Srideep Mukherjee Assistant Professor of English School of Humanities, NSOU

1. Strategies of BDP – EEG Counseling on Literature and Literary Theory of the Romantic Period (EEG V) Srideep Mukherjee Assistant Professor of English School of Humanities, NSOU

2. What are our obvious challenges as counselors? • An 8 Credits course comprising of 12 Units to be negotiated in 24 hrs • The 12 Units that are spread out between 4 Modules comprise of Literary & Social History, Romantic Poetry, Romantic Prose (both Fictional & Non-Fictional), and contemporary Literary Theory. In short, all packed! • Learners will expect help from counselors in solving their Assignment papers • There is no way one can be sure that the learner has attained an ‘understanding’ of the winds of transition from the 18th Century (Paper IV) to the Romantic period!

3. Can these challenges transform into positives? • The SLM has been designed to crystallize the essence of learning required. So as a counselor, you have in your hands the precise study material that can be a handbook of Romantic literature for the undergrad student • Your learner too has the SLM before s/he comes for counseling. As subject teacher, you only need to meet her/him at the point of SLM delivery, which is well before your counseling session begins • Remember for yourself, and make it categorical too, that ODL demands motivated learners, hence reading up the SLM is a pre-requisite for coming to the counseling session • For both parties, the primary question is the mindset – stumbling or starting block - its only a mutual decision!

4. Transforming challenges into strengths … Doing Things with the SLM • It is your task to ensure that the learner develops preliminary knowledge from the SLM; it is also your task that you are abreast of how much (or how little) preliminary knowledge the SLM can actually impart to the learner • It is prudent to advise the learner to re-gloss over EEG 4 SLM, as s/he reads EEG 5, to establish the links in the mind • The Paper Editors’ Introduction is not just another page, it is the link between the rationale behind the syllabus & it’s implementation in print SLM. A must read for both sides! • As counselor, take careful note of the Additional Activity/ Text Boxes, Pictorials & Charts/ Counselor Activity before your session. Let us know if it takes you back to your student days – if it reminds you of the way your teachers taught you Romanticism!

5. The Starting off Session Recap of Paper IV Introducing Paper V • Features of the Enlightenment and Augustan Literature • Insight on the mixed variety already evident in Augustan poetry – Pope & Thomson/Gray – theorize the Precursors as transition poets • Swift/ Defoe & Addison/Steele can be put to similar analysis in Prose • Reminisce how as a literary critic, Dr Johnson’s insistence is on the natural theory of being faithful to life; his decrying of decorative/archaic language • Perspectives on prevalent socio-cultural milieu – the resultant wake of Romanticism in lit. • Trace continuities in Blake & evolution in early and late Romantic poets. Explain the concept of Romantic Revival • Contextualising Austen or Lamb/ Hazlitt become relevant as continuity in prose tradition • Dwell upon the variety of the Romantic temper in literary theory

6. What have we achieved in 2 hours? • Revised Paper IV to set the stage for Paper V • Introduced the learner to the basic aspects of Romanticism. Be sure that there will be some enthusiastic learners who will ask you of things beyond the SLM • Given the learner an overview of the syllabus content of EEG 5 • Made innovative application of the SLM by using it as a handbook that has been augmented with your knowledge as counselor • Given out a draft sequential lesson plan of the remaining counseling sessions for EEG 5, while also outlining tasks related to learner involvement

7. How could such optimisation be possible? • Because you believed you needed to evolve from your regular role as a teacher in the conventional mode to a counselor in the ODL mode • Because you went back to your basics as a literature student and decided to initiate the learner beyond texts into their contexts • Because you have chalked out a blue print of how to make effective use of the counseling hours at your disposal to take the learner through EEG 5. You cannot formulate such an Introduction unless the entire delivery for the Paper is planned in advance • You have also taken stock of the kind of questions set for Assignment & Term End papers

8. Possible Tasks at the end of Session 1 For Counselor For Learner • Distribute a hand-out on what you summarised • Draw learners’ attention to the Timelines Chart which sums up your delivery in a tabular form • Inform the learner which text(s) you plan to take up next. Suggest editions for the novel. Discourage reading expurgated summaries • Use the hand-out for an understanding of Module 1 • Relate the Timelines Chart to punctuate key texts, syllabised or otherwise • Should read up Module 1 in general & Module 1 Unit 2 in particular for the next session and return to class with doubts/clarifications. Look up questions that are set from the Module

9. A Possible Action Plan for the remaining Sessions – Beginning Session 2 • You are in a position to begin straightaway with the poetry of William Blake • The mystical spirit and the urge for liberating literature from neo-classical elitism in favour of the triadic ideals of the French Revolution are your contexts for situating Blake • Relevant philosophical & theoretical perspectives may be introduced by topical references to Wordsworth’s Preface • In no circumstance are you expected to read out and explain word for word; substitute that natural urge of a teacher with hand-outs that aid both understanding and examinations • It would be great if you assist learners with basic reference books • This completes Session 2

10. Sessions 3 & 4 – High Romanticism • Though BiographiaLiteraria is not syllabised, do factor in Coleridge’s views on Fancy & Imagination, Language of Poetry, and the process of its creation as you negotiate Mod 4 Unit 1 – Preface to the Lyrical Ballads • Introducing Lyrical Ballads is imperative for your discussion of High Romanticism • Nature and the Supernatural, Contemporaneity and Medievalism – are some of the matrices for dealing with poetry texts by Wordsworth & Coleridge • At the end of these 2 sessions, you are done with Mod 2 Unit 2 & Mod 4 Unit 1

11. Sessions 5 & 6 – Keats & Shelley • Deal with Keats (part of Mod 2 Unit 3) & Mod 4 Unit 2 the way you took up Wordsworth. The Letters will theoretically substantiate the poetry text on aspects like the mix of Romantic & Hellenic elements & Negative Capability • Topical references need to be made to the other Odes and the long poems – which again is textual illustration of Mod 1 Unit 2 • Your treatment of Shelley will be a re-do of the Coleridge model – refer to A Defence of Poetry and use ‘Ode to the West Wind’ as its textual illustration • As additional activity, initiate a discussion with Philip Sidney’s Apologie for Poetry (Paper II, Mod 3 Unit 3) to explain continuities • At the end of these sessions, you are done with Mod 2 Unit 3 & Mod 4 Unit 2

12. Sessions 7 & 8 – Non-Fictional Prose • Initiate precise question based discussions on Mod 3 Units 2 & 3 – Lamb & Hazlitt respectively • Devote an entire session to De Quincey, for the text is complex and requires multiple points of attention • Check the status of learners’ progress with the text of Pride and Prejudice • You have now completed your acquainting of the learner with the entire EEG 5 syllabus with just Austen to go

13. The Residual • You may, if you so feel, take the liberty of 2 full sessions on the novel. • Introduce the learner to a theoretical understanding of the evaluation of a novel, dissect aspects like Plot & Characterisation, try the perspective of a gendered reading …. • Do not miss out on topic-wise discussions from the examination point of view – demonstrate how best to frame answers at this level, with the Austen novel as illustrative text • By Session 10, the entire EEG 5 syllabus is covered • The 2nd yr learner takes up Papers III, IV & V for her/his TEE. You can choose to keep 2 remaining sessions of EEG V on hold, get back to examination oriented discussions on III & IV, then come back to do the same for EEG V

14. Over-Idealistic and even Utopian??? • https://www.ugc.ac.in/oldpdf/regulations/distance%20education%20regulations.pdf • (University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations 2017 • 2 (r) ““Self Learning Material” means and includes contents in the form of course material, whether print or non-print, which is inter-alia self-explanatory, self-contained, self-directed at the learner, and amenable to self-evaluation, and enables the learner to acquire the prescribed level of learning in a course of study, but does not include textbooks or guide-books;”

15. UGC Regulations 2017 cont’d … Annexure V - Competencies of Counselor in a Learner Support Centre • 1. Should be a post graduate from a recognised University. • 2. Familiarity with basic research on the characteristics of Distance learners, their needs and difference from conventional face-to-face education. • 3. Application of basic principles of instructional design. • 4. Thorough knowledge of subject matter and common misconceptions related to the course(s). • 5. Deep understanding of the necessity of learner-centered environment in online and blended learning mode. • 6. Ability to design constructivist learning environment. • 7. Practical applications of learning theories, self-paced instruction, and computer-mediated communication and learning. • 8. Ability to foster a sense of community among learners. • 9. Adaptability and flexibility with the capabilities and limitations of the delivery media. • 10. Familiarity with the delivery medium to provide basic troubleshooting. • 11. Ability to multitask. • 12. Time management (e.g. respond to learners in timely manner, extensive and advance preparation and planning). • 13. Professional characteristics (e.g. motivated to teach, self-confident, articulate, good writer).

16. UGC Regulations 2017 cont’d… Salient Points for the BDP • Duration of the Program – 3 yrs • Total Credits: 96-100 (Credit is defined as the Unit award gained by a learner by study efforts of a minimum of thirty hours required to acquire the prescribed level of learning in respect of that Unit) • In the F to F mode, 1 Credit accounts for 15 teaching hrs, in the ODL mode it is 30 teaching hrs which includes Self Learning, Assignments, Library work and of course contact with the teacher (never exceeding 10% of total study hours for the learner

17. Summing Up • Time we imbibed the message that equivalence of degree is now categorically quantified • Just as the learner needs to realize that an ODL admission does not guarantee a degree (that has to be earned!), as faculty/counselors we too need to grasp the manifold functions that are incumbent upon us • Coordinated planning, Concerted delivery, Constant feedback – the 3 C’s for successful implementation • From the faculty of English & the university, we extend the invitation to work in close conformity with you. And we await your response!