• Distance education methodology, through the virtual platform especially designed for the UNED Master programs.
• Teaching methodology guided by principles of constructive criticism, mutual respect, respect for the plurality of opinions, the search and obtention of an optimal degree of results, and the strict observance of academic ethics.
• Teaching material especially written and oriented towards distance education teaching/learning, consisting of: a) Study Guide, b) Material created especially for each of the units of the course, c) Free domain on-line material, d) Open, legal internet links to scientific articles,  books and relavant material, and f) books and material at the UNED Library.
• Audiovisual materials available within the virtual course (videoconferences, internet contents, classes or conferences recorded at CanalUNED.
• Teaching assistance and orientation related to the teaching/learning process along the course, both in the virtual course or by means of personal contact (telephone, e-mail or personal encounters with the instructor)
• Development of self-management learning strategies aimed at the development of self-criticism regarding autonomous learning, reasearch abilities and the optimazation of the study time needed to carry out the research papers or work proposed.
• Fluid and frequent interaction in the virtual forums, so that each student can develop the competences and outcomes proposed for the course.
• Preparation of teaching strategies for the assimilation of the main rhetorican and discursive resources found in the literary and cultural texts studied, in such a wah that the students can develop their creativity and critical views.
• Training the students for the examination of many possible theoretical frameworks, so as to be able to design an work plan which, taking the research questions and hypothesis as a point of departure, will lead them to the proper structuring of preparation of their final papers or research papers in general.

In agreement with the above methodology, the following formative activities are proposed:

1. Careful reading of the information on each unit provided in this Study Guide and the Course Material (in virtual course) to find out which readings are compulsory, what the objectives and potential difficulties of each unit are, and what supplemental material is available. The aim of this learning activity is to help students to organize their studies effectively from the start of the course so that they can take full advantage of their time and, consequently, obtain the best possible results. This will allow them to determine which aspects they find most difficult, based on their knowledge of each topic covered in the course.
2. First close reading of primary reading material and secondary reading material. The goal is for students to familiarize themselves with the material they have to study and to obtain information that will help with the compulsory readings, which constitute the foundation of the course.
3. Thorough comprehension of the compulsory material for each unit as well as the different critical perspectives of the texts covered in each topic. Close reading and detailed analysis of the compulsory material is a core part of the course and will help show students that what is most important is not the memorization of concepts, but a personal reflection on them and their application to the texts.
4. As stated above, it is recommended that students first do a quick preliminary reading in order to become familiar with the primary readings.
5. Then they should read the literary texts in each unit carefully and closely, stopping to take note of everything they find interesting such as the characters, formal elements, stylistic devices, recurrent metaphors and semantic fields, dramatic strategies and conventions, the use of narration in the dialogues of the characters, literary allusions etc.
6. Students must analyze the texts and study the language as well as the rhetorical and stylistic techniques used by the authors and their role in the possible objectives of the texts. In the final paper, students will have to answer a series of questions related to the main contents of the text and they must always establish cogent links between the stylistic devices used and the roles these rhetorical and linguistic strategies play in addition to which effects they produce throughout the text.
7. Students are encouraged not to limit themselves to the information indicated in the unit but to read other recommended materials they find interesting in relation to its main aspects.
8. After students have carefully read the compulsory material, they should re-read and study the unit. The explanations provided in the secondary material help students to situate the compulsory readings within their social and literary contexts, facilitating their comprehension. Students must always try to identify how the compulsory material clearly and concisely illustrates the theoretical concepts discussed in the units.
9. Interaction with the course team in the online forums. To ensure a positive and successful distance-learning experience, students can contact on line the course instructor on line by using the forums. The course instructor will help them resolve any course-related queries which may require a more in-depth explanation suited to their specific needs. The course instructor will motivate students to develop their critical-thinking skills and also fuel their interest in the topics covered.
10. Participation in debates and discussions in the online forums. The participation in the online forums will count as 10% of the final mark. The goal here is to encourage students to study and exchange ideas and, in general, to provide a place for students living either in Spain or abroad to interact with their peers and teachers. The online forums serve as an open platform where students can freely share their opinions about, interpretations of, and information on the literary texts they are studying. This fosters collaborative learning, one of the main goals of the Bologna Process, and promotes diversity. The framework provided by the online forums contributes to the development of students' reflective-thinking skills. The support learning material and critical-thinking activities offered in this course are designed to spark students' interest in topics that integrate literature into the social, cultural and political world around them. If the online forums are a dynamic communication and learning tool, they can favor a positive learning environment for students and help to build up their confidence levels.