'll do a lot of discussion together, as a team; but a major aim of the course is allow you to make the study of literature into a way of innovative thinking that you can always use on your own, so you'll be practicing that skill in between classes.
What if I cannot attend a class?
It's to be expected that you may have to miss one or two classes out of the twenty. When that happens, just keep up with reading and assignments - there's no need to worry, or explain, or apologize. If you expect to miss three or more classes, then you should consult with your professor to plan a way to make up what you're missing.
Why are the class discussions valuable?
English doesn't work quite like math or science: because literature is made of language, it's ultimately much more complex than any rationally structured system. That's what makes it especially difficult and especially beautiful, and also what makes skill in it a powerful engine for innovative thinking - especially in a social setting, since that's the setting in which language is most alive. World-changing ideas can take shape as you think about a line of poetry on your own, but that process will often be more energized when you're arguing about that line of poetry with others, in real time.
What feedback or comments will I get for my essays?
Students will get extensive feedback on each piece of writing, as well as wide-open responsiveness leading up to each piece of writing. As you're working through your paper, your professor will always be available to consult about your ideas; and your professor will provide "in-line" feedback (detailed corrections of grammar and style), "marginal feedback" (comments on the structure and flow of argument), and "summary feedback" (an overview of the paper) for each piece of work. Feedback is rigorous, but set in a context of respectful, collaborative work with students.
What will I experience at the beginning of the class?
At the beginning of the class, some students may feel a little nervous: we'll be learning a very specific, analytical approach to writing about literary meaning that may be unfamiliar. But the professor will make the case, in the first few classes, about how this kind of analysis works, why it's useful, why it's exciting, and how we can work together on anything that a student is worried about. What I hope students will experience is something strange, new, expert, and eye-opening; at the same time, the course is designed to engage students' anxieties about the material.
What will I experience at the end of the class?
If the course is successful for you, you will know that you have access to dimensions of meaning in the world around you that you did not have access to before; you will feel that your access to those kinds of meaning can make you think - about anything - more powerfully and creatively than before; and that you can communicate those thoughts clearly.