Creative Writing. Degree Handbook

Creative Writing Degree Handbook

Open College of the Arts Michael Young Arts Centre Redbrook Business Park Wilthorpe Road Barnsley S75 1JN 0800 731 2116 enquiries@oca.ac.uk weareoca.com oca.ac.uk Registered charity number: 327446 OCA is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England under number 2125674. Copyright OCA: 2015 Document Control Number: DHCW_060715 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise - without prior permission of the publisher (Open College of the Arts) 2 Creative Writing degree handbook

Contents Degree information Degree aims and objectives Degree structure Programme summary Unit summary: Level Four Unit summary: Level Five Unit summary: Level Six Assessment Learning and teaching strategy Delivery 3 Creative Writing degree handbook

Degree Information Course Title: BA(Hons) Creative Writing Degree Aims and Objectives Widen access to education in creative writing at undergraduate level through Open and Flexible Learning. Ensure students gain an experience of writing in a variety of literary forms and genres as a craft and as a tool for exploring our environment and experience. Provide an intellectually stimulating programme based on high quality study materials and supported by interaction with tutors all of whom, as well as being experienced and well qualified teachers, are themselves actively engaged in writing. Develop students creative capacities and their ability in interpretation and application. Develop students understanding of a range of key issues in creative writing and foster their insight into the way in which social, historical and cultural factors impact on writers and writing. Encourage students to appreciate the intimate interrelationship between reading and writing, and to read widely and deeply particularly in those genres in which they are writing. Provide an environment which challenges students to think about their own and others writing, and in so doing opens up the possibility of changing their creative practice. Develop effective writing practitioners who display self-awareness, analytical and communicative skills, and a high degree of reflection. To develop autonomous learners capable of applying intellectual and practical skills in a chosen area of written communications appropriate to employment, further study, or life-long learning. 4 Creative Writing degree handbook

Course Outcomes On successful completion of the course you will be able to: Knowledge and Understanding Demonstrate proficiency in a range of writing styles and literary genres. Manage the learning process resourcefully and independently and make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources Discriminate between good and bad writing. Show an informed and critical awareness of different writing strategies. Read in the area with increased confidence and critical awareness. Talk/write authoritatively about a range of issues in creative writing. Evaluate their own work and that of others critically and objectively. Application Demonstrate a breadth of inventiveness, ideas-generation and techniques in the creation of written works. Handle complex literary material with confidence. Communicate information and present written work convincingly to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Engage in appropriate professional practices such as marketing, self presentation and negotiation skills. Demonstrate the development of a personal language as a writer. A creative response to their own aims and objectives and the ability to produce a body of work to a high professional and aesthetic standard. 5 Creative Writing degree handbook

Creative Writing Degree Pathway OCA Level 1 units (HE Level 4) Total credits 120 You need three units at this Level. There is one mandatory unit. OCA Level 2 units (HE Level 5) Total credits 120 You need two units at this Level Choose two of the units listed below. OCA Level 3 units (HE Level 6) Total credits 120 You need two units at this Level and need to undertake all the units listed below. Mandatory Unit Writing 1: Writing Skills Mandatory Units Writing 3: Retrospect and Prospect Writing 3: Independent Project Creative Writing Writing 1: Art of Poetry (pre-requisite for Writing 2: Poetry - Form and Experience) Writing 1: Scriptwriting (pre-requisite for Writing 2: Moving on with Scriptwriting Visual Studies 1: Creative Arts Today Creative Writing Writing 2: Writing for Children Writing 2: Writing Short Fiction Writing 2: Life Writing (pre-requisite for all of the above is Writing 1: Writing Skills) Writing 2: Poetry-Form and Experience (pre-requisite Writing 1: Art of Poetry) Writing 2: Moving on with Scriptwriting (pre-requisite Writing 1: Scriptwriting)

Programme Summary This degree programme encourages you to: Read widely and deeply in the different genres covered by the degree s constituent courses. (Stressing the importance of such reading is a recurring theme embedded in the course literature.) Undertake a series of exercises designed to develop their writing skills across a range of literary forms. Critically explore key texts/writers whose work is illustrative of particular types of writing. Understand the processes of writing that lie behind work met with on the published page. Grasp some of the practicalities involved in preparing and placing work for publication. Widen their knowledge and understanding of the art/craft of writing. Become confident, critical and well informed readers. Fulfil their own creative potential as writers. Each of the constituent courses is assessed by five or six assignments. Students are also encouraged to keep self-reflective learning logs by means of which they can monitor their own learning process and keep their work under critical review. Students are supported throughout by one-to-one contact with tutors, who provide detailed feedback on an individual basis. OCA s creative writing courses provide students with the opportunity to gain and/or develop a suite of intellectual and practical skills that are necessary for effective writing but that are also readily transferable to other contexts where good communication, clear expression, coherent thinking, the ability to read critically etc are valued. This innovative distance-learning degree programme has been designed to be flexible, enabling students in any location to work at a pace that fits in with their particular situation and commitments. The course materials have been written by published writers with experience both of working at an appropriate level of professional excellence in the literary genre concerned, and of teaching students about it. The course tutors are likewise selected on the basis of having practical experience as writers and pedagogical experience as teachers. The number of tutors involved on OCA s creative writing degree programme means that students have access to a wide range and diversity of literary expertise, rather than being reliant on only a handful of teachers. Further tutors are likely to be recruited wthin the validation period. 7 Creative Writing degree handbook

The degree programme is sensitive to the fact that students will be enrolling at different levels of writing expertise. Some will be novices for whom this is a first serious foray into creative writing; others may already have a portfolio of published work behind them. Whatever they bring with them to their degree, studying through OCA will provide a structured and supportive context within which they may foster their formation as writers and gain educational validation for their work. The Level 6 units have been designed to afford an opportunity to focus on a large-scale creative project. Moving towards its production is facilitated by a mentoring model of tutor-student relationship (and students are able to choose their tutor at this level, selecting the individual whose specialist expertise most closely matches the nature of the work envisaged). 8 Creative Writing degree handbook

Level Four Units: Laying the foundations Level Four units introduce key concepts and the contextual framework for the study of creative writing. They focus on equipping you with the strategies, skills and confidence to move onto the progressively independent work expected at Level Five. Level Four units offer opportunities to explore writing in a range of literary genres and forms, including fiction, prose fiction and poetry. It is an essential element of the course that you keep a continuous self-reflective record of your work to arm yourself with the disciplines you will need at levels five and six. You will be encouraged to experiment, explore and take risks. You will develop the ability to study independently, set your own goals, manage your workload and meet deadlines. On successful completion of three units at this level, you will be awarded 120 credits. If you choose to exit at this point, you will be awarded a Certificate in Higher Education in Creative Writing. 9 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 1: Writing Skills 40 credits The unit offers an introduction to the basic creative writing skills, covering prose, scriptwriting and poetry. The exercises and assignments are designed to help you to develop your own creative style and voice and to inspire and encourage you to begin writing creatively over a wide breadth of genres and forms. You will develop your writing practice by learning the habits and processes of a creative writer and by compiling a portfolio of work comprising short pieces of writing. You will develop reading, drafting, editing and presentation skills and respond to constructive critical suggestions from your tutor. You will reflect on the writing process and critically appraise your own work by writing reflective commentaries throughout the unit. Indicative Syllabus Content Starting to write basic tips and techniques: keeping a writer s notebook and commonplace book; using freewriting to release your thoughts; observation and the five senses; building a poem or descriptive prose from observation. Writing about people observing and describing people in prose and poetry: your emotions, character, possessions, motivation and history. Making your characters speak: monologue, dialogue, point of view, playwriting and creating variation and balance within the text. Style and language: writing styles (formal, technical, journalistic, etc.), narrative voice and persona, using language with simplicity, economy, clarity and accuracy, using imagery. Plot and structure: getting inspiration; creating interest with character and conflict; mapping a plotline; beginnings, middles and ends; plot structures (the quest, rebirth, etc.) and themes; redrafting work. Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the unit you will be able to: write effectively, drawing on observation, imagery and sensory experience show development of language, variety, style, voice and expression within your writing demonstrate the practice of writing in drafts, editing and critiquing critically reflect on your own learning experience, identifying and evaluating personal strengths and weaknesses in writing. 10 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 1: Art of Poetry 40 credits The unit aims to help you write poetry with an increasing understanding of poetic techniques and traditions. It provides you with the elements of a critical vocabulary, and helps towards a flexible and informed use of language. The first part of the unit discusses essential elements of poetry, with examples, and considers what s involved in writing poems: what you need to think about, study and do. The second part of the unit aims to direct activity more specifically and lead to the production of a body of poems via project-based work that encourages the development of the relevant skills. While there is much freedom to follow personal inclination in the content of assignments, you are encouraged to focus in each on different aspects of poetic craft. Throughout the unit, you will increase your awareness of the formal requirements and on-going practice of poetry whilst developing informed and appropriate critical models, of your own and others writing. Additionally you will develop skills in drafting, editing, and presenting creative work and in responding to constructive suggestions/criticism. You will reflect on the process of writing and critically appraise your own work by writing reflective commentaries throughout the unit and at the end of it. At the end of the course you will have built up knowledge and experience of writing poetry that you may wish to develop at Level 2. Indicative syllabus content Getting started gathering resources and learning to use the senses. Reading and developing your ear reading and listening to poetry; sound and rhythm. Poetry form and content types of traditional and free verse; gathering material (themes, images, impressions) for poems. Language and construction poetic language; simile and metaphor; drafting a poem. Redrafting and editing title, viewpoint, tense, cutting poems. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: demonstrate awareness of the structure, form, limitations and specific strengths/ problems of writing poetry draft and edit self-generated texts, demonstrating discrimination and choice in the deployment of these skills in relation to form and technique critically reflect on your own writing and learning experience. 11 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 1: Scriptwriting 40 credits This course will equip you with a writer s toolbox filled with the basics: how to lay out a script professionally; how to structure your screenplay; the dos and don ts of writing compelling speech and dialogue; and breathing life into your characters. You ll pick up important screenwriting terms and techniques - and learn to watch lots of films in a critical and interrogative way. By the end of the course you ll not only have acquired the nuts and bolts of screenwriting but you ll also have penned your own 15-minute screenplay. You will have built up knowledge and experience of scriptwriting that you can carry forward into other media (radio, TV, stage), perhaps through progression to Creative Writing 2: Moving on with Scriptwriting. Indicative syllabus content Part One : What is a screenplay? Visual storytelling versus prose storytelling The script as a set of instructions Script layout What is genre? Part Two: Creating convincing characters Building character biographies Stereotypes and how to avoid them What does my character need? Conflict and tension as the basis of a good narrative Part Three: Picture the scene Writing your first scene The dramatic arc Suspense Storyboarding and step outlines Film techniques montage, visual directions, the cut, leitmotif, flashback, fade in and fade out Part Four: Dialogue What are you saying? The purpose of dialogue Idiom and idiolect Subtext 12 Creative Writing degree handbook

Part Five: Writing the 30 minute screenplay Ideas and approach Planning the screenplay : synopsis and treatment How to write a great opening scene Completing the first draft Re-Drafting and Editing Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit you will be able to: analyse and put into practice the basics of screenwriting learn and understand techniques specifically related to writing for screen and the key differences between writing prose and scripts create a series of linked scenes demonstrating confident knowledge of scene, dramatic arc, character and dialogue write, redraft and complete a 15-minute screenplay critically appraise and revise your own work in response to constructive Feedback. 13 Creative Writing degree handbook

Visual Studies 1: Creative Arts Today 40 credits This unit is a broad-based introduction to a range of contemporary creative arts for students new to the creative arts. It explores some ways in which two key themes (place/space and time/journey) are explored in the fields of art (painting and drawing), creative writing, textiles, visual communications (illustration, graphic design) and photography and looks at how different creative disciplines interact. It introduces basic research tools and techniques in the creative arts; students will therefore need access to the internet. Students are made aware of the theoretical underpinning to the creative arts in preparation for more detailed study at Level 2. Exercises and assignments will require students to research, evaluate and write about artworks in a range of disciplines; practical exercises are optional. Indicative syllabus content An awareness and basic knowledge of a broad range of creative arts, including contemporary art, creative writing, textiles, visual communications and photography. Experience in exploring two key themes through the creative arts and some interrelationships between creative disciplines studied. An awareness of a theoretical underpinning to the creative arts. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit you will be able to: demonstrate awareness of a broad range of contemporary practice in the creative arts demonstrate an understanding of the scope and interrelationship of a range of creative disciplines demonstrate a knowledge of research tools and research skills and an awareness of the theoretical background to the creative arts demonstrate an ability to think critically and to reflect upon your own learning experience that creates an understanding of the key creative areas and themes that you have studied. 14 Creative Writing degree handbook

Level Five Units: Intermediate stage At Level Five, you are encouraged to progress to becoming an independent, selfmotivated writer by developing the skills you have already gained and begin to develop your own personal voice. At this level, you can choose the direction and content of your project work by working closely with your tutor. You develop your individual research methodologies to find the material for assignments. You will be encouraged to cultivate working routines from which an independent style will evolve. You will be expected to develop proficiency in a comprehensive range of writing styles and genres. You will also need to maintain a continuous, self-reflective commentary for the recording of project and assignment work, augmented by a critical discourse on progress. Through this log you are expected to show a creative, critically informed and self-reflective approach to your writing practice including your own work and that of others. Assessment at Level Five: Coursework 80%, writing diary 10%, creative reading commentary of approx 2000 words 10%. On successful completion of two units at this level, you will be awarded 120 credits. If you choose to exit at this point, you will be awarded a Diploma in Higher Education in 15 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 2: Writing for Children 60 credits Contextualised within a history of children s fiction, this course covers the specialised skills and knowledge needed for writing for a younger reader. Skills such as plotting, structure, voice and dialogue and the creation of fantasy worlds are practised with a specific focus on the growing and dynamic children s fiction market. Exercises and assignments are designed to help you develop your own creative style and voice whilst keeping the language and content suitable to the target age of a reader. You will reflect on the writing process and critically appraise your own work by writing reflective commentaries throughout the unit and at the end of the course. This unit doesn t cover children s picture books, writing for comics or generic series, or children s poetry. It will suggest pathways to publication and what a writer for children can expect if accepted by an agent or publisher. There is no pre-set order for the units, which are intended as a flexible resource enabling you to explore aspects of the creative process in the order which seems most appropriate. The learning experience is two-fold: the unit materials offering a solid framework and the tutor/student one-to-one relationship offering structure and direction. The OCA website contains interviews with writers, publishers and other key practitioners and professionals within the field, in which they reflect on their own practice and experience. Indicative syllabus content A short history of children s fiction and survey of the three main genres of contemporary children s fiction: fantasy; action/adventure; and true-life drama. Identifying and targeting an audience: writing for a particular age group and developing the ability to perceive the world through the child s eye. Structuring and plotting a story: using pace, suspense and focus to hold the reader s interest. Authorial voice and writing dialogue: developing a distinctive writer s voice, choosing the best narrative voice (first person, third person, etc.) and using dialogue to create particular effects. The fantasy genre: creating new worlds. Preparing for publication: revising and redrafting work, finding an agent, ways to publish and publication deals. 16 Creative Writing degree handbook

Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: write experimentally, demonstrating a range of styles, showing awareness of the genre and the abilities and understanding of a targeted age range create a portfolio of varied writing for children show discrimination and awareness in drafting, editing and presenting texts demonstrate, in terms of form and presentation, that your work is of a professional standard and knowledge of how to approach agents and publishers critically assess and contextualise an area of children s writing or a specific author. 17 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 2: Writing Short Fiction 60 credits The unit aims to inspire and encourage you to practise independent creative writing within the genre of the short story. You will develop an understanding of the formal requirements and on-going practice of this genre by creating a portfolio of your own short fiction and a creative review of the work of others. The creative component of the course is coupled with a history of the genre and the key theories and critical approaches to engage with your work and that of other writers. This course comes with the recommended reader: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story by Vanessa Gebbie and suggestions for wider reading within the short fiction genre. The assignments are designed to help students to develop their own creative style and voice and to push boundaries by experimenting with language and form. You will reflect on and critically appraise your own work by writing reflective commentaries throughout the unit. Indicative syllabus content Narrative techniques: and how these are integrated to create a whole work of short fiction. Writing and drafting short fiction. The evolution and development of short fiction to the present day. Learning to craft short fiction through reading the work of contemporary and earlier authors and authors commentaries on writing. Learning outcomes demonstrate in a creative body of work an understanding of the structure, form and techniques in relation to short fiction show discrimination in drafting and editing self-generated texts and in your commentary in response to the tutor s critical feedback show evidence of wide and critical reading in practical and theoretical work critically review a contemporary work/movement or a writer. 18 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 2: Life Writing 60 credits The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (2008) edition defines creative non-fiction as New Journalism : a new blend of fictional presentation with journalistic research with a stronger emphasis on human interest in content and presentation. This unit aims to inspire and encourage you to practise independent creative writing within the genre of life writing and other forms of creative non-fiction, including travel writing, the personal essay, journalistic features, blogging and writing for social media. You will learn the skills of blending fiction writing techniques to tell true stories, how to research effectively, how to pitch your work and what pathways to take to publication. You will increase your awareness of the formal requirements and on-going practice of this genre by creating a body of creative non-fiction work (approximately 20,000 words in total) that demonstrates diversity and understanding. The teaching materials offer background theoretical and historical information, including a history of the creative non-fiction genre and also contain extracts from examples of the genre, accompanied by analysis and process-description of the work. You will reflect on the writing process and critically appraise your own work by writing reflective commentaries throughout the unit and at the end of the course. You are expected to keep a log of your research findings. You are encouraged to develop informed and appropriate critical models to engage with your own writing and the writing of others and to develop higher level skills in reading, formulating, researching, drafting, editing and presenting creative work and in responding to constructive suggestions/criticism. You will have considerable flexibility as to the style and content of your assignments and will be encouraged to develop your own individual voice as a writer. 19 Creative Writing degree handbook

Indicative syllabus content The history and different types of creative non-fiction (autobiography, biography, narrative non-fiction). Writing strategies reconciling truth and imagination, finding your voice, deciding what to write and how to structure it, dealing with sensitive issues. Imaginative journalism and the internet personal and professional blogging; writing personal essays and imaginative and feature articles. Research skills, including interview techniques, research tools (reference and other books, official records, museums, the internet) and collating research findings. The process of writing planning, character development, using emotion, drama and humour, and creating balance in your work. Preparing your work for publication and ways of publishing Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit you will be able to: draft and edit self-generated texts using a range of writing techniques reflecting a developing understanding of the genre of life writing take greater responsibility for the direction and design of your own learning experience, developing a distinctive writer s voice demonstrate how creative techniques such as use of character, conflict and description can be used to tell true stories prepare your work to the standards required for publication in terms of form and presentation critically review a contemporary work/movement or writer demonstrating a diverse range of research skills view a contemporary work/movement or a writer. 20 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 2: Poetry Form and Experience 60 credits Poetry Form and Experience looks at a wide range of poetic forms, from the short lyric poem to the epic narrative poem, as well as providing a short history of poetry and encouraging students to practice writing in a variety of forms. Students choose to build up a folio of writing which has undergone critical appraisal and revision. Students may choose to pursue a personal writing goal -- anything from writing a sonnet to completing a sequence of poems. Indicative syllabus content Short history of British poetry from Celtic/Viking times to the present day. A survey of modern and contemporary poetry and the development of free verse. Poetic structure: the diversity of classical poetic forms (the sonnet; terza rima, villanelles and terzanelles; ballads, ballades and odes; blank verse, syllabics and long poems) and ways in which poets have modified these forms to create particular poetic effects. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: produce creative outputs which demonstrate awareness of form, structure, historical context, limitations and specific strengths/problems of a range of poetic forms draft and edit self-generated texts learning discrimination and choice in the deployment of these skills in relation to form, language, creativity and technique critically reflect on and shape the direction and design of your own learning experience critically review a contemporary work/movement or a poet. 21 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 2: Moving on with Scriptwriting 60 credits This course will help you develop the skills introduced in Scriptwriting 1 creating characters, structuring and formatting a script, writing convincing dialogue and using literary devices specific to the genre such as narration, soliloquy and monologue. Whereas Level 1 focused on screenwriting, in this course you ll explore the differing technical and creative requirements of radio, stage and television drama. You will continue to develop your skills in editing, re-drafting and improving your writing. The course will also help you develop your reflective skills and your ability to rectify weaknesses in the light of tutor feedback. Indicative syllabus content Exercises, projects and assignments in unit materials Formative assessment comprising written feedback and interaction with tutor via email, phone and/or webcam Pre-assessment review Summative assessment Peer support through engagement on student forums and critiques on blogs Documentation of the learning journey through a learning log or blog and reflective commentary Independent research A critical review Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: use the primary skills of narrative - story, character and dialogue through analysis and practice demonstrate an understanding of the demands of differing media for scriptwriting (radio, stage, television) edit and re-draft your texts and show judgement of your own work in response to constructive feedback critically reflect on your own learning experience through a 2,000 word creative reading commentary on an aspect of scriptwriting. 22 Creative Writing degree handbook

Level Six Units: Becoming an independent practising creative writer Your horizons will expand in Level six to embrace the practical, theoretical and conceptual issues which are central to the practice of writing. You will be encouraged to demonstrate a breadth of inventiveness, ideas generation and techniques in the creation of your creative work. You will gain an understanding of the professional considerations with which you need to be equipped in order to pursue this professionally, including an understanding of the vocational context within which the discipline sits and in particular personal initiative and responsibility and decision making in challenging contexts. Society is in constant change nationally and internationally and it is important to become and remain aware of the social, political and economic issues which affect creative writing. For your personal project and extended essay, a body of work on an issue of significant topical importance of your own choice will complete your studies at this level. You should, at this level, make appropriate use of primary sources and scholarly reviews, including those at the forefront of debate. You must demonstrate an underpinning understanding of literary theory and concepts and show that you can articulate and comment upon through debate, and devise and sustain arguments. You should carefully consider the selection of a theme for your project in consultation with your tutor. Through your project, you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to communicate information and justify your work convincingly. Assessment at Level 6: Coursework 80%, Writing Diary 10%, Creative Reading Commentary of approx 3500 words 10%. On successful completion of two units at this level, you will be awarded the BA (Hons) Creative Writing. 23 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 3: Retrospect and Prospect 60 credits At Level 3 you hae reached an advanced stage with your writing. This course involves taking stock and looking forward to where you want to go as a writer before focusing on some of the strategies that might help you to get there. Retrospect and Prospect recognises that not every writer wants to follow the same route, and so the course materials prompt individual reflection about the processes, procedures, problems and possibilities of writing. This course has much in common with Independent Project, the other Level 4 Creative Writing ourse. There is a strong emphasis on the need for revising and redrafting work in order to achieve a publishable standard. Indicative syllabus content The specific content of the course is negotiated between the student and the tutor. For example, students might choose to direct your work towards the development of a long poem or poems and back this up with a project researching and analysing T S Eliot s The Waste Land. A student might choose to write a series of short stories around a common theme, complemented by an analysis of contemporary short story practice. Students reflect on the writing process and critically appraise your own work by writing assignment commentaries throughout the unit and a reflective commentary at the end of the course summing up the student s experiences and achievements. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: organise the research, preparation and production of an extended body of writing, showing an understanding of your chosen form organise materials and plan realistic schedules for writing and redrafting reflect critically on drafts and edit your own work in relation to responses to it demonstrate an understanding of the structure, form, historical context and technical challenges of your chosen genre, as revealed by other writers demonstrate an understanding of the publishing industry, with an emphasis on journalism and commercial and literary magazines 24 Creative Writing degree handbook

Writing 3: Independent Project 60 credits Independent Project has much in common with Retrospect and Prospect, the other Level 3 Creative Writing course. As its title suggests, it aims to inspire and assist you in the process of devising and completing an extended, independent creative work, be that a novel, short fiction or poetry collection or a work of creative non-fiction. Taking a realistic and practical approach, it will focus on planning, scheduling, organisation, structure, revision and redrafting. You will frm sound judgements on your own work and on responses to it, and incorporate that criticism in polished revisions of your work. Indicative syllabus content Negotiated work plan Formative assessment comprising written feedback and interaction with tutor via email, phone and/or webcam Summative assessment Peer support through engagement on student forums and critiques on blogs Documentation of the learning journey through a learning log or blog and reflective commentary Independent research Essay Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to: plan and structure the continuation of an extended body of creative writing, showing an understanding of the form organise materials and plan realistic schedules for writing and redrafting a longer work demonstrate thorough research and organisational skills form sound judgments incorporating on your own work and on responses to it, and incorporate that criticism in polished redrafts and revisions of your work sustain informed arguments on ideas and techniques at the forefront of critical debate assess ways of finding publication outlets for your work. 25 Creative Writing degree handbook

Assessment Assessment methods There are no examinations. Assessment for this course is principally through a series of assignments that reflect the type of writing being studied in any given course, accompanied by reflective commentaries and a creative reading commentary. Assessment tasks are linked to the objectives of each unit. As the student progresses through the unit the assessment increasingly encourages autonomous learning and self-evaluation. Tutors provide feedback during the unit, with constructive criticism, and assessment takes place once the student has completed a unit in full. Students are assumed to be planning to enter for assessment unless it is identified at the beginning of the unit that the student does not have this aspiration. The personal tutor works with the student to advise them on the assessment process. The student uses OCA guidelines to prepare a portfolio complete with sketchbooks and learning logs (or blog) to send to OCA for assessment. This submission includes the summative assignments of each section of the unit. Assessment takes place three times per year. Assessment criteria Assignments for Creative Writing are assessed against the set of criteria explained below: Presentation and technical correctness Grammatical accuracy, punctuation, layout, spelling, awareness of literary conventions, and the ability (where appropriate) to play with these conventions and fit them to the student s needs. Language Its appropriateness to genre, subject matter, and characters. Avoidance of cliché, employment of a wide vocabulary, awareness of the rhythmic powers of language, and an ability to make appropriate use of imagery. Above level 4, we are looking for the development of an individual voice. Creativity Imagination, experimentation, inventive exploration of subject matter, originality, and empathy. Contextual knowledge Evidence of reading, research, critical thinking and reflection. Engagement with contemporary thinking and practice in the specific genre (e.g. Poetry). Craft of writing Technical competence in the student s chosen genre (e.g. in prose, in areas such as narrative, plotting, setting, voice, tense, characterisation, etc; in poetry, in areas such as phrasing, idiom and rhythm.) (20%) (20%) (20%) (20%) (20%) 26 Creative Writing degree handbook

Learning and teaching strategy The Open College of the Arts offers all students the same quality of learning experience. There are also added value aspects to study which all students are entitled to access, but are not part of the core offer. The core offer consists of: learning materials one to one feedback and support from a named tutor support materials (such as guides on aspects of study) access to dialogue with peers via the OCA student website learner support for any difficulties with the practicalities of studying online resources In addition to the core aspects of study, students may access the following on an ad hoc basis: study visits in different parts of the country current creative arts reviews and discussion via the OCA blog PDP Personal and professional development has been linked to all levels of the course through the learning log to help support students to plan, integrate and take responsibility for their personal, career and academic development. The reflective commentary is used as a tool for self-reflection to document and reflect on progress, and to reflect on tutor feedback. In dialogue with tutors through formative feedback, students are encouraged to identify strengths and learning needs, and establish learning goals that might improve perceived weaknesses and enhance strengths. The OCA is committed, over the next two years, to developing and incorporating further professional practice sections in our units at Levels 2 and 3 (HE Levels 5 and 6). 27 Creative Writing degree handbook

Independent Learning Through the OCA model of distance learning units, providing projects and research activities, students learn to study independently, while backed up by tutor support and learn to work with others by interacting with them, providing and receiving support and exchanging ideas on the OCA forum. Communications Communication between OCA, tutors and students is predominantly via email. In a small minority of cases, where students do not have internet access, communication is by post and telephone. We are encouraging the use of video for tutorials, as this can enliven the interaction between tutor and student. Peer communication takes place in the student forums, or via comments on the WeareOCA blog or other student blogs. 28 Creative Writing degree handbook

Delivery Open tuition Students work from the course materials and send regular assignments to their tutor, normally by email. Tutors then review each assignment and provide written feedback. There are typically 5 assignments for each course, supplemented by projects. Students agree the length of time they will take over each section of the course with their tutor, and agree an approximate time when they will submit their assignment. This varies from student to student, but typically the timing of delivery of assignments is between 8 and 12 weeks. Students are also able to contact tutors informally between assignments (subject to reasonable limits). In addition to the formative feedback received from the tutor, students can submit their work for formal (summative) assessment at OCA at one of three assessment events that take place each year, and are required to complete their course within two years. Tutor reports are copied to the OCA head office and subject to periodic review to ensure standards are being maintained. These reviews are conducted on a rolling programme, with tutor reports reviewed by course leaders and The Director of Teaching and Learning Quality. All new tutors have their reports monitored by both staff for the first six months, and mentoring is provided. Subsequently reports are looked at during each formal assessment event, in conjunction with student work and feedback is given to tutors, where necessary. If any cause for concern about a tutor s reports is raised, the tutor is closely monitored and mentored for a period. Course materials The written course materials have been specifically produced for distance learning delivery and are designed for individual self-study. They consist of subject-specific learning content and a series of learning projects each culminating in an assignment, the results of which are discussed with the tutor. The course materials contain a balance of practical exercises and large scale projects and research points. Study Skills Guides There is a creative writing study guide for all CW students plus other guides on Harvard Referencing, study skills, and keeping blogs, among other things. All of these are sent to the students at the beginning of the programme and are also available as downloads form the OCA website. In addition there is a freely available online course which is an introduction to studying at HE, available to all students. 29 Creative Writing degree handbook

Reading Lists Reading is an integral part of the BA in Creative Writing. Students are urged to read widely and deeply. There is a bibliography for each course which is periodically updated. In addition to these bibliographies and suggestions made along the way in the course materials, tutors may recommend further reading relevant to the particular needs and interests of individual students. At Level 6, where students focus on their own writing projects and a mentoring model is followed, reading lists are a matter for individual negotiation and discussion between tutor and student. Reflective commentaries As part of the coursework students are required to keep a reflective commentary. This is are an important tool in developing their creative practice and recording and reflecting on their growing understanding of the subject. The Reflective Commentary is a record of the student s subjective response to the unit. They use it to review what they ve done and learnt and reflect on what went well, what didn t go well and what could be/could have been approached differently. They also record their response to tutor feedback and their plans for the future. Web forums OCA has a dedicated website for students with the following features: online resources, discussion forums and portfolios for individual student s work. The student forums represent the main method of communication between students and their peers. Concepts are discussed and knowledge developed through debates that are informally moderated by OCA tutors. Critiques of work, both in development and completed, are sought from peers through the forum. Students are encouraged to keep learning blogs if they have access to the internet, so that they can share their reflections and learning online with other students, and discuss these with others on the OCA forum. Online learning Each unit has a number of web-based resources designed to broaden students appreciation of the range of practice and contemporary debate on the discipline. OCA is also piloting the use of Google hangouts for students to collaborate and exchange views online. 30 Creative Writing degree handbook

Formative and diagnostic feedback Ongoing guidance and formative feedback on assignments is given by the student s tutor and offers clear guidance with regard to future development. A copy of each tutor feedback report given to the student is logged with OCA in order that OCA can monitor tutor quality and performance. Tutor profiles All the tutor profiles are available on www.oca.ac.uk. 31 Creative Writing degree handbook

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