The Life and Writing of Charles Dickens: Course Preparation
Course overview
Reading list
Tutor details
How to register
Course overview
WebCT
Our online courses use a system called WebCT. To check you will be able to access the online course before signing up, please go to http://webct.ex.ac.uk using the computer you intend to use to access your course (whether this is at home, on a laptop, in a library, at work etc...), and click on 'Check Web Browser'. This will show you if there are any obvious issues with the computer, or the way it is set up, which may prevent access to the course online as well as advice on what to do to resolve these issues.
All students are also reminded that to safeguard your own work and out of courtesy to others, it is sensible to ensure that the computer you will be using has anti-virus software installed and that this is regularly updated. Likewise, mac users who use Microsoft Word should ensure that they have enabled macro virus protection (this setting is found as a tick box in Word under 'preferences').
Reading
Preparatory study is not expected, but some students like to read ahead and make notes before the course begins. In response to this, in addition to reading the set texts we recommend the following:
Studying the Novel: An Introduction
Jeremy Hawthorn
Hodder Arnold, 2005 (5th edition)
ISBN: 0340887877
This text is not compulsory, but you will find it helpful to read the following chapters of Hawthorn’s book in advance, especially if you have not studied fiction formally before:
- Chapter 6, ‘Analysing fiction’
- Chapter 7, ‘Studying the novel’
- Chapter 9, ‘Critical approaches to fiction’
There is no problem with using earlier (and cheaper) editions of the book, but note that the chapters are differently numbered.
If you read any of Dickens’s novels before the course begins, don’t forget to take notes as you go – on note-taking, see the suggestions in Hawthorn’s chapter on ‘Studying the novel’. Further recommendations for background reading will be given during the course.
Discussions
Students who register before the deadline may be given access to the discussion environment prior to the course start. In this case, students are welcome to log in and introduce themselves to each other and to the tutor - perhaps giving a little detail on their interest in this subject and whether they have a favourite Dickens novel.