Monday 28 June 2010
The papers listed below were presented at the WDHE conference on Monday 28 June 2010.
To view abstract of a paper - click on the relevant paper number below.
To link to presentation slides - click on relevant presentation title (links available are shown in maroon below).
For abstracts/presentations for papers given on other conference days, please click on links below:
| Paper no. | Presentation title | Presenter | |
| Keynote | 1 |
The value of local research for sustaining writing development in higher education: the case of ‘academic literacies’ |
Theresa Lills with Sally Baker, Lynn Coleman, Dr Lucy Rai and Jackie Tuck, The Open University, UK |
| Paper | 7 | Teaching the thesis statement in UK academic writing classes | Alex Baratta, University of Manchester, UK |
| Paper | 15 | The writing consultation: developing sustainable writing behaviour | Rowena Murray, University of Strathclyde, UK |
| Paper | 20 | Becoming a successful NNES scientific writer: perceptions of novice and more experienced researchers | Tom Armstrong, University of Zurich/ETH Language Center, Zurich, Switzerland and Institute of Education, London, UK |
| Paper | 22 | Student-produced library research paper genre in the accounting and finance: one genre label but different requirements and expectations | Awad Alhassan, University of Essex, UK |
| Paper | 27 | Sustaining a writing practice in art school dissertations | Howard Riley, Mary Davies, Swansea Metropolitan University, UK |
| Workshop | 28 | Engaging subject academics in academic writing support | Lisa Clughen, Nottingham Trent University, UK; Michelle Reid, Nottingham Trent University, UK |
| Paper | 29 | Uncovering academic writing: enhancing the undergraduate student learning experience in archaeology | Steven Thurlow, Monash University, Australia |
| Paper | 31 | Tracking the development of source use within plagiarism education at postgraduate level: the experiences of international students in UK higher education | Mary Davis, Oxford Brookes University, UK |
| Paper | 35 | Overcoming fear and resistance: supporting student writing in formal exam settings | Debbie Holley; Martin Agombar, London Metropolitan University, UK |
| Paper | 36 | Embedded writing practice | Halina Harvey, Gill Byrne, University of Huddersfield, UK |
| Paper | 37 | A lot of students write badly… but we don't know why: an investigation into the perceptions, beliefs and experience of academic teaching staff regarding student writing problems in one institutional context | Richard Bailey, Teesside University, UK |
| Paper | 40 | Writing in health and social care: the role of research |
Caroline Coffin, Jim Donohue, The Open Unive |
| Paper | 45 | Teaching writing collaboratively in the faculty of law at the University of the Western Cape | Sherran Clarence, University of the Western Cape, South Africa |
| Paper | 51 | Academic literacy and the challenge of demographic change: the response of one Canadian university | Ishbel Galloway, Simon Fraser University, Canada |
| Paper | 66 |
Exploring professional writing in social work through text-oriented team ethnography [Presentation not available] Additional resources: |
Lucy Rai, Theresa Lillis, The Open University, UK |
| Workshop | 67 | Establishing and maintaining successful writing groups for research students | Claire Aitchison, University of Western Sydney, Australia; Sarah Haas, Aston University, UK |
| Paper | 69 | Playing with gender: using techniques from creative writing to embody academic knowledges | Lisa Clughen, Kevin Flint, Nottingham Trent University, UK |
| Paper | 78 | Investigating international students' writing experiences in a postgraduate degree | Oxana Poverjuc, Warwick University, UK |
| Paper | 82 | University sector writing development: contextualizing classroom practices within institutional and the wider social environments | Nancy Susan Keranen, Gicela Cuatlapantzi, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico |
| Paper | 86 | Developing a writing center within an academic health science center: changing to sustain | Tom G. Smith, Jennie Ariail, Shannon Richards-Slaughter, Lisa Kerr, Medical University of South Carolina, USA |
| Paper | 97 | Engaging students in legal writing | Mary Deane, Steve Foster, Coventry University, UK |
| Paper | 100 | From 'errors of style' to ethnopoetics and ghost texts | Mary Scott, Institute of Education, London, UK |
The value of local research for sustaining writing development in higher education: the case of ‘academic literacies’
Dr Theresa Lillis with Sally Baker, Lynn Coleman, Dr Lucy Rai and Jackie Tuck, The Open University, UK
Research on writing in higher education in the UK is a relatively recent phenomenon yet is growing in different ways, including via the traditional academic research routes of doctoral studies and nationally funded research projects, as well as more action-interventionist and pedagogic oriented initiatives.The aim of this presentation wil be to give an overview of the types of research on academic writing which have been carried out in the UK context over the past 10 years and to focus in particular on one specific research frame – ‘academic literacies’. I will tease out the key methodological, epistemological and ideological principles reflected in ‘academic literacies’, (drawing on Lillis and Scott, 2007) in order to explore what this particular framework offers to writing researchers and teachers in our efforts to contribute to a higher education premised upon values of diversity and inclusion.
A theme threading through the presentation will be the importance of the local in research which seeks to sustain writing development in higher education and I will raise the following questions: how important is it to develop a ‘local’ research base on writing? how can locally generated research contribute to making sense of locally generated ‘problems’ and understandings? how does locally based research (e.g. at the level of the UK) connect with research and scholarship from other local contexts, and vice versa? how does focusing on the local key us into global practices?
The presentation will include reflections from scholars on their reasons for engaging in the more traditional research route – PhD research – in the UK and the value they see in academic literacies research for sustaining their particular research and design interests.
Reference
Lillis, T., Scott, M. (207) ‘Defining academic literacies research: issue of epistemology, ideology and strategy’. Special issue – New Directions in Academic Literacies. Journal of Applied Linguistics; 4: (1) 5-32.
Teaching the thesis statement in UK academic writing classes
Alex Baratta, University of Manchester, UK
Abstract
The thesis statement (or ‘argument' as it is generally referred to in the UK), though often just a single sentence in length, is arguably one of the most important components of an academic essay. Students enrolled in composition classes are taught the importance of establishing a main point within their thesis statements, very often consisting of a personal stance on the subject of their essay. Based on the author's experience of teaching undergraduates in the United Kingdom since 2003, however, it is suggested that the implications for teaching the thesis statement within UK universities are quite different. Analysis of students' essays within the Language, Literacy and Communication (LLC) programme, part of the School of Education at The University of Manchester, reveals that thesis statements in this specific context are often different from those within US composition classes and academic essays in general. With few exceptions, analysis of students' essays reveals that thesis statements are, from the US perspective, quite broad and lacking a specific point, in direct contrast with the principles taught in classes such as Freshman Composition. Moreover, it is also the case that the offering of the student's main point is generally confined to the conclusion, thereby representing a more ‘circular' rhetorical pattern to essays, as opposed to the more linear approach expected within essays in the US. This has implications for the teaching of academic writing in the UK, which, while not having a nationally prescribed writing class, nonetheless has growing numbers of writing classes and writing centres. Therefore, while Ivanic (1998:75) states that Freshman Composition is becoming the basis for the theory and research of academic writing lecturers in the United Kingdom, it needs to be considered that there are certain aspects which might not ‘translate' directly.
References
Ivanic, R. (1998) Writing and Identity. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Paper 0015
The writing consultation: developing sustainable writing behaviour
Rowena Murray, University of Strathclyde, UK
Abstract
The writing consultation (Murray et al., 2008) was developed to help academics address the challenge of prioritising writing over other academic roles (Murray and Newton, 2008). It consists of a one-to-one motivational interview between pairs of academics, focusing on their writing goals, barriers they face in achieving them and strategies they will adopt for overcoming them. We evaluated the writing consultation in a study funded by the Nuffield Foundation. We interviewed twelve academics who used the writing consultation for eight weeks and asked them to assess its impact. To analyse interview transcripts we used the four constructs on which the writing consultation is based – stages of change, decisional balance, goal setting and social support.
Participants reported change in writing behaviour leading to prioritising writing. Setting goals and achieving them felt good, and they ‘lost that constant feeling of low grade failure’. A significant change was realising the importance of timetabling writing in academic diaries: ‘The things that normally go in my diary are teaching classes and that’s legitimate, hard and fast, whereas softer things like writing get edged out’. Participants found the writing consultation ‘highly motivating’. The decisional balance was also reported to be motivational: ‘It crystallised my thinking about writing’; ‘it strengthened my values and beliefs about writing’.
Participants said they would continue to use the writing consultation. They said it would be useful to establish regular mutual peer support. Several suggested one writing consultation per term would take care of their writing needs.
This study confirms that academics’ writing can be sustained by peer support (Lee and Boud, 2003), shows a way to overcome the limitations of informal peer support (Hislop et al., 2008) and suggests that structured support based on principles of behaviour change is a mode of sustainable writing development.
References
Hislop J., Murray R., Newton, M. (2008) Writing for publication: A case study. Practice Development in Health Care; 7: (3) 143-155.
Lee, A., Boud, D. (2003) Writing groups, change and academic identity: Research development as local practice. Studies in Higher Education; 23: (2) 157-72.
Murray, R., Newton, M. (2008) Facilitating writing for publication. Physiotherapy; 94: 29-34.
Murray R., Thow M., Moore S., Murphy M. (2008) The writing consultation: Developing academic writing practices. Journal of Further and Higher Education; 32: (2) 119-128.
Becoming a successful NNES scientific writer: perceptions of novice and more experienced researchers
Tom Armstrong, University of Zurich/ETH Language Center, Zurich, Switzerland and Institute of Education, London, UK
Abstract
International scientific publication is dominated by high-impact Anglophone journals that account for around 90% of frequently-cited information. The dominance of these journals results in an increasing pressure on multilingual scholars to publish in English. Statistically, non-native English-speaking (NNES) scientists are said to have greater problems publishing in these journals than their native English-speaking (NES) counterparts, and many novice NNES researchers certainly feel that weaknesses in their English writing skills put them at a disadvantage. Failure to publish in these journals has implications both for individual scientists' future careers and for the global dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Despite the importance of the topic, there has been little ‘bottom-up’ research focusing on the perceptions and experiences of NNES scientific writers trying to achieve success in scientific publication. Notable studies of NNES scientific writers writing for publication include: Gosden, 1996; Flowerdew, 2000; Li, 2006; Lillis and Curry, 2006; Flowerdew and Li, 2007. However, none of these studies focuses on German-speaking researchers or the differences between the perceptions of novice and more experienced writers engaged in this process.
In order to construct a picture of the problems facing German-speaking researchers trying to publish in English, a link to an online questionnaire about the writing and feedback process was emailed to 163 researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland. Follow-up interviews were conducted with a representative sample of four novice and four more-experienced researchers.
The questionnaire and interviews revealed some important differences in how each group conceptualised the writing process and the importance attached to feedback from different sources in becoming a more successful L2 scientific writer. The novices tended to have a ‘product-focused view’ of scientific writing. They relied on ‘expert’ feedback from their supervisors and perceived their main problems as being purely linguistic or structural. The more-experienced writers, by contrast, had a wider ‘process-oriented view’ of scientific writing. They saw writing a scientific article as more of a social process involving negotiation with supervisors, co-authors, other peers, and reviewers. They were more aware of writing for a particular discourse community, perceived their main difficulties as being related to this issue, and acknowledged the greater role of peer feedback in this process. Both novices and more-experienced writers agreed that the writing and feedback process generated important insights, clarified ambiguity, and was itself a form of knowledge building. The findings have some implications for teachers of scientific writing.
References
Garfield, E. (2000) Use of journal citation reports and journal performance indicators in measuring short and long-term journal impact. Croatian Medical Journal; 41: 368-374.
Canagarajah, A.S. (2002) A Geopolitics of Academic Writing. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Tardy, C. (2004) The role of English in scientific communication: Lingua franca or tyrannosaurus rex? Journal of English for Academic Purposes; 3: 247-269.
Marusic, A., Marusic, M. (2001) Good editorial practice: Editors as educators. Croatian Medical Journal; 42: 113-120.
Marusic, A., Misak, A., Kljakovic-Gaspic, M., Marusic, M. (2002) Education and excellentiam: Ten years of the Croatian medical journal. Croatian Medical Journal; 43: 286-289.
Gosden, H. (1996) Verbal reports of Japanese novices' research writing practices in English. Journal of Second Language Writing; 5: (2) 109-128.
Flowerdew, J. (2000) Discourse community, legitimate peripheral participation, and the non-native English-speaking scholar. TESOL Quarterly; 34: (1) 127-150.
Li, Y. (2006) A doctoral student of physics writing for publication: A sociopolitically-oriented case study. English for Specific Purposes; 25.
Lillis, T., Curry, M. (2006) Professional academic writing by multilingual scholars: Interactions with literacy brokers in the production of English-medium texts. Written Communication; 23: (1) 3-35.
Flowerdew, J., Li, Y. (2007) Language re-use among Chinese apprentice scientists writing for publication. Applied Linguistics; 28: (3) 440-465.
Student-produced library research paper genre in the accounting and finance: one genre label but different requirements and expectations
Awad Alhassan, University of Essex, UK
Abstract
Literature of academic writing within the genre theory and English for academic purposes (EAP) seems to show that student academic writing is less researched compared to the research conducted on expert writing. Research article (RA) genre of expert writing is the most common genre that has been heavily researched in the literature (e.g., Swales, 1990; Hyland, 2000).
Student writing in business studies seems to be particularly scarce though this area of study attracts more than 20% of international students in both UK and USA (Davis, 1998; HESA, 2007). Moreover, there also seem to be less qualitative socio-contextual studies that investigate the factors underlying the production of student written academic genres in this area of study. There are of course studies that attempted to classify and label the academic genres business students produce in the academy (e.g. Canseco and Byrd, 1989; Cooper and Bikowski, 2007). These studies, using course syllabuses and the lecturers' handouts on writing assignments as main sources of data, only classified the student writing into broader labels such as library research papers, article reviews, business reports, etc. While, through such survey methodologies, these studies provided us with an important taxonomy of the typical type of writing students are asked to produce in universities, but they did not seem to show us what, for instance, requirements and expectations held by the genre evaluators the successful writing of the library research paper genre should meet. So, we seem to have a gap in research that goes beyond the mere labelling of the student-produced academic genres in university contexts to the investigation of the various socio-contextual factors that underlie the production of these genres. In this paper I will report results of a qualitative interview study of student academic writing in a Master's level programme of accounting and finance in a UK university. Three compulsory courses under the accounting and finance programme were the focus of the investigation. Discourse-based semi-structured interviews were conducted with the same teachers of the courses. Results of data analysis showed that the type of writing assigned on this discipline of business is library research paper type which confirmed the classification in the literature. However, the rhetorical, requirements and expectations towards the successful production of this paper significantly varied across the courses and among the faculty in the discipline. Pedagogical implications and insights for the EAP were presented.
References
Canseco, G., Byrd, P. (1989) Writing required in graduate courses in business administration. TESOL Quarterly; 23: (2) 305-316.
Davis, T.M. (1998) Open doors 1997/98: Report on international educational exchange. New York: Institute of International Education.
Cooper, A., Bikowski, D. (2007) Writing at the graduate level: What tasks do professors actually require? Journal of English for Academic Purposes; B: (3) 206-221.
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) The central source for the collection and dissemination of statistics about the publicly funded higher education institutions in UK. It provides information on all higher education students in UK by the level, mode and the subject of study.
Available from: www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQualifiers/download/subject0607.xls (accessed 5 August 2008).
Hyland, K. (2000) Disciplinary Discourses: Social interactions in academic writing. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Swales, J. M. (1990) Genre Analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sustaining a writing practice in art school dissertations
Howard Riley, Mary Davies, Swansea Metropolitan University, UK
Abstract
Many students in the UK art schools find the production of a written dissertation - a requirement for honours classification - both difficult and stressful. The paper presents research evidence confirming that a high proportion of art students are dyslexic, and that many non-dyslexic art students display a visual cognitive style, and/or visual/kinesthetic learning strategies. It is argued that these factors should not in any way preclude such students from achieving an honours degree, rather, that the requirement for a dissertation be broadened to include submissions which are structured in accordance with the student's cognitive strengths.
The methods of data gathering and analysis are described, including questionnaires designed to elicit students' preferred learning strategies, and the Cognitive Style Analysis software package devised by Richard Riding, recently amended by Elizabeth Peterson.
The paper goes on to describe and evaluate alternative strategies, concerning both writing excercises and visual organisational tools, devised to help students structure complex arguments through combinations of writing, images and other relevant media.
The paper is illustrated with student case studies.
References
Rankin, Q., Riley, H., Davies, M. (2007) Including dyslexics: Indicators of dyslexia in art students' In: J. Myerson, C. Bilsland (eds) Include 07 Conference Proceedings. London: Royal College of Art.
Peterson, E. (2005) Verbal Imagery Cognitive Styles Test. University of Edinburgh.
Engaging subject academics in academic writing support
Lisa Clughen, Nottingham Trent University, UK; Michelle Reid, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Abstract
To make any form of writing support sustainable it needs to have buy-in, engagement, and advocacy from subject academics. Stressing the link between writing and thinking, many literacy theorists have argued that, to write appropriately in higher education, students need to know how to think in the discipline, how to approach their sources and then how to present their thought to others in discipline-appropriate ways (Ganobcsik-Williams, 2006; Haggis, 2006; Cooper and Patton, 2004, pp.1-24; Bean, 2001; Taylor et al., 1988). Writing, in other words, is bound up with localised issues of epistemology, writing and research practices and discourse. If students are to develop their writing, then, they will need support with such disciplinary matters and it is disciplinary experts who are best placed to do this (Ganobcsik-Williams, 2006; Mitchell and Evison, 2006). However, subject academics are not always aware of the processes involved in making their tacit knowledge explicit to students, or feel they lack the practical experience of teaching academic writing (Blake and Pates, 2009). In contrast, many learning developers have expertise in teaching academic writing, but feel they lack the disciplinary understanding necessary for writing (Blake and Pates, 2009). Thus, partnerships between learning developers and subject academics are particularly beneficial to students. Nevertheless, the partnership approach to writing development can work in many ways and present a variety of challenges to participants, particularly in arousing initial interest and in making such projects sustainable in the medium and long term. This workshop intends to address these benefits and challenges, encouraging participants to share best practice, strategies, and possible solutions to problems.
The workshop will begin with brief presentations from two different perspectives:
· Lisa Clughen will talk from the dual position of being a subject lecturer and an academic support co-ordinator about Project LISA (Learning in Specialised Areas), a project that aimed to find out more about disciplinary writing contexts in the Arts and Humanities at NTU
· Dr Michelle Reid will discuss how working as part of the LearnHigher CETL has enabled her to reach out to more subject academics and engage them in learning development research. She worked on a project using report writing resources as a way of enticing subject academics to give time for interviews, discussion and evaluation; using one research activity to get multiple outcomes.
These projects will act as the start points for group discussion, moving into activities that encourage participants to consider various short, medium, and long term scenarios on the themes of: Unpicking subject writing conventions; attracting and working with academics; sustaining interest in academic writing support in an overloaded curriculum; managing staff expectations; the burdens on time and resources; and the need to measure effects of interventions. The possible solutions and ways of addressing these concerns will be shared with the whole workshop.
References
Bean, J. (2001) Engaging Ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Blake, R., Pates, J. (2009) Embedding report writing workshops into an undergraduate environmental science module through a subject specialist and learner developer partnership. Paper delivered at the LDHEN Symposium, April 2009. Available from: www.aldinhe.ac.uk/bmth09/papers/Blake_paper.pdf (accessed on 11 December 2009).
Cooper, S., Patton, R. (2004) Writing Logically, Thinking Critically (4th end). New York: Pearson Longman.
Ganobscik-Williams, L. (ed.) (2006) Teaching Academic Writing in UK Higher Education: Theories, practices and models. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Haggis, T. (2006) Pedagogies for diversity: Retaining critical challenge amidst fears of dumbing down. Studies in Higher Education; 31: (5) 521-535.
Mitchell, S., Evison, A. (2006) Exploiting the potential of writing for educational change at Queen Mary, University of London. In: L. Ganobscik-Williams (ed.) Teaching academic writing in UK Higher Education: Theories, practices and models. Basingtoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 68-84.
Taylor, G. (1988) The Literacy of Knowing: Content and form in students' English. In: G. Taylor et al, (eds) Literacy by Degrees. Milton Keynes: SRHE/Open University Press.
Uncovering academic writing: enhancing the undergraduate student learning experience in archaeology
Steven Thurlow, Monash University, Australia
Abstract
This paper presents a partnership for learning undertaken to assist students in a first year elective unit in archaeology within the School of Geography and Environmental Science at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. This collaboration took place between the subject lecturer, learning skills adviser and a librarian to assist students in their approach to the major essay for the subject. A holistic, process-based approach was taken to the essay task with the two one-hour classes based around the theme 'Five Essential Steps to Essay Writing.'
The partnership was initiated by the academic coordinating the first year subject 'World Prehistory' (AIA1000). He approached the learning skills area within the library for help after disappointing results in the first written assignment indicated that students were having significant problems in both their academic writing and approaches to research. In particular, it appeared many learners were having difficulty 'making the jump' from essay writing at high school to university level.
As stated, two classes were arranged around the steps involved in the creation of a short academic essay. While the first class focused on understanding the essay question and building research skills, the following class was more concerned with planning, structuring and writing the essay. One initiative of particular interest to conference participants was the work undertaken with examples of effective and ineffective sample essays to illustrate the school's in-house assessment criteria. This saw the students 'marking' ineffective essays in pairs during class to both raise awareness of what their markers wished to see in written work and to also improve their abilities in the area of peer correction.
The presentation will include an evaluation of the lesson's success from the perspective of the learning skills adviser, the subject lecturer, the librarian and the learners themselves. It will highlight this as an effective method to team-teach both academic writing and research skills to first-year Arts students in addition to a way of improving discourse conventions in the specific genres required of archaeological writing.
References
Monash University, Faculty of Arts (2009) Essay Writing Guide: Guidelines for the submission of essays and assignments in the School of Geography and Environmental Science. Melbourne: Monash University.
Tracking the development of source use within plagiarism education at postgraduate level: the experiences of international students in UK higher education
Mary Davis, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Abstract
Plagiarism remains high on the agenda for those teaching academic writing. An enormous amount of research has been undertaken in the last decade on the factors behind plagiarism, how to deter it, and how to respond to it (Carroll and Appleton, 2007). For international students in the UK, there are particular problems: Research indicates that they may be more likely to plagiarise (Bennett, 2005) and more likely to be caught (Hayes and Introna, 2006). Their needs for specific instruction and direct feedback on plagiarism have been established (Hyland, 2001), but few studies so far have attempted to track the development of their learning about sources within plagiarism education over a long period.
This study, as a PhD research project, aims to fill that gap by gathering written assignments by 11 international students from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East on a year-long pre-master's course and their subsequent year as postgraduate students at a university in the south of England. Data was gathered in the form of five assignments over the two-year period, with first and final drafts of two pieces of coursework on the pre-Master's course, and a further two pieces of coursework and final dissertations in the second year on the postgraduate course, totalling 77 assignments. Interviews of 30 minutes with participants were made at the end of each semester in the period, to gather student perspectives on source use. Questionnaires were also completed at the end of each semester. Results indicate that stages of development of source use within plagiarism education can be perceived, with some general trends in progression from a basic level to some sophistication. All participants began with a different perception of plagiarism, and little or no understanding of plagiarism and academic conventions in UK higher education. This gradually changed as they gained more confidence in their ability to avoid plagiarism in a UK higher education context, and developed strategies such as frequent use of citation and renouncing quotations, while many continued to experience difficulty with paraphrasing due to lack of vocabulary. Using the results, the researcher created a model to chart five stages of development of source use, which can be used to inform the teaching of source use at pre-master's and master's level. The implication of the study is that far more attention needs to be given to effective teaching of source use to international students within stages of development.
References
Bennett, R. (2005) Factors associated with student plagiarism in a post-1992 university. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education; 30: (2) 137-162.
Carroll, J., Appleton, J. (2007) Support and guidance for learning from an international perspective. In: E. Jones, S. Brown (eds) Internationalising Higher Education, 72-86. London: Routledge.
Hayes, N., Introna, L. (2006) Systems for the production of plagiarists? The implications arising from the use of plagiarism detection systems in UK universities for Asian learners. Journal of Academic Ethics; 3: 55-73.
Hyland, F. (2001) Dealing with plagiarism when giving feedback. ELT Journal; 55: (4) 375-381.
Overcoming fear and resistance: supporting student writing in formal exam settings
Debbie Holley; Martin Agombar, London Metropolitan University, UK
Abstract
Overview
Using an action research methodology (cf Norton, 2009), a problem identified in class with student approaches to writing in their formal examination is explored through the development of a new multi-media tool. Our approach was to find out from the students (via video interview and questionnaire) their exact difficulties; to develop selected scaffolded learning activities to be accessible anytime, anyplace (Holley et al., 2010); and to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool. The final project aim was to develop a sustainable resource that could be repurposed and reused across different disciplines areas.
Background
It is widely asserted that assessment has a ‘backwash’ effect that shapes students’ engagement with a course (e.g. Biggs, 1999). Research suggests that students are driven by assessment, therefore students pay far more attention to tasks that get assessed. Students learn what they think they will be tested on, and most teaching staff are partially aware of this relationship (Gibbs and Habeshaw, 1989; Biggs, 1999; Rust, 2002). However, little has been done to explore student reluctance to prepare themselves for the writing needed in what many perceive as the stressful environment of examinations.
Method
Student attitudes to examinations were collected by questionnaire; feedback on an early prototype of the online tool was gathered during a workshop on exam writing. Student interviews fed into the design stages, and final evaluation will be gathered via an online discussion board and tracking data; from extracts of student exam writing and the development of mini-cases studies. The reusability and sustainability of the tool is already evident from preliminary evaluation.
Results and Preliminary Evaluation
Initial exam marks indicate that the usual distribution curve pattern has changed with the polarisation of student grades – those that engaged with the materials have done well
(grades in the 60-88% bracket); those that didn’t engage underachieved (under 40% ). What is also of interest is the usual ‘clustering’ of marks at 50-60% is absent for this student cohort.
Evaluation
Findings suggest that students who worked with the new online tool report increased confidence and performance. Extracts from exam scripts and student attitudes to ‘the exam’ will form part of the evaluation, and (with permission) a selection of ‘mini’ student case studies will be discussed. However, for others, exam stress and nerves combined with poor preparation once again led to disappointing performance, suggesting that further embedding of writing is needed within the curriculum (cf Wingate, 2010).
References
Biggs, J. (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Gibbs, G., Habeshaw, T. (1989) Preparing to Teach: An introduction to effective teaching in higher education. Bristol: Technical and Educational Services Ltd.
Holley, D., Bradley, C., Greaves, L., Cook, J. (2010) You can take out of it what you want – how learning objects within blended learning designs encourage personalised learning. In: J O'Donoghue (ed.) Technology Supported Environment for Personalised Learning: Methods and case studies. IGI Global.
Norton, L.S. (2009) Action Research in Teaching and Learning. A Practical Guide to Conducting Pedagogical Research in Universities. Abingdon: Routledge.
Rust, C. (2002) The impact of assessment on student learning: How can research literature practically help to inform the development of departmental assessment strategies and learner-centred assessment practices. Active Learning in Higher Education; 3: (2).
Wilson-Kennard, A., Holley, D (2009) Overcoming Student Fear and Resistance: The role of podcasting in formative exam feedback. Published in the conference proceedings Fifth International Blended Learning Conference 2009: 16 - 17 June 2009 University of Hertfordshire.
Wingate, U. A comparison of ‘additional' and ‘embedded' approaches to teaching writing in the disciplines in writing in the disciplines (forthcoming, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
Embedded writing practice
Halina Harvey, Gill Byrne, University of Huddersfield, UK
Abstract
Where students do not see a direct connection between academic skills teaching and their assessment they find it difficult to perceive its benefit. In our experience when academic and writing skills have been delivered as a ‘bolt-on’, student engagement has been limited. Indeed such provision has received criticism as students find it difficult to see the relevance to their learning (Wingate, 2006). In addition, this lack of engagement with academic and writing skills teaching has resulted in limited directed writing practice.
The literature has suggested that there is a positive developmental relationship between writing and thinking and learning. Regular writing practice ‘promotes thinking, learning and communication’ (Bjork et al., 2003, p.9). The benefits of reflective thinking and writing in relation to skills development are also well documented in the literature (Moon, 1999; King, 2002). Indeed, the skill of reflection is highlighted with in the UK QAA benchmarking statement for postgraduate students (QAA, 2007).
As members of University of Huddersfield, business school academic teaching team, academic skills tutors are better able to develop working relationships with subject tutors enabling collaborative projects, greater awareness of the subject curriculum, accessible, timely and embedded provision.
This paper will describe and evaluate an embedded model which was developed using new media in the form of a blogging tool in order to encourage a culture of critical and reflective writing, across post-graduate courses in the business school. It will suggest that regular writing is essential in the development of skills and learning, especially amongst international student cohorts. Illustrative examples will detail the use of blogs to support students in weekly writing tasks, encouraging both regular writing practice and reflection on themselves as developing learners.
References
Bjőrk, L., Brȁuer, G., Rienecker, L., Jőrgensen, P.S. (2003) Teaching Academic Writing in European Higher Education: An introduction. In: L. Bjork, G.Brauer, L.Rienecker, P.S. Jorgensen, (eds) Teaching Academic Writing in European Higher Education. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Ebrary [online].
Available from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uoh/docDetail.action?docID=10067249> (accessed 18 November 2009).
King, T. (2002) Development of student skills in reflective writing. In: A. Goody and D. Ingram (eds) Spheres of Influence: Ventures and visions in educational development. Proceedings of the 4th World Conference of the International Consortium for Educational Development. Perth: The University of Western Australia. [online].
Available from: www.osds.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/37666/Terry_King.pdf> (accessed 13 November 2009).
Moon, J. (1999) Learning Journals: A handbook for academics, students and professional development. London: Routledge Falmer.
QAA (2007) Master’s degrees in business and management [online].
Available from: www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/statements/BusinessmanagementMasters.pdf
(accessed 12 November 2009).
Wingate, U. (2006) Doing away with ‘study skills’. Teaching in Higher Education; 11: (4) 457-469.
A lot of students write badly… but we don't know why: an investigation into the perceptions, beliefs and experience of academic teaching staff regarding student writing problems in one institutional context
Richard Bailey, Teesside University, UK
Abstract
Since the mid nineties much of the impetus for student writing research in higher education has been generated by ‘academic literacies approach' (Street and Lea, 1997; Lea and Street, 1998). Lea (2007) enumerated a range of ‘successes' and ‘failures' of this research field and called for a reinvigoration of research with greater attention paid to wider institutional contexts and a more critically ethnographic stance in research. This paper takes the position that if stimulating debate about the desirability of student writing pedagogy in the curriculum and critically exploring practices linked to student learning, writing and assessment underpin the research endeavour, then it is important to engage with the concerns of academic staff and investigate attitudes and beliefs at the micro-cultural level of teaching and practice.
The research that will be reported on here was part of a doctoral study during which data collection spanned two years. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with a cross-section of academic teaching staff as part of an institutional case-study research strategy, realised through a critical ethnographic-style inquiry. Respondents came from traditional humanities, applied and ‘hybrid' disciplines in social and applied sciences; and ‘emergent' or ‘practice-based' disciplines (cf. Baynham, 2000). In total 48 academic staff were interviewed providing scope and depth to the data. The purpose was, firstly, to explore academic staff perceptions and beliefs about student writing and assessment practices in the curriculum and in their teaching. Secondly, and consistent with an ethnographic style approach to research, to investigate the lived reality of teaching staff in the current context of higher education in this regard. The analysis and discussion to be presented are, therefore, grounded in the views and experiences of teaching staff. The findings and their implications for student writing research and debates about pedagogical practice can be the focus of open discussion.
References
Baynham, M. (2000) Academic writing in new discipline areas. In M. Lea, B. Stierer (eds) Student Writing in Higher Education: New contexts. 17-31. The Society for Research in Higher Education, Open University Press.
Lea, M. (2007) Academic Literacies: Mapping the terrain. Paper presented at the annual academic literacies one-day conference event, Institute of Education, London.
Lea, M., Street, B. (1998) Student writing in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in Higher Education; 23: (2) 157-172.
Street, B., Lea, M. (1997) Perspectives on Academic Literacies: An institutional approach. ESRC End of Award Report Ref No: R000221557. Swindon: ESRC.
Writing in health and social care: the role of research
Caroline Coffin, Jim Donohue, The Open University, UK
Abstract
This paper reports on a research project Writing in Health and Social Care: genres, practices and pedagogies which was conducted in 2008-2010 at The Open University, UK. The ultimate aim of the project was to support health and social care faculty in developing strategies to aid the writing development of foundation level students who enter the university with minimal academic qualifications.
The focus of the research was to:
· investigate what written genres students are required to produce by the course assignment tasks in the foundation level course, An introduction to health and social care
· investigate which among these are key genres for inducting students into the specialised disciplinary discourses in which they are required to relate professional practice to academic theories and concepts
· identify patterns in clause level constructions (and, where possible, conduct interviews with students) in order to investigate meaning-making practices regarded as problematic by disciplinary academics.
The main theoretical principles and method of analysis underpinning the study derive from the Systemic Functional Linguistics genre framework (Martin and Rose, 2008) in which genres are conceived as staged, goal oriented social processes. The framework was applied to a selection of high, middle and low-scoring assignments written by students.
Acknowledging the importance and complexities of context in any investigation of academic writing (Lillis, 2008) we also collected various types of contextual data. These included student guidance notes, tutor guidance notes from the academic team responsible for the course design, tutor feedback on student assignments, and focus group discussion data in which faculty academics discussed (among other matters) the pedagogic purposes of health and social care and their views on the role and nature of writing within the academic context, as well as its relationship to professional practice.
Drawing on the results of the analysis of both sets of data we have been able to make a number of recommendations informing both:
a) faculty members' reflections on the learning and writing purposes of assessment tasks
and
b) a Writing Development Pathway currently being designed to support student writing in an ongoing sustainable manner.
References
Lillis, T. (2008) Ethnography as Method, Methodology, and ‘Deep Theorizing’: Closing the gap between text and context in academic writing research; Written Communication; 25: (3) 353-388.
Martin, J.R., Rose, D. (2008) Genre Relations: Mapping Culture. London: Equinox Publishing.
Teaching writing collaboratively in the faculty of law at the University of the Western Cape
Sherran Clarence, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Abstract
This paper engages the debate over the role of a writing centre in teaching and learning support structures in a university, and more specifically, in assisting with the writing support and structure for a specialized discipline. A related question is whether this support is best provided by a writing centre, or an alternative teaching and learning support unit such as an academic development unit, or even discipline-based teaching and learning specialists.
Drawing on the findings from research into a collaborative teaching project between the writing centre at UWC and the teaching staff in two first year law modules, the case is made that a writing centre can work collaboratively with university teachers to create more writing intensive curricula. Further, this is shown by working in a way consistent with the principle that reading, critical thinking and writing are specific literacy acts that must be learned, practiced and performed in a disciplinary space, as opposed to an extra-disciplinary like a writing centre or academic literacy module. Nevertheless, by supporting teachers in re-examining their course outcomes, materials and assessments, and changing the ‘technocratic' attitude to writing towards one that sees it as a participatory and interactive vehicle for learning, it is shown how a writing centre can build discipline-specific and substantive writing culture and practices that both empowers academics and enables capable, critical and engaged graduates.
References
Boughey, C. (2002a) Naming Students' Problems: An analysis of language-related discourses at a South African University. Academic Development Centre, Rhodes University [Online].
Available from: http://eprints.ru.ac.za/1107/01/boughey_naming_students_problems.pdf. (accessed 29 July 2009).
Jacobs, C. (2007) Mainstreaming academic literacy teaching: Implications for how academic development understands its work in higher education. South African Journal of Higher Education; 21: (7) 868-879.
Lea, M.R. (2004) Academic literacies: A pedagogy for course design. Studies in Higher Education; 29: (6) 739-756.
Leibowitz, B., Goodman, K., Hannon, P., Parkerson, A. (1997) The role of a writing centre in increasing access to academic discourse in a multilingual university. Teaching in Higher Education; 2: (1) 5-19.
Xudong, D. (2009) The Case for Writing Centres.
Available from: http://blog.nus.edu.sg/eltwo/2009/08/12/the-case-for-writing-centres/ (accessed 13 October 2009).
Academic literacy and the challenge of demographic change: the response of one Canadian university.
Ishbel Galloway, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Abstract
In a relatively short time, Vancouver has become one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Currently 40% of its population is foreign-born and this figure is expected to rise to 65% by 2025. Obviously this has put enormous pressure on public education, where ESL is inadequately funded.
As institutions, universities are often slow to adapt to such change, and, since the early ’90s, as the Vancouver student population has become increasingly diverse, the prevailing academic response has been: ‘If they don’t speak English, don’t let them in.’ However ‘the contemporary student-as-customer culture of the academy’ (Strachan, 2008) means that seats must be filled, but minimum IELTS and TOEFL scores that allow international and immigrant students to enter means they are only nominally equipped to cope with the demands of tertiary education in English. This is only one consequence of what has been called the global ‘massification’ of higher education (Altbach, 2008).
Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University regularly ranks in the top three of Canada’s comprehensive universities. Recognizing the significant decline in the academic literacy of its student population, in the last few years Simon Fraser has adopted a number of intervention strategies. These include introducing intensive EAP preparation programs, partnering with a private college that provides transition programs for international students who want to attend SFU but are not yet admissible, and instituting new writing support as well as writing-intensive courses across the curriculum. This presentation will describe these initiatives and consider their likelihood of success.
References
Altbach, P.G. (2008) Globalization and forces for change in higher education. International Higher Education; 50.
Available from: www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/Number50/p2_Altbach.htm
Strachan, W. (2008) Writing – intensive: Becoming W-faculty in a new writing curriculum. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press.
Exploring professional writing in social work through text-oriented team ethnography
Lucy Rai, Theresa Lillis, The Open University, UK
Abstract
Many students in higher education are involved in courses with a professional orientation. In such courses students are often required to produce conventional essayist literacy texts alongside more explicitly hybridized texts, such as reflective writing (Rai, 2006). The extent to which such writing practices map on to the demands of professional practice is an area warranting examination due to the centrality of writing to professional social work practice. This presentation will report on a study setting out to explore the following question in specific relation to social work education and professional practice: How well does social work training in higher education prepare graduates for the challenges of writing in professional social work practice? This involves a further key empirical: What writing do social workers do in their work on a daily basis and how does such writing - conceptualised as text types, identities and values-map on to the writing carried out in higher education courses.
In order to explore these questions a small scale ‘text-oriented team ethnography' - drawing on key principles from research in academic literacies - was carried out (Lea and Stierer, 2000; Lillis, 2001). The broad aim of this study was to begin to unpack the specific writing demands made of social work professionals and to gain a genuine insight into the daily writing practices of very busy professional lives. The team ethnographic approach in particular has given the research team a unique glimpse into the complexity and significance of professional writing practices. It involved the researchers working with five recently qualified social workers as co-researchers over a nine month period of time. Data collected includes 20 days of diaries kept by co-researchers recording the range, type and amount of writing carried out in their daily working lives; approximately 200 anonymised texts produced in practice collected by co researchers; four group discussions involving researchers and co-researchers conducted using telephone conferencing (transcribed) during the period of journal and text collection; individual interviews with the co-researchers about their writing practices and experiences; three day face to face workshops; teaching and assessment materials from The Open University BA Social Work .
The presentation will use data extracts to illustrate and discuss the following themes:
· The impact of ICT systems on professional autonomy in writing, including the restrictions placed on ‘free writing' by the use of electronic proformas
· The range and variation in style, form and procedures surrounding texts within and between social work settings and teams.
References
Lea, M., Stierer, B. (eds) (2000) Student Writing in Higher Education: New contexts. Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education and The Open University Press.
Lillis, T. (2001) Student Writing Access: Regulation and desire. London: Routledge.
Rai, L. (2006) Owning (up to) reflective writing in social work education. Social Work Education; 25: (8) 785-797.
Establishing and maintaining successful writing groups for research students
Claire Aitchison, University of Western Sydney, Australia; Sarah Haas, Aston University, UK
Abstract
As universities seek to respond to new pressures and expectations on students for greater writing output during research candidature, there has been a growing interest in the use of writers' groups as one mechanism for the support of student writing. An emergent body of research has shown the benefits for students, supervisors and institutions (Aitchison, 2009; Cuthbert, Spark and Burke, 2009). Participation in writers’ groups can not only increase academic output (Murray, 2008), but can also provide valuable input and community for novice writers, who often do not know how to approach academic writing (Mullen, 2001) or often feel isolated in their writing (Aitchison, 2003; Chihota, 2008).
In this hands-on workshop, the presenters share their experiences of running writers’ groups for research students from a range of disciplines and within different institutional settings over the last eight years.
This workshop draws on theory, research and practice to present a detailed and well-rounded account of what makes for successful writing groups for masters and doctoral research candidates in higher education. The presenters outline a variety of writing group models; elaborate on ways to establish, administer and maintain groups; and workshop different approaches to the facilitation of learning about, doing and responding to writing.
The practical component of the workshop will engage participants in a variety of activities that we have found useful for the facilitation of critical thinking and writing, for the development of scholarly review practices, and for fostering communities of scholarly research writers. Participants should be prepared to write, review and talk together about their writing in various small group activities. There will also be opportunities to explore the challenges and difficulties that can sometimes sabotage writing groups.
References
Aitchison, C. (2003) Thesis writing circles. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics; 8: (2) 97-115.
Aitchison, C. (2009) Writing groups for doctoral education. Studies in Higher Education; 34: (8) 905-916.
Chihota, M.C. (2008) The games people play: Taking on postgraduate identities in the context of writer circles. Journal of Applied Linguistics; 4: (1) 131-136.
Cuthbert, D., Spark, C., Burke, E. (2009) Disciplining writing: The case for multi-disciplinary writing groups to support writing for publication by higher degree by research candidates in the humanities, arts and social sciences. Higher Education Research and Development; 28: (2).
Mullen, C. (2001) The need for a curricular writing model for graduate students. Journal of Further and Higher Education; 25: (1) 117-126.
Murray, R., Newton, M. (2008) Facilitating writing for publication. Physiotherapy; 94: 29-34.
Playing with gender: using techniques from creative writing to embody academic knowledges
Lisa Clughen, Kevin Flint, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Abstract
In recent years, literacy theorists, especially those writing from an academic literacies perspective, have stressed the relationship between writing and subjectivity (Hunt and Simpson, 2006). Scholars have argued that, as writing is a medium through which the subject establishes and mediates her/his subject relationship with the world, the self is heavily implicated in the writing process. Supporting writing therefore involves creating spaces that would usefully bring body and mind together in recognition of the embodied beings in the learning process. As a result, critics have variously argued that we should address the affective as well as cognitive aspects of writing (Mitchell forthcoming), or, situating writing in the mouth (Elbow, 2008), have argued for the use of talk to foster writing in a way that would also address issues of subjectivity (Lillis, 2006).
This workshop will welcome participants into such a space and invite them to take part in a session that was run in a writers' group attached to a final year module in gender and sexuality in the English subject area at NTU. Under consideration is the idea that identities, such as gender identity, are social constructions that, in Judith Butler's terms, are constituted performatively (Butler, 1990). The cognitive density of Butler's writing often represents a challenge to the students, its difficult discourse sometimes provoking feelings of fear, confusion or even alienation. The session has been conceived as a dialogical approach to accessing such troubling academic knowledges. Its pedagogy draws on psychotherapeutic approaches to writing, such as those of Phyllis Creme and Celia Hunt (2002) who advocate play as a mediating device for the subject-object relations involved in the writing process, and on ideas from those who turn to creative writing techniques to address affective and subjective issues involved with writing (Hunt and Sampson, 2006).
Following the aforementioned activities, we plan to open philosophical reflection upon the significance of such playful approaches to the creation of identity through the play of ‘presence and absence' through writing (Derrida, 2001, p.369). We will draw here on Jacques Derrida's (1973) ‘Différance' to explore such subjective issues involved in reading and writing, being guided here by listening to the interplay of subject - subject in Luce Irigaray's (2002; 2008) text that might unfold in the workshop.
For this session, all you need is some imagination, a willingness to play, oh, and a shoe. Yes. bring a shoe with you. It can be anybody's shoe…
References
Butler, J. (1990) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. London: Routledge.
Crème, Hunt (2002) Creative participation in the essay writing process. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education; 1: 145-166.
Derrida, J. (2001) Writing and Difference. University of Chicago, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Classics.
Derrida, J. (1973) Différance. In: J. Derrida, Speech and phenomena and other essays on Husserl's theory of signs. Illinois: Northwestern University Press.
Elbow, P. (2008) Vulgar Eloquence: Enlisting speech for writing. Paper given at WDHE 2008, Strathclyde University: www.writenow.ac.uk/wdhe/wdhe2008.html (accessed on 12 February 2010).
Hunt, C., Simpson, F. (2006) Writing: Self and reflexivity. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Irigaray, L. (ed) with Green, M. (2008) Teaching. London and New York: Continuum.
Irigaray, L. (2002) The Way of Love. London and New York: Continuum.
Lillis, T. (2006) Moving Towards an Academic Literacies Pedagogy: Dialogues of participation. In: L. Ganobscik-Williams, (ed.) Teaching Academic Writing in UK Higher Education: Theories, practices and models. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mitchell, S. (forthcoming) Now you don't see it; now you do: Writing made visible in the university. Arts and Humanities in HE; 9: (2).
Investigating international students' writing experiences in a postgraduate degree
Oxana Poverjuc, Warwick University, UK
Abstract
It has been accepted that ‘the hallmark of success for any student at university is mastery of academic writing’ (Jones, 1999, p.37). The studies on disciplinary writing (e.g. Prior, 1991; Belcher, 1994; Casanave, 1995; Riazi, 1997; Lea and Street, 1998) suggested that student writing occurs in a complex context, where such factors as tutors' values and goals, the structure of the class, academic practices and individual characteristics that students bring to the learning process appear to have a considerable impact on their writing.
The current study explored five international students' writing experiences enrolled on a Taught masters course at Warwick Institute of Education. The research prioritised case study approach ‘to portray ‘what it is like' to be a masters student taking a course in education, to catch the close-up reality of completing written assignments and to present ‘thick description' of participants' lived experiences of, thoughts about and feelings for, a situation’ (Cohen et al., 2007, p.254). The study adopted academic literacies as a framework for understanding the complexity of writing practices that students engaged with as part of their academic degree in British academia. This approach encompassed such factors as institutional practices (e.g. presentations, discussions, tutorials), tutors' perspectives, and individual characteristics.
The results showed that learning to write disciplinary-based assignments was an active and interactional process encompassing not only writing and reading but also a range of institutional activities and social interactions that occurred among the novice and more expert members of the discourse community. Findings showed that there were a number of academic practices provided by the institution and the masters programme to enable taught masters students to learn the new academic writing conventions. The provision for the academic writing came in a range of forms from pre-sessional and in-sessional courses, session on academic writing, to different types of feedback, tutorials, guidelines and assessment criteria. It has been shown that academic practices had an impact on how students defined and approached disciplinary-based writing tasks, and how they communicated with other members of the discourse community. Overall, students were positive about this support. However, findings suggested that different academic practices and activities enhanced or compromised the ways in which particular students understood the writing conventions ultimately impacting on their academic performance. Factors like appropriate timing of tutorials, type of instruction, type of language tutors deployed when providing feedback, students' interactive abilities and comprehension skills and availability of tutors influenced on how students completed their writing tasks.
References
Belcher, D. (1995) Academic Writing in a Second Language: Essays on research and pedagogy. Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Casanave, C.P. (1995) Local interactions: Constructing contexts for composing in a graduate sociology program In: D.Belcher, (ed.) Academic Writing in a Second Language: Essays on research and pedagogy. Ablex Publishing Corporation, 85-110.
Coffin, C. et al. (2003) Teaching Academic Writing: A toolkit for higher education. London and New York: Routledge.
Cohen, L. et al. (2007) Research Methods in Education. New York: Routledge.
Jones, C. et al. (1999) Students Writing in the University: Cultural and epistemological issues. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Lea, M.R., Street, B.V. (1998) Student Writing in Higher Education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in Higher Education; 23: (2) 157-172.
Prior, P. (1991) Contextualizing writing and response in a graduate seminar. Written Communication 8: 267-310.
Riazi, A. (1997) Acquiring Disciplinary Literacy: A social-cognitive analysis of text production and learning among Iranian graduate students of education. Journal of Second Language Writing; 6: (2) 105-137.
University sector writing development: contextualizing classroom practices within institutional and the wider social environments
Nancy Susan Keranen, Gicela Cuatlapantzi, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico
Abstract
Investigation into classroom phenomena is often the starting point for understanding literacy issues. However, there is a certain point when this type of inquiry is insufficient in terms of helping to fully conceptualize the complex issues surrounding what happens in the classroom. At this point, researchers must attempt to contextualize the phenomena within the wider pedagogical and social milieus in which they exist. Although writing research in Latin America is a relatively new venture, it follows the wider trend towards contextualization in writing research. This trend which started in Mexico with a focus on cognitive writing processes, surveys on teachers and students’ perceptions in specific contexts was complemented by studies on social and institutional practices.
In line with this overall trend to see writing practices as part of a larger ecology, this project involves a three phase investigation of literacy practices and processes associated with pre-service English language teachers situated in the modern languages department of a public research university in México.
The three study phases examine departmental literacy issues from the following perspectives:
· Institutional expectations (via curriculum plans - from historical and current perspectives) and academic staff/curriculum designers (interviews)
· how interpretation of departmental and institutional factors are carried out, i.e. the correspondence between classroom literacy expectations and students' processes (literacy development), (interviews with academic staff and students)
· the wider social context that goes beyond the institutional context, i.e. literacy requirements/expectations (interviews with potential employers).
Results of the study so far have indicated a number of issues:
· that official literacy requirements are open to a wide variety of interpretations
· writing expectations vary depending on the discipline area and the individual teacher/student
· students may not be fully prepared to deal with professional type discourses which are generally carried out in Spanish.
Implications of the findings will be presented in the conference paper.
This project is funded by the Secretaría de Educación Pública PROMEP 2009-2010. Literacy Education for Pre-Service Teachers: A Cuerpo Academico Research Agenda. Convenio PROMEP/103.5/09/4213.
References
Clark, M. (2007) Common Ground, Contested Territory. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Carlino, P. ( 2007) ¿Qué nos dicen hoy las investigaciones internacionales sobre la escritura en la universidad? I Encuentro Nacional de Discusión sobre Políticas Institucionales para el Desarrollo dela Lectura y la Escritura en la Educación Superior. ASCUN y Red Nacional de Discusión sobre Lectura y Escritura en Educación Superior. Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Bogotá, 26 y 27 de abril de 2007.
Juzwik, M., Curcic, S.,Wolbers, K., Moxley, K.D., Dimling, L.M., Shankland, R.K. (2006) Writing into the 21st century. An overview of research on writing 1999 to 2004. Written Communication; 23: (4) 451-476.
Pamplón, N. (2005) The writing process of four university level EFL students: A protocol-based study. Unpublished Master’s thesis, University of London, United Kingdom.
Roux, R. (2006) Los usos de la escritura en los estudios universitarios: Géneros discursivos y principales dificultades. Memorias en extenso del Tercer Congreso Internacional sobre Docencia. Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Cd. Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México. ISBN968-7662-99-9.
Hidalgo, H. (2006) Students' and lecturers' beliefs and expectations regarding essays introductions: A genre-analytic qualitative study of academic literacy. Unpublished MA dissertation. University of Essex, Great Britain.
Perales, M. (2005) Variation in academic papers as related to the enculturation process of a novice NNS graduate student into academia: A case study. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Iowa, USA.
Englander, K. (2008) Transformation of the identities of nonnative English speaking scientists. Journal of Language, Identity and Education; 8: 35-53.
Mugford, G., Sughrua. W. (2007) The role of the teacher as students struggle for participation and a 'voice' in the writing of their B.A. thesis in English. MEXTESOL Journal; 31: (2) 73-79.
Developing a writing center within an academic health science center: changing to sustain
Tom G. Smith, Jennie Ariail, Shannon Richards-Slaughter, Lisa Kerr, Medical University of South Carolina, USA
Abstract
In US health care professional education, writing occupies a peripheral position across nearly all programs. In medical and health science education, only the field of narrative medicine, with its touted capacity to promote reflective practice, is a locus of efforts to teach and analyze writing. In fact, only a limited number of efforts to teach and develop academic/scientific writing skills have been reported in professional and health education settings. In the US, Academic Health Science Centers (AHSCs) have not taught disciplinary writing skills to their biomedical scientists, doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and allied professionals.
However, research has established that discipline-specific writing is only amenable to mastery in context. In fact, disciplinary writing is a cognitive challenge precisely because it is community-specific socialized behavior. Writing-to-learn activities are rare within health care programs’ dimly lit and powerpoint-driven lectures, student assessment occurs through multiple choice tests, and discipline-specific writing skills are not taught.
Into this context 15 years ago, a Writing Center (WC) was at first established for one purpose: To assure that personal statements composed as part of residency applications by graduating medical students would be written ‘correctly’. This WC’s role within a free-standing AHSC - the only such WC in the US - has expanded incrementally, now housing five full-time faculty members. Sustained efforts to teach students, educate health professional faculty, and highlight writing’s import for all professions have altered the institutional climate. The various health care programs now include conscious writing-to-learn activities, expanded assessment that includes the use of writing as well as multiple choice tests, and explicit instruction in disciplinary writing. WC faculty have developed three courses—healthcare literature, films of healthcare, and creative writing—to link their position with narrative medicine, the sole area of writing and rhetoric that health science education scholarship has investigated deeply. The WC also established an editing service staffed independently but co-existing with pedagogical efforts.
In addition to describing such context-driven adaptations, the presentation includes results of a writing attitudes survey completed by the AHSC faculty and results of an evaluation tool completed by approximately 25% (n≈450) of WC clients over 18 months. Ultimately, these results and a survey of current directions in health professional education present an opportunity to expand writing instruction within health professional programs. However, to sustain the program, WC faculty have debated and refined ethical positions and pedagogical approaches that are the norm in more traditional academic settings.
References
Graham, S. (2009) Narrative writing and self-discovery in residency. Fam Med; 41: (6) 395-397.
Charon, R. (2006) Narrative Medicine: Honoring the Stories of Illness. New York, NY: Oxford UP.
Mann, K., Gordon, J., MacLeod, A. (2009) Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: A systematic review. Adv Health Sci Educ; 14: (4) 595-621.
Svenberg, K., Wahlqvist, M., Mattson, B. (2007) A memorable consultation: Writing reflective accounts articulates students’ learning in general practice. Scandinavian J Prim Health Care; 25: (2) 75-79.
DasGupta, S., Charon, R. (2004) Personal illness narratives: Using reflective writing to teach empathy. Acad Med; 79: 351-356.
Maguire, P., Pitceathly, C. (2002) Key communication skills and how to acquire them. Brit Med J; 325: 697-700.
Marusic, M., Markulin, H., Lukic, I.K., Marusic, A. (2006) Academic advancement of authors receiving tutoring from a medical journal. Teach and Learn in Med; 18: (2) 126-129.
Wald, H.S., Davis, S.W., Reis, S.P., Monroe, A.D., Borkan, J.M. (2009) Reflecting on reflections: Enhancement of medical education curriculum with structured field notes and guided feedback. Acad Med; 84: (7) 830-837.
Lister, E., Kravis, N., Sandberg, L., Halpern, J.K., Cabaniss, D.L., Singer, M.B. (2008) I write to know what I think: A four year writing curriculum. J Am Psychoanal Assoc; 56: 1231-1246.
Griffiths, Y., Coppard, B., Lohman, H. (2005) From pedestal to possibility: Learning scholarly writing using a unique course assignment. J Allied Health; 34: 97-100.
Detweiler, J., Peyton, C. (2000) Developing a Language for Discussing Writing: Composition in occupational therapy. In: P.A. Grist, (ed.) Innovations in Occupational Therapy Education. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association, 46-60.
Winsor, D. (2003) Writing Power: Communication in an engineering center. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Pare, A., Freedman, A., Dias, P. (1999) Worlds Apart: Acting and writing in academic and workplace contexts. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Devitt, A.J. (2004) Writing Genres. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.
Miller, C. (1984) Genre as social action. Quarterly Journal of Speech; 70: 151-167.
Pemberton, M. (2000) The Ethics of Writing Instruction: Issues in theory and practice. Perspectives on Writing: Theory, Research, Practice Series, 4. Stamford, CT: Ablex.
Engaging students in legal writing
Mary Deane, Steve Foster, Coventry University, UK
Abstract
Students too frequently drop out of undergraduate law programmes, and at some institutions a substantial proportion of students either withdraw at level 1 or fail to progress to the second year. As writing is a key part of assessment for law students, engaging with the culture and conventions of legal writing is essential to academic success (Foster, 2009). In order to improve attrition rates at level 1, a writing specialist and a legal specialist collaborated to review and revise a first year course called law study. Based on their analysis of students' writing and past students' performance, they introduced targeted, explicit instruction in writing for legal purposes in the form of early feedback and peer review opportunities (O'Donovan et al., 2008). They also trialled the use of annotated sample papers to help students engage with the culture and conventions of legal writing at university. Their goal was to develop students' confidence and competence in legal writing within the constraints of large-group teaching.
This presentation identifies key challenges of planning, executing, and evaluating discipline-based teaching interventions, including time management, resourcing, and communication. It shares the strategies and resources developed by the presenters, and reflects upon the wider implications for the theory and practice of ‘Writing in the Disciplines' (WiD). For instance, the presentation examines the role of discipline-based writing development in universities, and argues that WiD initiatives have a relatively unexploited potential to enhance students' learning experiences. This presentation will particularly appeal to colleagues who are exploring ways of improving retention at level 1 or investigating ways of supporting new university students who are unfamiliar with legal writing.
References
Foster, S. (2009) How to Write Better Law Essays: Tools and techniques for success in exams and assignments (2nd edn). Garlow: Longman.
O'Donovan, B., Price, M., Rust, C. (2008) Developing student understanding of assessment standards: A nested hierarchy of approaches. Teaching in Higher Education; 13: (2) 205-217.
From 'errors of style' to ethnopoetics and ghost texts
Mary Scott, Institute of Education, London, UK
Abstract
The primary purpose of this presentation is to make ‘errors of style' in student writing a theoretical and pedagogic issue in university classrooms where many of the students are placed in the institutional category: ‘international student'. This purpose derives from a small-scale research project involving teachers' written comments on the pre-submission drafts of ‘international' masters degree students' assignments and dissertation chapters in the social sciences. In their marginal responses to the students' drafts the teachers comment on what they perceive as ‘errors of style', using phrases such as: ‘too informal' or ‘clumsy sentence', while advising the adoption of a ‘more distanced' or ‘academic' style.
I argue that such comments disregard the presence in the texts of the `international student' as a social-individual who has been, and is being, ideologically and emotionally shaped (see Appadurai, 2004) within the wider context of national and international histories and interconnections. Seeking a term that can transform errors of style in a way that can accommodate such a perspective, I select ‘ethnopoetics'. I argue, as Blommaert (2006) does in his Hymes-derived but extended application of the term, that ‘ethnopoetics' is applicable to writing in which different cultural systems of meaning-making meet. In developing this argument I seek to show how an ethnopoetic focus can include what the teachers' comments on style do not; viz, the ghost texts of otherness in the students' texts , but ‘otherness' in its ideological tensions and complexities and not as ‘error'. I also trace in ethnopoetic fashion how such ghost texts gain substance from oral or literary/aesthetic resources that disrupt conventional academic language patterns.
Finally I argue that we, the teachers in English-dominant classrooms, might serve the interests of ‘international' (and in fact all) students well by attributing an ethnopoetic (i.e. cultural) otherness to the conventions of academic style that we often take for granted. National and international histories of power and influence could then come into view, so opening up ‘style' in academic writing to discussion and debate in the classroom.
References
Appadurai, A. (2004) The capacity to aspire. In: V. Rao, M. Walton (eds) Culture and Public Action. Stanford University Press.
Blommaert, J. (2006) Applied ethnopoetics. Narrative Inquiry; 16: (1) 181-190.
