UNIVERSITY OF KENT – CODE OF PRACTICE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE MODULE SPECIFICATION

1 The title of the module: Varieties of German Writing 2 The Department responsible for management of the module: SECL 3 The Start Date of the Module: The module has been running for a long time. 4 The number of students expected to take the module: between 15 and 20 take this module each year. 5 Modules to be withdrawn on the introduction of this proposed module and consultation with other relevant Departments and Faculties regarding the withdrawal: n/a. 6 The level of the module: C. 7 The number of credits which the module represents: 15 8 Which term(s) the module is [to be] taught in (or other teaching pattern): Lent. 9 Prerequisite and co-requisite modules: None. Post-A level reading competence in German is a requirement, however. 10 The programmes of study to which the module contributes: German – available to all other programmes within the Humanities and beyond as an option. 11 The intended subject-specific learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to programme learning outcomes: Students who complete this module will: have gained experience in reading short narrative texts, poems, plays written between 1760 and 1945 or viewing films in German made during or relating to the period, thus increasing their passive vocabularies in German and enhancing their ability to navigate their way through quite complex linguistic material, even if they have never previously attempted to do this in their studies; have knowledge of some different genres of writing in German and of the social or political context as appropriate. 12 The intended generic learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to programme learning outcomes: Students who complete this module will have: further developed some basic study skills, such as note-taking, independent preparation of material for discussion or informal presentation in seminars, as well as formulation of written arguments and summaries in structured essays, as appropriate for the second term of study. Tasks for seminars will be shared among small groups who will report back to the main seminar group, thus building team-work and problem-solving skills. With its sister module taught in the Michaelmas Term, ‘Images of Germany, 1945-2000’, ‘Varieties of German Writing’ provides a foundation on which to build written and oral communication skills and the ability to undertake independent research. 13 A synopsis of the curriculum: Writing in German over this long period shows much variety and in the ten taught weeks of this module students are introduced to some representative examples of it, including lyric poetry, narrative poetry, drama, the novella, short story and films. Most of the material has some social or historical content and thus conveys some sense of life as lived in the period or of major historical upheavals or cultural developments, such as cultural repression during the Vormärz or political engagement in the inter-war period. 14 Indicative Reading List: Poems by Goethe and Schiller; stories by Hebel; Büchner, Leonce und Lena; Heine, Deutschland: Ein Wintermärchen; Grillparzer, Der arme Spielmann; Herzog, Alle für sich oder Gott gegen alle; Kafka, Das Urteil; Brecht, Der gute Mensch von Sezuan; Lang, M. oder die Stadt ihren Mörder. 15 Learning and Teaching Methods, including the nature and number of contact hours and the total study hours which will be expected of students, and how these relate to achievement of the intended learning outcomes: One weekly lecture (one hour) and one weekly seminar (two hours) with essay-writing weeks in weeks 6 and 12. The total study hours will be a notional 120, which students will need to invest in order to read the texts and the critical literature on the texts and to prepare work for assessment. Once the reading for a particular week is done students will be in a position to contribute to seminar discussion, usually by preparing as part of a small team an episode or an aspect suggested by the seminar

UNIVERSITY OF KENT – CODE OF PRACTICE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE leader. This will enhance verbal communication skills, team work, and problem solving. Preparation of essays will be improve written skills.

16 Assessment methods and how these relate to testing achievement of the intended learning outcomes: two essays written in weeks 6 and 12 are worth 10% each and cover two single topics only. These test the achievement of learning outcomes through assessment of: argument; summary skills; comprehension of the text or film in question; ability to quote material appropriately in German. An examination in the summer term assesses ability to retain ideas and information and reproduce them in response to different questions. 17 Implications for learning resources, including staff, library, IT and space: None 18 A statement confirming that, as far as can be reasonably anticipated, the curriculum, learning and teaching methods and forms of assessment do not present any non-justifiable disadvantage to students with disabilities: As far as can be reasonably anticipated, the curriculum, learning and teaching methods and forms of assessment do not present any non-justifiable disadvantage to students with disabilities.