Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - EDUC 341 OL01

Literacy, Education and Culture (3)

Class Number: 6143

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

  • Prerequisites:

    60 units including three units in EDUC courses.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

What counts as literacy and whose literacies are valued? What does this mean for the organization of societies, and for teaching and learning? How is literacy implicated in projects of social ordering, colonialism, oppression and empowerment? This course explores these questions through case studies, histories, policies and place-based investigations of literacy education across the life course and inside and outside formal schooling. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

From the earliest representations of human experience to contemporary digital cultures, literacy  has been one of society’s most powerful political and cultural technologies. In its many forms, literacy has had far-reaching impact on the creation of knowledge; the organization of gender, race and class relations; and the formation of institutions. Formal education is one of the most
powerful institutions through which literacy is transmitted and society is organized, but literacies also flourish in communities as practices of inventiveness and resistance. This course explores different kinds of literacies, the consequences of literacy for different groups, and for the organization of education and society. We consider these themes from the earliest writing, to the present and possible futures, paying particular attention to the work of contemporary education institutions at this historical moment when traditional print literacy and new digital literacies intersect.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The goal of this course is to prepare current and future educators, and students of culture and society, to incorporate a literacy lens into their education practice, and to participate in current debates and policies that are shaping literacy education in school and community settings.

Course learning outcomes deepen and expand upon these premises and are the organizing
logic for each of the six modules in this course. Students will learn:

  • To study literacy as a window into society, power and education systems;
  • To appreciate the value and diversity of different literacies and writing systems as these relate to different cultures, historical moments, and ways of knowing and being;
  • To understand literacy as a political force; how literacy can empower but also be used as a mode of social control;
  • To become familiar with literacy education work outside of schools (such as in community education, adult learning centres, youth literacy, family literacy, social justice projects and so on);
  • To recognize and evaluate different methods for teaching and learning literacies;
  • To critically evaluate digital literacies and the future of literacy in an algorithmic world;
  • To develop multimodal literacy skills (skills that go beyond print to present information in different ways).

Grading

  • Participation in discussions, weekly readings and feedback to others 20%
  • Experiential activities 20%
  • Narrative portfolio - personal literacy experiences 30%
  • Final project 30%

NOTES:

Late Penalties

All assignments must be submitted on the date specified. If you have a legitimate reason for your assignment being late, please email me directly as soon as you can at susan_barber@sfu.ca and let me know.  The same is true for not being online during the week.  Legitimate excuses are most commonly:  death in the family, car accident, serious illness and a few others.

REQUIREMENTS:

I expect all students to complete readings in the week they are assigned, to join discussion areas on Canvas at least 2 or 3 times a week, to respond to others' posts in a timely fashion and not to leave graded assignments until the last minute.
You are encouraged to think deeply about the ideas presented and to form your own opinions.  Please support your ideas with evidence from course readings or other academic sources. 

As a class, we will welcome all ideas and perspectives on the various topics we will examine.  If ideas are new or challenging to you, it is ideal to ask for more information or respectfully offer critical thinking on the ideas.  There is often no right or wrong, just different ways of seeing the broader concepts.  Context plays a major role in comprehension as well as culture, ethnicity and religion.  We are all learning how to navigate complex, multicultural and diverse practices globally as well as locally.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All materials will be available on Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.