Coursework titles

Whilst it advisable that each of you submit original essay titles/questions, it is perfectly admissable that there be overlap. Do not be overprotective of your ideas: share them online with the rest of us - albeit in prototype form - and ask for our scrutiny, praise and encouragement; I envisage that most of your initial ideas will need refinement and I see no reason why I should be the only one to be involved in the criticism. Just REMEMBER that they MUST offer you plenty of opportunity to address the various requirements of the Assessment Objectives, particularly in regard to each of the AOs' weightings. For example, 'large' questions such as 'How do Stoppard and Bronte reflect 19th Century attitudes to marriage?' will require much generalisation and a temptation to write reems of histo-social conext analysis when AO4 is worth just 2%. You need to find a smaller area for close scrutiny in which AO4 will be evident in a subtler way and for which you can offer a high standard of tight analysis of language, structure and form (AO2) and create a sense of DEBATE for which there are multiple interpretations that you will take into account before making a judgement of your own (AO3).

Happy Christmas!

General thoughts and epiphanies

Unsure where to stick your earth-shaking insights, confused queries or general rants? Whack 'em in here.