the impact on content question hilary burns & nicola stephens dyslexia coordinator &...
TRANSCRIPT
The impact on content question
Hilary Burns & Nicola Stephens
Dyslexia Coordinator & Specialist Tutor
for University College Falmouth and
University of Exeter (Tremough Campus)
minimise impact, maximise intellect
H.Burns, 16.6.12
04/20/23 HJB
2
The challenge in HE
of maintaining academic standards
Our challenge is twofold:
to minimise impact on subjectand minimise impact of dyslexia
A Thought before going over the wall …
“No theory can develop without eventually encountering a wall, and practice is necessary for piercing this wall.”
(Deleuze, 1972)
I have a theory, can we practise?
Thank YOU for your time today….
‘Intellectuals and Power: a conversation between Michael Foucault and Gilles Deleuze’ (1972). Transcript [online] http://www.mendeley.com/research/intellectuals-power-conversation-between-michel-foucault-gilles-deleuze/#page-1 [accessed 17.6.2012].
Workshop Aim:
A look at the question of where the boundaries lie when we look at an essay question on 3 theoretical levels –
wordconceptcontextual
The workshop invites participants to come to some agreement about ‘our’ boundaries.
The Plan
The background
Recap on ADSHE guidance on 1:1 work
The challenges &
Testing the boundaries
The guiding precept for navigating boundaries in essays
A model essay upon which to experiment.
Using this guide, where shall we start? Over to you….
ADSHE
Essay
Word Works
Guide
Rationale
Challenges/ Testing boundaries
Last word
context
In theory
The context….
Historically – level playing fields; subject knowledge vs. general intelligent layperson knowledge.
“What guidance do I provide for students who require more support than is appropriate from a dyslexia support session?” [Specialist 1:1 Dyslexia Tutor Audit]
See ‘Questions Handout’: the guiding precept arose from negotiating Q. 2-4 particularly. We essentially reduced content worries to the smallest denominator in the first instance.
…a starting point and a compass
A Tutor-led sessionA coaching/personal tutorial session
from R. Lehany & S. FreemanADSHE Presentation , BDA Conference, 3.6.2011
A reminder from ADSHE
It is multi-sensory, metacognitive, uses modelling, and monitoring, provides over-learning, has relevance, is little and often.
from R. Lehany & S. FreemanADSHE Presentation , BDA Conference, 3.6.2011
relevancy and
modelling
Students can expect
Establish priorities Assistive
Tech. use
Effective study skills
Time man. & organisation
Addressing learner anxiety
Decoding briefs
Reading for research
Preparing for graduation or
work placement
Acknowledgements to UoW for centre pic.from R. Lehany & S. FreemanADSHE Presentation , BDA Conference, 3.6.2011
Is it ok to challenge a student’s thinking when addressing learner anxiety?
Is it ok to challenge a student’s thinking when decoding briefs/essay work?
Decoding briefs
Addressing learner anxiety
relevancy and showing
by doing?
Challenges – methodology, relevancy and text work
Testing boundaries
Teach how to think HE-style in the face ofthe challenges experienced in processing language. Modelling … so
that includes thinking
behaviour, e.g. critical analysis
??
relevancy and
modelling
A guiding precept for navigating boundaries in essays
4 notional levels
They are all words, with varying degrees of connection to subject….
In the beginning, there was the word…
Word what does it mean,
where did it come from,
how can we use it,
how can we remember it?
Concept
Context are you using this word/this concept correctly in this sentence?
Contextual are you using this word/concept correctly in this essay?
‘WordWorks’
04/20/23 HJB 15
"The productivity of Foucault's concept of power/ knowledge lies in its refusal of an epistemology which opposes essence/appearance, ideology/science." (Bhabha 1982, p.318). Evaluate.
1) BE ITSELF if it does not have a subject-specific context –
‘power’ is in common usage: political - personal (charisma), Foucault’s use of power is not (invisible and invidious in the spheres of consciousness and knowledge).
2) BE A CONCEPT, as long as it is not subject-specific –
Most of us have a concept of ‘power’ and often very good, but, again, will depend on the subject under consideration, e.g. so not Foucautian ‘power’ as it is specific.
3) BE A CLUSTER of words (not subject-specific).
“lies in a refusal of an epistemology which opposes essence/ appearance” can still be reduced to word level, and reconstructed at sentence level……...
A theory to build in redundancy
When the whole is greater than the sum of its parts …
Till the soil carefully with the student, watch what you plant and make sure there is a trellis ready and lots of …. good manure.
Start with ‘word works’ for clarification on student’s abilities and strategies.
Keep coming back to ‘word works’ to check….
Read the words on the
label every time you plant
Where shall we start in facilitating the student’s understanding of the brief …
Is it word?
Oooo I know
Where shall we start?
1. Tell the student what they need to do in order to answer the question?
2. Explain who Foucault was?
3. Model researching Foucault together?
4. Tell the student he was a post-structuralist?
5. Explain Foucault’s concept of power/knowledge?
6. Check understanding of forward slash/comma (e.g. symbols)?
7. Break up question into smaller segments?
8. Rephrase question for them?
9. Ask student what they understand by the sentence and see in what way(s) they are able to respond?
10. Check understanding at word level?
11. Just check understanding of action word – ‘evaluate’?
The productivity
of Foucault's
concept
of power/knowledge
lies in
its refusal of
an epistemology
which opposes
essence/appearance
ideology/science.
Evaluate.
the usefulness
of this theorist’s
model
of power and knowledge
lies in
its refusal of
a way of thinking
which opposes
essence – appearance
ideas – science.
Assess, weigh-up.
Facilitating rephrasing, think ‘wordworks’
Rationale
1. Signals to the student your focus and remit;
2. theoretically intuitive to attack at word level;
3. prepares the groundwork for the student in a way that suggests ‘careful tilling of the soil is required’;
4. offers opportunities to promote or increase automaticity in using key words (so processing delay is reduced and critical analysis enhanced).
5. It is true that the student may have discourse-level command of the essay (know in essence what it’s about) but starting with ‘word works’ will help to ensure that the student gives the appropriate priority to her/his ideas.
6. If you make this level your compass, you will protect yourself against over-stepping boundaries.
The word to learn The strategy (to remember word)
Write it (as you say strategy)
necessary 1 collar & 2 sleeves necessary
cirrhosis c i rr hosis cirrhosis
epistemology
(Jenny Lee, 2001)
Final Thoughts …
“It is in the nature of power to totalise…”
(Deleuze, 1972, op cit.)
This was not my intent.
Thank YOU for your participation.
Temporo-parietal junction; the home of words
Temporal lobe
Parietal lobe
junction