academic literacy models skills based model academic socialisation model academic literacies model
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How can HE tutors help international students to develop diverse academic literacy skills?
Academic literacy modelsskills based model Academic socialisation modelacademic literacies model
MethodsReview of the literatureAnalysis of marking criteria of assignmentsSemi-structured interviews with students
Case for diverse literacy practicesGilbert (2012) diversity provides an opportunity to
develop generic skills in different areas and to improve literacy
Wharrad, Allcock and Meal (1995), using different assignments can encourage the development of skills such as group work and IT skills
Billington (2010 p.1) students who did well in poster and presentations often did poorly in essays, and vice versa
Cope and Galantis (2002 p.4) increasing diversity in academic literacy practices means traditional textual meaning- making can be augmented by the inclusion of spatial, visual, audio, and behavioural meaning making
Literature suggesting issues with diversity of practiceDryden et al (2003): number of issues in meeting the
criteria of presentations. Firstly, reliability and validity of assessment: the criteria does not allow for consistency of marking, given the transient nature of presentations. Secondly, criteria such as voice are subjective, the criteria may not assess skills and knowledge as criteria such as delivery skills may overshadow them
D’Angelo (2005): posters frequently evaluated across three dimensions: the style and organisation, the oral presentation, and the content of the poster.
Long preparation time of 6-8 weeks for posters (Lippman & Ponton 1989), associated production costs (Pelletier 1993) and some difficulties with accessing resources (Rees 1990) (cited in Moule et al 1998)
Students’ responsesPresentations require a student to be able to
present effectively, utilise notes, and operate a slide show simultaneously.” (Ali-Adib, 2013)
Whilst learning to write essays helps to develop workplace skills, such as critical thinking and high levels of literacy, I can see the benefit of diversifying assignments to further develop skills. From doing presentations, for example, I have improved my time management, public speaking, and organisational skills.
ContinuedI get really stressed when I have to do
posters or presentationsI never know what lecturers are marking forI had to write abstracts in a specific style; I
had no idea what was requiredOne of our tutors asked us to use social
media platforms; I found it really hard I wish I just had to master essay writing,
instead of all these other assignments
Genre based approach“Genre” refers not only to types of literary texts but also to the predictable and recurring patterns ofeveryday, academic and literary texts occurring within a particular culture (Hammond andDerewianka, 2001).
What are the commonalities?What makes assignments different?How will a genre based approach support
learning?
Essay style assignmentsIssues ConventionsWork may lack structure
and clarity Repetition of ideas may be
an issueInappropriate grammatical
constructionsInappropriate /change of
use of tenseInconsistent or
inappropriate narrative mode, e.g. first person to third person
Referencing, using departments preferred conventions
Sustaining a clear line of argument
Consistent narrative mode
Structure- introduction, main body, conclusion
Presentations Issues conventionsMulti-tasking- eg
operating Power Point, utilising notes, and presenting effectively.
TimingsSpeaking clearlyRemembering phrasing Reading from notes/
slides
Content appropriate for a presentation
Use of slidesEffective deliveryVoiceUse of technology
Posters issues conventionsFormattingUsing columnsIncorporating graphs
and charts and picturesWorking with landscape
and A3 formatsWriting concisely
To be clear and readable from a distance
To be conciseOrganisation of the
materialImage content and qualityCorrect use of quotes and
appropriate fonts & styleEffective use of short
statementsSufficient white space
Lab Reportsissues conventionsInformation may not be
in the correct sectionReport may be too
descriptiveOver emphasis on
statistical information
Completeness, all sections must be completed
Scientific and technical validity. All information is correct, the theoretical description is valid, appropriate units and notations are chosen.
Presentation, the report such have a logical structure and be clear
Graphs and tables to be labelled
Methods to be clearly explained
Students’ experiences of useful supportOne to one sessions were useful Treating them as different types of
assignments helped me get to grips with them
Understanding how they were marked helpedPractising presentations and multi- tasking
was useful.I think you need to develop specific strategies
for different assignments
Using a genre based approachBuild the context- why is genre used- purposeDeconstruct the text- features of textJoint construction of the text- create a poster
in classIndependent construction of the text-
students to create their own poster
Multi- sensory approaches with a genre based approachIncorporate colour in presentations- red for
major points, green for minor pointsUse post it notes to identify different
elements of text- in an essay- highlight introductory elements, main arguments, and analysis etc.
Create a poster using paper, as opposed to on a computer programme
DiscussionSome evidence that diverse assignments can
be preferred by students. Students recognise the benefit of diversity in acquiring new skills
Increase in learning load, requiring students to respond to different tasks
ConclusionDiversity of assignments can be a positiveIssues with mastering diverse skills.
Students, however, recognised the opportunity for broadening of skills
Teachers can play a role in supporting students to develop skills
Treating presentations and posters as a genre requiring the acquisition of specific skills, teachers can support students in responding effectively to diverse assignments
References Billington, H. L. (2010). Poster presentations and peer assessment: Novel forms of evaluation and
assessment. Journal of Biological Education, 31(3), 218-220.
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.). (2000). Multiliteracies: Lit Learning: Psychology Press. D’Angelo, L. (2010). Creating a framework for the analysis of academic posters. Language Studies Working
Papers, 2, 38-50.
Dryden, L., Hyder, T., & Jethwa, J. (2003) Assessing individual oral presentations. Investigations in University Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 79-83.
Hammond, J., and Derewianka, B. (2001). Genre. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds). The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress
Gilbert, F. (2012). Written assignment types in assessment: a varied and healthy diet?
Lea, M. R., & Street, B. V. (2006). The" academic literacies" model: Theory and applications. Theory into practice, 45(4), 368-377.
Moule, P., Judd, M., & Girot, E. (1998). The poster presentation: what value to the teaching and assessment of research in pre-and Post-registration nursing courses?. Nurse Education Today, 18(3), 237-242.
Wharrad, H. J., Allcock, N., & Meal, A. G. (1995). The use of posters in the teaching of biological sciences on an undergraduate nursing course. Nurse Education Today, 15(5), 370-374.
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