Writing Specialist
Liverpool Hope University
(Fixed term contract until Aug 2010 for duration of CETL funding only)

I am a Writing Specialist in the Write Now Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Liverpool Hope University and am involved in the development of initiatives and resources to help students and staff with their academic writing, peer tutoring, research and evaluation. I also provide academic writing support for The Flying Start project which seeks to enhance students’ academic writing transition between A-Levels (and other pre-university courses) and Higher Education.

My research interests include undergraduate students’ identities in relation to transitions to university, essay writing, assessment and tutor feedback. In particular I am interested in exploring students’ possible opportunities for exercising agency and developing this with the aim to help develop student and staff understandings of essay writing in Higher Education.

Publications

Conference papers

• Westrup, Becca. (2009) Getting off to a flying start: promoting the use of academic writing mentors in breaking through transition boundaries. Presentation at: iPED International Conference 2009, Coventry University.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2009) Writing narratives: developing students’ autonomy and academic participation in essay writing. Presentation at: Writing Symposium 2009, Nottingham Trent University.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2009) Writing narratives: exploring the role of essay writing and assessment in the lives of undergraduate students. Presentation at: Assessment in Higher Education Conference, University of Cumbria.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2008) Writing narratives: Essay writing and assessment. Presentation at: ANALYTRICS International Conference on Education, Economy and Society, Paris.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2008) Writing narratives: stories and subject positions. Presentation at: Assessment in Higher Education Conference, University of Cumbria.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2008) Writing narratives: stories and subject positions. Presentation at: Cumbria Study of Higher Education Network (C-SHEN), University of Cumbria.
   
• Westrup, Becca. (2007) Writing narratives: an exploration of the role of essay writing in the lives of students. Presentation at: BERA Annual Conference, Institute of Education, London, 5-8 September 2007.
   
• Westrup, Becca (2006) ‘Student Writing, Assessment and Tutor Feedback’. Presentation at: BERA Annual Conference, University of Warwick, 6-9 September 2006.