3.7 Course Overviews: "E"
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ECONOMICS (ECON)
Microeconomics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
+
ViTAL Electronic Classroom
Two fundamental premises underlie the study of economics: society's material wants are insatiable, and economic resources are limited or scarce.
Microeconomics examines how the price system operates in Canada; how the price system determines what, how, and for whom goods and services are produced; and how economic flexibility is maintained.
Special instructional features: This course is available via electronic delivery by personal computer using ViTAL. This course is also offered as a telecourse in collaboration with ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta. The television programs are also available on videotape from Athabasca University Library.
Macroeconomics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
+
ViTAL Electronic Classroom
Macroeconomics deals with the aggregate economy, the total of all individual units or subcomponents of an economic system. Microeconomics deals with the individual elements in an economy such as households, businesses, and product and resource markets. The analysis
of the aggregate and the conclusions obtained need not be true of its various sectors or groups of people. Hence, the study of macroeconomics and microeconomics complements one another. Macroeconomics examines issues that attract a great deal of public attention - inflation, government, banking, and international trade - and they attract debate because they can be viewed through different theoretical perspectives.
Delivery mode: This course is also offered as a telecourse in collaboration with ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta. The television programs are also available on videotape from Athabasca University Library.
The Changing Global Economy
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Audio Component
Is there such a thing as a new global economy? Many economists and business observers argue that the new information technologies and rapid development of knowledge-based industries are indeed creating a new, highly competitive world economy. It is characterized by rapidly growing trade and capital flows in response to global, not national, market opportunities, and a diminished capacity for states to determine economic outcomes. National economic performance depends on knowledge and ideas more than on natural resources.
This course is largely based on a series of audiocassettes that contain interviews with a number of the key participants in the global economy as well as with some of the most well-known and respected commentators. Those interviewed include Kenneth Arrow, Alfred Chandler, Joseph d'Cruz, John Kenneth Galbraith, Richard Lipsey, Martin Meyer, Douglas North, Mancur Olson, Sylvia Osry, Paul Rohmer, Jeffrey Sachs, Thomas Schelling, Alvin Toffler, Gordon Tullock, and Bob White.
Prerequisite: an introductory course in economics or permission of the instructor.
Economics of Health Care
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
The primary purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of economic principles and how those principles apply to the health care field. This introductory level economics course will provide pertinent and systematic insight into the health care system and the advantages and disadvantages of health care policies. The course is designed for students in health care administration, public health, and other health-related disciplines.
The subject matter is divided into three parts
- Descriptive Economics
- Explanatory Economics
- Evaluative Economics.
A basic understanding of mathematics would be an asset to the student.
Intermediate Microeconomics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This intermediate-level course in microeconomics will teach students from a wide range of backgrounds to think like economists and to apply microeconomic principles in order to better understand the problems of resource scarcity faced by economic agents, i.e., households, firms, and the governments. Students will be encouraged to consider the policy options available to economic agents in various situations and to differentiate between the intent and the effect of each policy option. The course consists of ten units.
Prerequisite: ECON 247.
Political Economy of Resource Development in Canada
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Canada is a resource-rich country. Our oceans are teeming with fish. Our lands are some of the best wheat-growing lands in the world, cover vast tracts of timber-rich forests, and contain a variety of minerals, oil, and gas underneath. Thus, our high standard of living must be in a significant way associated with the richness of our resources.
Unlike other courses traditionally offered on this subject, this course tries to adopt an integrated approach. The first part of the course is historical and it examines the role of the resource sector in economic development in Canada. The second part of the course is theoretical, and it includes an examination of various models of resource use and resource development.
The third part of the course concentrates on the discussion of Canadian resource policies with special emphasis on their social and ecological implications. Thus, the course tries to give a clear comprehension of the subject in its totality.
Prerequisite: none. ECON 247 is strongly recommended.
Economic Development in the Third World
6 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course is primarily concerned with the causes and cures of widespread poverty in the less developed nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This course examines the economic and non-economic circumstances of these regions, asks why these regions are not more ''developed'' (and what exactly do we mean by development), and poses the question: What should be done?
Economic analysis is used throughout the course, but the institutional and socio-political setting is also emphasized. This course adopts a policy and problem-oriented approach that introduces the student to a number of important policy debates including managing the debt crisis, inward versus outward trade strategies, the role of transnational corporations, the role of foreign aid, population growth, agricultural development strategies, and the role of education in development.
Prerequisite: none.
Economics of Inequality and Poverty
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course explores the various theories put forward to explain economic inequality and poverty particularly with reference to Canada. The importance of unequal opportunities in the labour market and the importance of education are examined. Reasons for the persistence of poverty despite high and rising average incomes are also explored. Finally, the course examines public policies that have been proposed to address the issues of inequality and poverty.
Prerequisite: none.
Money, Banking, and Canadian Financial Institutions
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course introduces the student to the important roles money, banking, and financial institutions play in the economy. There are eight major parts to this course: 1) The functions of money and monetary standards, 2) Financial assets and their markets, 3) Financial intermediation and the regulation of financial markets, 4) The role of chartered banks and non-bank financial institutions, 5) The Bank of Canada and monetary control, 6) Monetary theory and policy, 7) Money and the international economy, and 8) An examination of post-war Canadian monetary policy.
In recent years there has been rapid change in the Canadian and world financial systems. Bank failures, regulatory reform, the debt crisis, and the internationalization of financial transactions affect all sectors of the Canadian economy.
In addition to providing a theoretical framework within
which these and other problems may be analysed, this course assesses the wide ranging institutional changes implemented that affect our banking and financial systems.
Prerequisite: ECON 248.
International Trade
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course is intended to provide students with both a practical insight into the nature and patterns of Canadian foreign trade. This is primarily a course in economics, but the material will be of interest to students in political science, Canadian studies, economic geography, global competitiveness, etc., who have some exposure to economics.
Prerequisite: ECON 347. Students who have completed ECON 247 or the equivalent may be given permission to register by the course professor.
International Finance
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Global financial markets are changing rapidly. Deregulation, financial innovation, and technological change have facilitated the development of truly global financial markets. This is characterized by the very rapid movement of large scale capital flows in response to emerging opportunities in the international economy. The emergence of the so-called ''global economy'' would not have been possible without these dramatic changes in the field of international finance.
This course examines the workings of foreign exchange markets, the balance of payments, the evolving international monetary system, and the emergence of, and implications of, truly global financial markets.
Prerequisite: ECON 248.
EDUCATION (EDUC)
Educational Issues and Social Change 1: Historical Social Perspectives
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
The ability of the education system to bring about social change, and education's response to changes in society, are the contentious issues at the centre of this course. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to an analysis of the development of Canadian education that takes account of historical, social, cultural, and philosophical influences. The course will provide you with an understanding of the origins of the Canadian public education system and demonstrate the historical roots of many contemporary educational debates.
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (EDPY)
Computers in Education
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Required Computer Component
This course focuses on the practical, hands-on development of skills, concepts, and strategies for immediate classroom application. The computer will be the primary medium for course communication, learning, and evaluation. The course provides the opportunity to discuss (electronically) current issues on the integration of technology in education; to access Internet tools to harness the resources of the World Wide Web for classroom use; to use an integrated software package (ClarisWorks) that incorporates word processing, graphics, database, spreadsheet, and communications environments into the education enterprise; to design an entry-level multimedia presentation using the HyperStudio 3.0 authoring system; and to explore test generation software.
Prerequisite: none, however, students are expected to have basic competence in Windows and Mac operating systems.
Precluded courses: EDPY 274 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for COMP 200, INFS 200, CMIS 301, CMIS 302, CMIS 321, CMIS 322.
Special instructional features: The integrated software package (ClarisWorks), an entry level multimedia authoring package, and a test generation software package will be provided with the EDPY 274 course. However, students are responsible for providing their own Internet account and must have access to a Macintosh or an IBM-PC compatible computer and modem suitable for Internet communications. For example, a minimum configuration for a Macintosh would be: System 7, 8 megs RAM, hard disk, a 68030 processor and a modem of 14,400 baud; a minimum configuration for an IBM-PC would be: Windows 95, 8 megs RAM, hard disk, a 486 processor, and a modem of 14,400 baud. Students may use the microcomputers at Athabasca University in Athabasca or its learning centres in Calgary, Edmonton or Fort McMurray.
Note: When requesting their examination, students must indicate the type of computer system and software they have been using. Students are also responsible for finding an invigilation centre with the appropriate computer hardware.
| EDPY 351Available Fall 1999 |
1034 |
Introduction to Exceptional Children
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
The course surveys the field of exceptionalities in children. Topics covered include the etiology of handicaps, mental retardation, gifted children, speech and language disorders, learning disabilities, children from diverse cultural backgrounds, hearing impairments, visual impairments, behavioural disorders, special health-care needs, neurological disabilities, developmental disorders, and multiple handicaps. The course emphasizes the Canadian context, optimal instructional strategies for use with exceptional children, and the involvement of teachers, parents, and the community in providing special education.
Precluded course: EDPY 351 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for EDPY 251.
Introduction to Computer-based Instruction
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Required Computer Component
+
Internet Component
This course explores various facets of the application of computers to the teaching and learning process. Topics covered include a brief history of educational computing, an overview of the contemporary field, the relationship between the psychology of learning and computer-based instruction, the development of computer tutorials, computer drills, computer simulations, instructional games, computerized testing, and computer-managed instruction. The course includes a laboratory component in which students learn to develop computer-based lessons using an Internet browser as a delivery device and HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and JavaScript as tools for lesson development. The course requires no previous knowledge of HTML and JavaScript but does demand previously acquired skills in basic micro-computer use, including some use of an Internet browser.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor or any one of the following courses: EDPY 274, COMP 200, COMP 210, CMIS 301, CMIS 302, CMIS 321 or CMIS 322.
Special instructional features: In order to complete this course students are expected to have access to a Macintosh or an IBM-PC compatible microcomputer that is capable of downloading and operating Netscape 3.0, an Internet browser program. The minimum configuration for a Macintosh would be: System 7, 8 megs RAM, hard disk, a 68030 processor, a modem of 14,400 baud, a grey scale monitor, and a printer. The minimum configuration for an IBM-PC compatible would be: Windows 3.1 (Windows 95 recommended), 8 megs RAM, hard disk, a 486 processor, a graphics card, a modem of 14,400 baud, and a printer. Students may use the microcomputers at Athabasca University in Athabasca or at one of the learning centres in Calgary, Edmonton or Fort McMurray. Most of the courseware is available on the Internet, so students are required to have an ISP connection to access the course materials.
ENGLISH (ENGL)
Developing Reading and Writing Skills
3 - No area of study (see Glossary)
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
Developing Reading and Writing Skills is designed for students who require a preparatory course in reading and writing skills. The major objective of the course is to improve students' reading and writing abilities to a capacity whereby they can succeed at the post-secondary level. Students in this course will increase their vocabulary, improve their reading comprehension, increase their ability to critically analyse complex text, and improve their writing skills. Attention will be paid to paragraph and essay structure, and to reviewing the basics of English grammar and sentence structure.
Note: This is not a creative writing course.
Developing Reading and Writing Skills is strongly recommended for all students beginning university studies who have doubts about their writing skills or who require a refresher course in English grammar and in the basic techniques of essay writing.
Prerequisite: none.
Special instructional features: Computerized remediation is available on an optional basis for students experiencing difficulties with English grammar and/or punctuation.
ENGL 177
Available fall 1999 |
2177 |
English for Academic Purposes
3 - No area of study (see Glossary)
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Audio Component
+
Video Component
This course is designed for high intermediate to advanced students of English as a Second Language who wish to attend a post-secondary institution where English is the medium of instruction. The aim of this course is to prepare students to succeed in complex academic tasks in writing, reading, listening, and speaking. In particular the following areas will be explored: writing a variety of academic tasks, note-taking of authentic university-level lectures, reading of authentic textbook excerpts and journal articles, researching independently, and speaking in an academic context. Personalized grammar programs are devised for each student based on a diagnostic grammar test at the beginning of the course. Students will have the option of a video or audio component.
Note: This is not a creative writing course; it is a general academic preparatory course for ESL students. However, it is also appropriate for native speakers of English who are in need of general academic preparation.
| ENGL 187 Available fall 1999 |
1870 |
Writing and Speaking for Business: An ESL Approach
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
ENGL 187 is designed for high intermediate to advanced students of English as a Second Language who wish to increase their knowledge and expertise in business communication. The course covers important business concepts, vocabulary, and forms (letter, memos, reports) and develops strategies and writing skills based on audience awareness.
Each student will follow a self-paced, individualized grammar program. Since success in today's business world is largely related to oral communication, the course also provides guidelines, exercises, and assignments aimed at improving speaking skills. These skills will be developed in a systematic, supportive way with the assistance of a speech specialist. This part of the course must be taken seriously as it constitutes
35 per cent of the course grade. ENGL 187 is recommended as a preparatory course for ESL students intending to take
ADMN 233 Writing in Organizations.
Prose Forms
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
Prose Forms introduces students to four literary forms - the short story, essay, novella, and novel - and to important literary concepts and terms to encourage the development of analytical, reading, and writing skills. Students will read a variety of works by British, American, and Canadian authors of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Precluded courses: ENGL 211 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 291 and ENGL 292.
Plays and Poetry
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
ENGL 212 introduces the elements and forms of drama, and provides an historical perspective on the development of drama, with reference to three plays: a tragedy from the sixteenth century, a tragi-comedy from the early twentieth century, and a modern comedy.
In the second unit the course introduces forms of poetry, with a wide variety of examples from Shakespeare to Atwood, examining themes, structure, style, and imagery.
- Unit 1 Drama - Shakespeare, Shaw, MacDonald
- Unit 2 Poetry - lyric, narrative, dramatic, free verse
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 or equivalent first year course.
Precluded courses: ENGL 212 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 291 and ENGL 292.
Introductory Composition: Writing Skills
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
This course focuses on essay writing and critical thinking at the university level. In order to refine compositional skills, students examine various examples of good writing in conjunction with developing their own work.
This course assumes at least a senior high school level of competency in both grammar and composition. Students who have not done any formal writing for some time or who feel that their basic skills might be weak should consider taking ENGL 155 Developing Reading and Writing Skills or, for ESL needs, ENGL 177 English for Academic Purposes or ENGL 187 Writing and Speaking for Business: An ESL Approach. Any of these three preliminary courses at the 100 level will help build the skills needed to move on to this course. Students who feel uncertain which course to choose may consult the course coordinator.
Prerequisite: none. All students who believe they have the prerequisite skills will be admitted. It is strongly recommended, however, that students submit the first essay, a diagnostic, in time for it to be assessed within the first two weeks of the course. Students who are deemed unready for the course, on the basis of this diagnostic, will be advised to consider withdrawing and registering in the appropriate 100-level writing skills course. Students in this category will not be charged a withdrawal fee PROVIDED they inform the Office of the Registrar within the first 30 days of their course contract that they wish to withdraw on recommendation of the ENGL 255 diagnostic.
Introduction to Canadian Literature
6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 302 introduces students to the Canadian literary tradition - major authors, works, forms, periods, movements, and concerns - from colonial times to the present. Works are chosen primarily from English-Canadian authors, although a number of French-Canadian works are studied in translation. The themes and questions considered in the course include the Canadian identity, nature and the Canadian attitude to it, isolation and alienation, women in Canadian literature, the Gothic element, and the relationship between Canadian literature and Canadian visual art.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
A History of Drama - Part I: Early Stages
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines the beginnings of drama in Greek tragedy and comedy and the medieval morality play through to the Elizabethan history play, Jacobean revenge tragedy, and the Restoration comedy of manners.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Precluded course: ENGL 303 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 300.
Special instructional features: Many of the plays are available on audiocassette and videotape from Athabasca University Library.
A History of Drama - Part II: Modernist Theatre
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines the beginnings of modernism in the plays of Ibsen, Shaw and Chekhov, the Irish Dramatic Renaissance, Expressionistic drama and the Theatre of the, Absurd. Contemporary Canadian, American, and British plays will be analysed in terms of their postmodern stylistic and thematic elements.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Precluded course: ENGL 304 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 300.
Special instructional features: Many of the plays are available on audiocassette and videotape from Athabasca University Library.
Literature for Children
6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 305 introduces the student to children's literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques. The required reading is not exhaustive but acquaints the student with some of the more important and representative forms, authors, and works of children's literature.
The course begins with an introductory survey of the history of children's literature followed by a study of folklore as it pertains to children's literature, the folktale and its literary descendants, literary fantasy, realistic fiction, special interest fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and picture books. Required readings include classic and contemporary works from England, the United States, and Canada, and a small number of European works in translation.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
The Literature of Work
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This an introduction to literature created by those who do the work depicted. In the past, most literature about the workplace was written by outsiders lacking the knowledge of what actually went on in the daily life of workers. The literature of work gives an exciting new perspective both on the workplace and on the possibilities of literature.
Prerequisite: none, however, any university English literature course is recommended.
Women in Literature
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Women in Literature critically examines the tradition in women's writing, deconstructs the pervasive images of women's literature, and analyses the way in which women define their experiences in terms of language. The course includes three novels, a play, essays, and poetry by British, Canadian, and American women.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Native Literature in Canada
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course explores the oral and written traditions in Inuit and Indian stories and myths, historical orations, essays, poetry, two novels, and contemporary drama. The course examines the rhetorical devices, community values, and social issues inherent in these works.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Shakespeare I
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Audio Component
ENGL 324 is an introduction to the study of the plays of William Shakespeare and focuses on the histories and tragedies. The course will help you to study the plays as literary texts and as live theatre. To critically analyse the plays we will use a variety of media, the text of the play, audiocassettes of performances, the study guide with historical information, and critical commentary and video performances of two plays.
Prerequisites: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Special instructional features: Students must have access to a VCR and an audiocassette recorder. There is also the option of using the Internet for communication and research.
Note: Students enrolled in a degree program with an English major are strongly advised to obtain 6 credits in Shakespeare by completing both Shakespeare I and Shakespeare II.
Modern Canadian Theatre
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Video Component
This is a telecourse, offered in collaboration with ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta. This course surveys contemporary Canadian theatre, focusing on twelve plays written between 1967 and 1992, with a particular emphasis on innovative or controversial drama and on plays by women, and including an examination of pertinent stage design, movement, and theatre history. The television programs are also available on videotape from Athabasca University Library.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Comparative Literature I
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 335 introduces students to some of the major works of world literature by examining texts that transcend the boundaries of language, culture, and nationality. One of the assumptions of the comparative approach is that literary traditions continue to exist, in one form or another, throughout history, and in various languages and parts of the world. The course focuses on works from Greek, Medieval, and Renaissance literature, and is complemented by ENGL 336 which examines more recent works in various media.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Precluded course: ENGL 335 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 339.
Comparative Literature II
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Video Component
+
Internet Component
World literature and multi-media are the focus of Comparative Literature II. Students will broaden their understanding of literature and the literary as they explore texts that interact with different media in addition to the printed word. Most of the texts are from this century and include hypertexts.
ENGL 336 is a complement to ENGL 335, and together they constitute a unique exploration of world literature in all its manifestations.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English courses(s). It is strongly recommended that students complete ENGL 335 before registering in ENGL 336.
Precluded course: ENGL 336 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 339.
Special instructional features: Students must have access to a VCR, a CD player, a computer with a minimum of Windows 3.1 software, CD-ROM, a modem, and access to the Internet.
American Literature I
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course introduces the student to American literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques. It surveys American literature from colonial days to approximately 1900 and includes Puritan authors, writers of the American neo-classic and Renaissance periods, and realist and naturalist works. The required reading is not exhaustive but is intended to provide an overview of the main currents of American literature and to promote a better understanding of late twentieth-century American life and thought through awareness of literature.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
American Literature II
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 345 continues the survey of the history and development of American literature begun in ENGL 344.
ENGL 345 covers the period from approximately 1900 to 1960 and includes such authors as Crane, cummings, Eliot, Faulkner, Frost, Hemingway, and Steinbeck. It also includes a selection of post-World War II poets and novelists.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Comparative Canadian Literature I
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is an introduction to the study of ethnic minority writing in Canada in the context of the country's two majority traditions, the English and the French. Among the topics examined are the national literatures, the voices of women, national myths and stereotypes, regionalism, and immigration.
ENGL 351 was prepared by Professor Joseph Pivato who has published three books on ethnic minority writing.
The complement to this course is ENGL 451 Comparative Canadian Literature II.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 are strongly recommended.
Precluded course: ENGL 351 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 450.
Intermediate Composition
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a practical approach to the craft of essay writing. Since the course emphasizes essay organization and form (e.g., persuasive techniques, logic, various forms of ordering material), students are expected to possess sound basic writing skills.
Prerequisite: ENGL 255, ENGL 211, or any senior English course.
Literature of the Americas
6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course introduces students to four of the major literary traditions of North and South America and the cultures that produced them. The course examines the history and development of Spanish-American, Afro-American, and English- and French-Canadian literature. Themes and questions covered in the course include national myths and questions of identity, the land, forms and influences of colonialism and imperialism, relationships with the United States, guilt, the journey, magic, imagination, and creativity.
Prerequisite: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Poetry, Tradition, and Change
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a study of poetic forms from English Romantic and Victorian verse, and from British, American, and Canadian twentieth-century poetry. Traditional poetic genres and theory are examined in detail, as well as forms and theory in modern and contemporary poetry. The course includes work by the following poets: Atwood, Browning, Eliot, Layton, Wordsworth, and Yeats.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Creative Writing in Prose
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a creative writing course designed to help students develop their language skills in the production of prose fiction, primarily short fiction. Students will study examples of short fiction by some of the best authors in the world and will be expected to produce a number of finished pieces of their own writing.
Before enrolling in ENGL 381, students are expected to have a sound background in literature and proven writing ability by fulfilling the following prerequisites.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 and a final grade of 75 per cent in ENGL 353. Permission of the course professor is required before registering.
The Nineteenth-Century English Novel
Reading - 6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course introduces the student to some of the major English novels of the nineteenth century. Starting with Pride and Prejudice (1812), it moves chronologically through the century, examining the development of fiction through such representative works as Frankenstein (1818), The Heart of Mid-Lothian (1818), Jane Eyre (1847), Wuthering Heights (1847), Vanity Fair (1847-48), Bleak House (1853), North and South (1855), Barchester Towers (1857), Middlemarch (1867), The Way of All Flesh (1884, 1904), and Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891). This survey covers various types of fiction from the novel of manners, the Gothic romance, and the historical romance, to satiric, comic, and tragic novels.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Shakespeare II
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Audio Component
This is a further study of Shakespeare's plays, with an emphasis on the range and variety of his work. Students must read nine plays selected from Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies, and histories. The plays are discussed as live theatre and as literary texts. The main approach in the course is critical analysis of the works in order to thoroughly understand the plays. A complement to ENGL 324 Shakespeare I, this course places emphasis on the history plays and particular Shakespearian themes. The core plays studied are Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2; Henry V; Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3; Richard III; Troilus and Cressida; Two Gentlemen of Verona; Hamlet; and King Lear.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Special instructional features: Students must have access to an audiocassette player.
The Twentieth-Century English Novel
6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 397 introduces the student to the twentieth-century British novel, its history and development, its rich variety of forms and techniques, and the ideas and events which influenced it. The required reading does not aim to be exhaustive but acquaints the student with some of the more important novelists of the period. Each novel in the course is read as an individual artistic work with its own formal integrity, as part of the evolution of the literary genre of the novel, and as part of a larger social and intellectual milieu.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Images of Man in Modern Literature
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course uses selected literary texts to study the theme of mankind's search for spiritual and intellectual self-realization. Works in different genres by major authors from Canada, England, Germany, and Norway are examined. Through the study of these works, the symbolic figure of Faust is traced from the Renaissance to modern Canada via German Romanticism and nineteenth-century European drama. The course explores the changing image of Faust and examines the cultural and philosophical ideas that shaped each age's perception of the search for self.
Prerequisite or equivalent: none, but one of the following is strongly recommended: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s).
Precluded course: ENGL 401 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 301.
Contemporary Literary Theory and Criticism
Reading - 3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
ENGL 423 examines the major contemporary theories of literature and their application in practical criticism. The twentieth century has seen the development of several theories of literature that have influenced our reading, understanding, and criticism of various genres and of both old and new works. The course looks at the history and nature of the following movements: Formalism, New Criticism, Ideology, Archetypal Criticism, Structuralism, Hermeneutics, Poststructuralism, Feminist Poetics, and Postmodernism. ENGL 423 was prepared by Professor Joseph Pivato who has a special interest in the problems of literary theory.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent, and any senior English course.
Canadian Drama
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Canadian Drama is a survey of sixteen Canadian plays from the 1930s to the present, focusing on theatrical innovation or derivation, community, regional and national issues, and the ideology of mainstream and marginalized drama in Canada.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s). A knowledge of the history of drama is advised.
Modern British Drama
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Audio Component
Modern British Drama examines the renaissance of British drama in the 1950s through to the 1990s, with regard to changing styles and forms and the politicization of the theatre in fifteen plays from Beckett and Pinter to Hare and Churchill.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent first year English course(s). A knowledge of the history of drama is advised.
Precluded course: ENGL 432 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 332.
Special instructional features: Some of these plays are available on audiocassettes and videotapes from Athabasca University Library.
Literature of the Canadian West
Reading - 6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Students study major authors and representative works from twentieth-century literature of the Canadian West. The following themes and questions are among those considered in the course: setting and its role in the literature of the Canadian West; communication and its failure; isolation, solitude, and alienation; pioneering and its aftermath; white perspectives of Aboriginal people; endurance; dream and fantasy versus reality; violence; growing up in the West; and the role of, and attitudes towards, women.
Prerequisite or equivalent: any senior English course.
Precluded course: ENGL 437 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 337.
Comparative Canadian Literature II
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a further study of Canada's ethnic minority writing in the context of the ongoing discourse between English-Canada and Quebec. Among the topics to be examined are: the nature of Canada's national literature, racial questions, the diversity of Canadian culture, nationalism in both English-Canada and Quebec, and identity. It is suggested that students also take the complement to this course, ENGL 351 Comparative Canadian Literature I.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212.
Precluded course: ENGL 451 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ENGL 450.
Directed Studies in Literature
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Directed Studies in Literature offers students an opportunity to pursue an extended research project under the direction of a professor. The research topic will be determined in consultation between student and professor. The course of study will normally include extensive library research and the production of a major paper. The research proposal will include the goals of study, procedures, and completion times for the various states of the project.
Prerequisite: ENGL 211 and ENGL 212 or equivalent, plus two senior English courses. Permission of the course professor is required before registering.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)
See ENGL 177 English for Academic Purposes and ENGL 187 Writing and Speaking for Business: An ESL Approach.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (ENVS)
The Environment: Issues and Options for Action
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Audio Component
This audio-based course is a foundation course for the Environmental Studies program. It offers an overview of
a number of major environmental issues, their origins, their interdependence, and their impact on society. It will present some options for action and some insights into how individuals might play a role in addressing environmental problems. Particular issues such as the impact of industrial use upon the forests of Canada, uncertainty in expert scientific evidence, debate over the scientific standards set to protect people and the environment, lead in paint or gasoline and the implications for environmental and human health, the pros and cons of green consumerism, the expansion of the pulp
and paper industry in northern Alberta, and more, will be used to illustrate the themes for each audio program.
Special instructional features: Recorded programs are available to students in audiocassette form.
Global Environmental Change: The Scientific and Social Issues
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Video Component
Over the last several decades, the global community has come to realize that human activities and institutions are influencing the physical and biological environment of the world in ways we are only now beginning to understand.
Two central themes underlie most, if not all, of the global changes considered in ENVS 253. First, the need for a variety of resources: food and soil on which it grows; fresh water; atmospheric processes; and energy to support the subsistence, social, and economic activities of mankind. The second underlying theme is the exponentially increasing global human population, and the relationship of the factors influencing change in global ecosystems to the increasing number of humans the environment must support.
Using videos and readings, this course explores these relationships with an emphasis upon the scientific and
social issues underpinning global environmental change, and the social policy options being explored to prevent or moderate global environmental change. Topics examined include global warming; atmospheric chemistry and the
ozone issue; the role of the oceans in maintaining the global environment; energy - its sources, uses, and effects; human population growth; agriculture, forestry, and food security; tropical forests and biodiversity loss; the potential health effects of global environmental change; options for preventing
or mitigating global environmental change; national legislation and international treaties and activities; the role of the media in informing the public about probabilities; and the role of personal behaviour in altering the course of environmental change.
Concepts emphasized and critically examined in the course are sustainability, stewardship, scientific uncertainty, and reinforcing solutions.
Special instructional features: Twelve 30-minute interviews with leading specialists are an essential component of the course. Videotapes are available from Athabasca University Library.
Case Studies in Environmental Protection: Popular Education, Community Sustainability, and Global Connections
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
This is a distance education version of an international field course in participatory education with an emphasis upon community-based environmental issues. Designed by adult educators and community workers from Canada, the Philippines, and Thailand, the course was field-tested in Alberta and Newfoundland. A key to the design of ENVS 435 is the contribution of groups involved in the environmental controversies and community development issues in Canada that form the basis for the case studies in this course. Each case study has three sections: issues - information about environmental controversies as reported by members of the communities; practical skills - popular education workshops that teach environmental concepts relevant to the case studies; and global connections and visions - readings about communities in Asia and Latin America experiencing, and responding to, similar environmental problems.
The main purpose of this course is to expose students to the ways in which others address local environmental issues, in order to help students to examine issues in their own communities and propose solutions.
Topics covered in ENVS 435 include: popular education, the environment, and community development; notions about ecology; cross-cultural perspectives on nature; community participation in environmental impact assessment; strategies and tactics for community environmental protection; the dilemma of tourism in parks and protected areas; confronting consumerism; and ecological footprints and indicators of community sustainability.
ENVS 435 was prepared by Noel Keough of the Canada-Asia Partnership, Division of International Development, The University of Calgary, and Athabasca University Professor Michael Gismondi, who participated in the field course.
ENVS 435 is listed as a course available in the Sociology major.
Special instructional features: Students are required to work with others in their community to carry out some course activities.
In the event of a discrepancy between the informal web site version and the printed 1999-2000 Calendar, the latter alone is to be regarded as the authoritative and legally binding source.
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