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

My background is mainly in teaching and teacher training. I have experience teaching English for Academic Purposes and Business English in Higher Education as well as in the private sector both in the UK and overseas. Recently, I have been working with postgraduate students helping them become better writers.

My research interests are the use of hybrid reading and writing tasks, the influence of epistemological beliefs, writing assessment, peer tutoring and writing for publications.

My role at the Write Now Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is to support the work of the CETL here at Liverpool Hope University where I am the key contact person for the Faculty of Education. I am involved in the development of teaching materials, staff development initiatives such as task brief design, in liaising with the other CETL institutions, as well as in research and evaluation. One of the most recent research projects I am involved in is exploring the collaboration with departmental staff on the development and implementation of writing skills curriculum components. I am also taking part in a research project that exploring how Writing Centre statistics can be used to inform an institution of their students’ need for support.

Publications

Conference papers

• Smeets, W. (2010) Writing programme design consultancy: Collaborations between departmental staff and the writing centre. Presentation at: 7th European Writing Center Association (EWCA) conference: “(Re) Thinking and (Re) Situating the Writing Center and WAC connection in Europe and Beyond, American University in Paris, 24–28 May 2010.
   
• Brasington, J. and Smeets, W. (2010) Writing Centre data: a means towards curriculum-based writing solutions. Presentation at: 7th European Writing Center Association (EWCA) conference: “(Re) Thinking and (Re) Situating the Writing Center and WAC connection in Europe and Beyond, American University in Paris, 24–28 May 2010.
   
• Smeets, W., Rowley, C., Davis, J., Craddock, B., and Tatlow, D. (2009) Insights from the tutorial: the peer tutor perspective. Presentation at: EATAW conference Coventry, 30 June - 2 July 2009.
   
• Smeets, W., & Westrup, B. (2009) Staff development: writing assignment briefs and creating adequate task representation. Presentation at: EATAW conference Coventry, 30 June - 2 July 2009.Abstracts available from: http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/eataw2009/Pages/Programme.aspx

• Smeets, Wendy. (2008) Task representation: its impact on postgraduate students’ approach to text production - a qualitative study. Presentation at: EARLI SIG Writing Conference Lund, Sweden, 11-13 June, 2008. Abstract available from: http://sig-writing.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=410
  
• Smeets, Wendy. (2007) Appropriate source usage: how adequate task representation can help students avoid plagiarism. Presentation at: EATAW Conference Bochum, Germany 30 June - 2 July 2007.

Journal articles

• Brasington, J. & Smeets, W. (2010) Engaging peer writing tutors in voicing their reflections on the tutorial process in PRIME (Pedagogical Research in Maximising Education),  3 (3).
   
• Brasington, J. & Smeets, W. (2009) Peer writing tutors: insights from the tutorial process. Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, 7 (1).
   
• Smeets, Wendy & Sole, Isabel (2008). How adequate task representation can help students write a successful synthesis. Zeitschrift Schreiben.