Intro to Fiction

First, some basics about Introduction to Fiction. The course catalogue describes this course as “Reading and discussion of short stories and novels from a range of literatures, with some attention to critical work on fiction. Includes examination of aesthetic and cultural dimensions.” In other words, this course is designed to introduce you not just to fiction, but also to what we talk about when we talk about fiction. In this course, you will learn to discuss fiction in terms of such ideas as theme, structure, symbolism, as well as social aspects like race, gender, and class.

So that's basically what we're doing. What becomes more complicated in this class is the "how" - that being complicated by the course being an on-line course (and thus having no face-to-face discussions). We'll talk about the special on-line issues elsewhere, but four things that you need to know up-front:

This is not a correspondence course. What do I mean by that? I mean that this is not an independent study-at-home course in which you will receive assignments and simply complete them on your own. Rather, we will attempt to use the technology to model the classroom experience, particularly classroom interaction in the form of on-line discussions. Now, I have done my best to build some flexibility into the schedule - there will never be a particular time during which you must be on-line. Rather, you will have certain assignments due at various points in the week. You should expect to log in at least three time a week.

You will be reading a fair amount. That's pretty self-explanatory, no? You may want to look at the schedule to determine if you are going to be able to accommodate the reading load.

You will be writing a LOT. In order for this class either to count towards graduation here at Parkland or to transfer to a university, certain basic writing requirements must be met. You will be writing three papers of approximately five pages over the next eight weeks.

On top of that, our class "discussions" will be taking place on-line, and thus in writing. You will be posting approximately six short responses each week, either to a prompt or to a classmate's post. Now, these won't be paper-length - more like a good paragraph - but that's still a pretty healthy chunk of writing every week. The the reading load will vary due to story length, but because everything we do will happen in writing, you should be prepared to do quite a bit of it.
This course is geared towards adult students. What does that mean? Well, it means that the works we will be studying in the course were chosen with the understanding that we are all adults, and capable of dealing with mature themes, including sex, violence, and social controversy. We will be discussing these themes in mature, scholarly ways, but we will be discussing them. If you have any doubts about your reaction to this material, please see the reading list for more details.

All About Me, or what does that stuff in bold mean?

My name is Rebecca Busker, and I'll be your guide for the next sixteen weeks. I'm an English instructor here at Parkland College. I'm also something of an internet geek (actually, I'm an all-around geek, as you will no doubt discover), which means I'm really looking forward to this experience.

To get the important stuff out of the way first, I'm just as happy for you to call/address me as "Rebecca." If you're not comfortable with that, "Dr. Busker" will do. Please just be aware that "Mrs. Busker" is my mother, and I will forward all emails addressed thusly to her.

Most of our communication will probably take place over email and on our Web Board. If, however, you want to see me in person, my office is at Parkland College, C247. It's a good idea to arrange a meeting in advance, although if you happen to be on campus, you're certainly free to drop by. The phone number above is my office number. The only time I absolutely guarantee to be available by phone is during my office hours, although again, it never hurts to try at other times. I tend to be around rather a lot, especially in the morning.

The single best way to get in touch with me is through email. Although I again only promise to answer email during my office hours, I am on-line quite a bit. I will endeavor to answer all emails within 24 hours Monday through Friday, and within 48 hours on weekends. If at any point I am going to be out of touch for longer than 24 hours M-F, or for longer than a couple of days around the weekend, I will let you know.

I've also included my AOL Instant Messenger ID. If you're not familiar with AIM, this chat software can be used whether you're an AOL member or not. It comes with most newer forms of Netscape, or can be found here. I will be logged in to AIM during my office hours. I'm frequently logged in at other times as well, although I reserve the right during non-office hours to ask you to contact me later. I do strongly urge you to take advantage of this: things that take 2 or 3 emails (and thus 2-3days) to deal with can be more easily answered in a 5 minute chat. (Side note: if you do message me, please tell me who you are and what class you're in before asking me a question. I'm teaching two on-line classes this summer, and "when is the paper due" is not as simple a question as you might think.)

Now, about those office hours. These are the hours every week that I guarantee I will be (a) in my office and (b) on-line and paying attention to my email and AIM. These are not the only hours I will be available, but they are the hours that, barring emergency or illness, I will definitely be available. On rare occasions, I may make adjustments to those hours, or announce that I will be available only on-line, so keep an eye on your email. Please note that if you call or message me and I do not answer, I'm probably just getting a drink or something, so you should try again in a few minutes.

All About this Site, or what does all this stuff mean?

This web site is your "home base" for the semester. It contains:

Contact information for the instructor.
The materials required for the course.
The policies for the course.
An outline of the course work and grade distribution.
A schedule of readings and weekly assignments.
Weekly discussion prompts.
Groups for the weekly discussion (that is, your discussion partners).
Paper assignments.
Exams.
A link to our class WebBoard (where the discussions will take place).

I will announce any major schedule changes over email and on the WebBoard, but you will want to get in the habit of checking the schedule two or three times a week. I will also post any major announcements to the home page.

Moving right along, we get to The Stuff You Need.