National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education
National Seminar Series 2014
Title: Strategies for Teaching and Writing in the Discipline (WID) Workshop
Theme (refer to the themes outlined on the Forum website): Transition to writing in third level
Date: May 16, 2014
Host institution(s): University of Limerick
Venue: LG011, Lonsdale Building, University of Limerick
Number of participants: 16
Institutions represented: Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin City University, NUI Maynooth,
University of Limerick, IT Carlow, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Waterford IT, Trinitiy College
Dublin.
Contact: Lawrence Cleary, Lawrence.cleary@ul.ie, 061-202607, Regional Writing Centre, C1067 Main
Bldg. University of Limerick
Link to recording (if applicable): coming up—have a recording but need expertise to load it up to our
homepage: www.ul.ie/rwc , and to the HEA database.
Key insights from the day (in bullets):
•
•
•
•
Participants acquired a clearer understanding of issues, challenges, and benefits
inherent in setting up institutional and curricular structures for teaching writing in the
disciplines;
Participants became familiar with a number of techniques for teaching writing to
students in the disciplines;
Participants made contact with—and learn about the work of—other academics and
Writing Developers who are designing and implementing strategies and pedagogies for
teaching writing in the disciplines.
Subject specialists had an opportunity to meet with Teaching and Learning specialists to
negotiate possible collaborative opportunities for the teaching of writing in the
discipline.
Key contributions from the seminar to the broader Forum outlined theme (Max 300 words):
The greatest difficulty in the accommodation of diversity arising from the massification of higher
education in Ireland is perceived to be most prevalent at the point of entry to higher education,
regardless of whether that transition is from second level or by non-tradition routes, as is evidenced
by the wealth of research that has emerged generally around the first-year experience and student
engagement (Astin, 1999; Bamber et al, 2009; Coates, 2006; Harper and Quaye, 2009; Krause and
Coates, 2008; Kuh, 2009; Tinto, 2005; Yorke and Longden, 2008; Whittaker, 2008). To address this
particular moment of transition, many third-level institutions devote significant resources to
facilitating the transition to this new education setting. Much of this support takes the form of
National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education
orientation programmes and inductions of one sort or another, but more
recent research (e.g. Nelson et al., 2012) emphasises the need for a more long
term, multi-faceted approach that extends well beyond the first few weeks of college life.
The INEW-sponsored workshop is concerned with the transition to writing in higher education,
which we see more accurately as a point along a continuum rather that a step or bridge from one
place to the next. Equipping students with essential generic foundation skills such as writing is
essential in ensuring a high-quality student experience (Hunt Report, 2011: 11), in addition to
satisfying one of industry’s most desirable attributes in employees (Archer and Davidson, 2008;
Hinchliffe and Jolle, 2011). Readily available to the wider public, (pending its posting on the HEA site
and the Regional Writing Centre’s site), a video recording of this workshop will serve to introduce
WID techniques to both subject specialists interested in developing their student’s writing and
teaching and learning specialists interested in assisting those subject specialists.
What we plan to do in the future building on this event (Max 300 words):
INEW wishes to build on this initial workshop to engage in a conversation on the unique contribution
of educational developers to writing development in higher education. Writing in Discipline
programmes are collaborations between subject specialists and writing specialists. Traditionally,
those writing specialists have come from three main traditions (Hyon 1996): Rhetoric and
Composition (North America), English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (Europe) and Systemic Functional
Linguistics (SFL) (Australia). More recently, contributions to writing development have come from
specialists in sociolinguistics, sociology and ethnography through the Academic Literacies
movement, which focuses on issues of power, but is largely devoid of pedagogical innovations (Lillis
2003). Only recently have Educational Developers and Teaching and Learning specialists with
backgrounds in Education come onto the scene. Many of their contributions may or may not be
informed by the prevailing traditions. Having already submitted a bid for funding from the National
Forum for funding to develop a conversation between teaching and learning specialists on the
subject of their unique contribution to writing development in higher education, INEW intends to
use those funds to hold events and develop resources around which the conversation about that
unique role will coalesce. INEW intends to gather information from those conversations to inform a
bid for COST funding to carry the conversation further afield into Europe, culminating, it is hoped, in
an Irish-led publication on the subject of the unique contribution made, across the continent, by
Teaching and Learning specialists to the development of writing in higher education.