This is an introductory level course that seeks to familiarise teachers with the key features of the short story as a literary genre, which can help them understand, interpret and critically engage with a creative work.
Teaching literary works presents multiple challenges, not simply due to the stylised language used but also due to the leap of imagination and abstract thought that these texts entail. Ensuring effective classroom engagement requires a conflation of content and pedagogy that can stimulate critical thinking and interpretative abilities in the reader.
In this course, we will focus on the narrative and representational features that underlie short stories. Using these as rubrics for interpretation, we will explore ways in which the genre lends itself to multiple interpretations. Participants will also be equipped with basic analytic tools to interpret, appreciate and teach a short literary work in class.
Course Staff
Nishevita Jayendran
Assistant Professor, Centre for Education, Innovation & Action Research, TISS
I am an Assistant Professor (English Language and Literature) at the Centre for Education, Innovation and Action Research (CEIAR), Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, where I teach courses on language education, critical and cultural literacy and discourse analysis of non/fiction to postgraduate students. A doctoral graduate in English from IIT Bombay, I have been a Visiting Faculty at Stella Maris College, Chennai and St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. At CEIAR, I have been part of the English team in a scalable EdTech project, the Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx), that designed, developed and researched the impact and outcomes of ICT-based interactive modules in Communicative English and autonomous learning for high school students in India. I am also a consultant for design thinking in education, have conducted workshops and mentored organisations in developing ICT-based educational modules on themes like language learning, gender equity and violence. I have published in the areas of literary criticism and discourse analysis methodologies. My teaching and research interests include language and cultural literacy, representation and critical theory, the postmodernist historical novel, comparative world literature and (inter)cultural studies.
EMail: nishevita.jayendran@tiss.edu
Anusha Ramanathan
Consultant, Centre for Education, Innovation & Action Research, TISS
I have taught for more than a decade at undergraduate and the postgraduate levels across various domains including English and Mass Media and Business Studies. I also wear the caps of course coordinator, examiner, teacher trainer, corporate trainer, researcher, editor, content developer, syllabus designer and reviewer at different times in various institutions. I am the TPD-Implementation coordinator and a core part of the TPD English team at TISS.
EMail: anusha.ramanathan@tiss.edu
Surbhi Nagpal
Senior Research Associate, Centre for Education, Innovation & Action Research, TISS
As a Research Associate at CLIx, I work with the English Team and am involved in course development and research related activities. Prior to CLIx, I have worked as a teacher trainer at InOpen Technologies, an organisation working in computer education. I also worked as a primary teacher for two years. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
EMail: surbhi.nagpal2015@tiss.edu
Geetha M
Research Scholar, Centre for Education, Innovation & Action Research, TISS
I am a Research Scholar at the Centre for Education Innovation and Action Research (CEIAR), TISS. My area of interest has been in language teaching and learning, culture and pedagogy, curriculum development, teacher education. I have been working in the field of education for a decade now. I have worked as a teacher and been part of various research studies. I have also lead an All Round Improvement in School Education (ARISE) project with a government school for four years. I have been part of developing inclusive resource materials for language teaching for UNICEF project. I am also currently mentoring and supporting running a community library for children from underprivileged backgrounds in Bangalore.
EMail - geetha.m@clixindia.org
