Module manager: Professor Jim Mussell
Email: J.E.P.Mussell@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as an Elective
The Victorian period witnessed a media revolution. From the industrialization of print to the invention of recorded sound, the Victorians created new ways in which they could relate to one another. This module explores the impact of different kinds of Victorian new media, considering how they were understood and the effect they had on more established forms and genres. Each week students will read material (literary and non-literary) that responds to a particular form of media or media technology. We will discover how these new media affected the way the Victorians communicated, whether across space and time or between the living and the dead. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The module:
Considers how Victorian literary texts were informed by and responded to changing media and media technologies;
Explores the different forms of Victorian new media and media technologies and how they affected Victorian culture and society;
Applies media theory to the study of Victorian literature and culture.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
LO1. Describe a range of different Victorian media / media technologies, including the telegraph, phonograph, postal services, print, paper, and the railways.
LO2. Analyse how different literary texts represented and discussed media / media technologies.
LO3. Evaluate how different media forms affect the production, distribution and understanding of literary texts.
SO1. Demonstrate active learning through reading and discussing texts (many in their original formats) (active learning)
SO2. Carry out research into texts, figures, and technologies from the period (critical thinking)
SO3. Use digital resources to find material and reflect on how they represent material from the period (information, data, and media literacies; information technology).
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 280 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Students can submit a draft essay plan or part of an essay. Written feedback will be provided.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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