REFOCUSING
ACADEMIC LITERACIES
PRESENTERS
Nicola Rolls
(Common Unit Program)
Roz Rowen
(Academic Language and Learning Success Program)
WHAT WE WILL COVER:
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Understanding the student context?
How the Common Units respond to this
The complementary role of ALLSP
What other strategies can be adopted?
Ongoing literacy development
The way forward?
DEMOGRAPHIC AT CDU COMPARED
90
80
High numbers of
non-traditional students:
First in family, P/T, ES or OB,
Mature Age, Alternative
entry
70
60
50
Australia
40
30
20
10
0
CDU
THE IMPLICATIONS?
In your experience, what are the
challenges related to teaching students
from diverse backgrounds?
The advantages?
From: www.cps.k12.in.us
“NON TRADITIONAL” STUDENTS
Students who are first in family, mature age,
part-time, enter through alternative pathways:
 May have not attended school beyond Year 10
 May be the first in their family to attend
university
 May have little experience of the abstract,
ideas and critical thinking associated with the
discourses of academia
STUDENTS FROM ENGLISH AS SECOND
OR OTHER LANGUAGE BACKGROUNDS
4 corners on Monday?
What stood out most for you?
•
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY LEVELS OF FIRST
YEAR UNIVERSIT Y STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA
Effected by:
 Demographic
differences
 Entry path to higher
education
 Prior engagement
with literacy
 Proficiency in
languages other
than English
http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/mentors-to-guide-students-aime/1408687/
STUDENTS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS A
SECOND OR OTHER LANGUAGE
Who are they:
 Indigenous
Australians
 First and second
generation
migrants to
Australia
 International
students
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/australia-reaches-35attainment-oecd/story-e6frgcjx-1226136934637
DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGES
Thelanguage
differences students
from ESL/EAL
backgrounds will be
challenged by:
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Sounds of language
Grammar
Vocab
Writing
http://palmstone.com/portfolio/index5.html
WHAT A LANGUAGE LEVEL SCORE TELLS US
A language test can elicit what a student can
do in a particular language, in a particular
context at a particular time but language
acquisition is an ongoing process .
http://www.ets.org/toefl
http://ieltswithmiryana.wordpress.com/
STUDYING AT UNIVERSIT Y
“ To study independently, university students must
be able to read complex academic texts with a
high level of understanding, and be able to
critically analyse such texts in order to present
coherent analysis, argument or discussion in their
own written work. They must also be able to
structure their essays appropriately, using
academic conventions and objective academic
language, to demonstrate their mastery of a topic
or inform and influence their readers” (Rose 2006,
p42).
OFFICIAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENTRY TO
CDU IS IELTS 6
The English Language Entry to CDU for international
students is IELTS 6.0.
But
Those who come via VET and other pathways may have
as little as IELTS 5.5 or less!
Take a few moments to consider :
1. The following descriptors for IELTS capability.
2. The recommended levels for university study
3. What kind of support would you expect your
students will need?
STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS DIVERST Y AND
LANGUAGE SUPPORT NEEDS
 Common Units
 Academic language and learning success
program
 Indigenous Academic Support
 Pre university prep: TEP & PTS
COMMON UNITS PHILOSOPHY
To be responsive to individual
student backgrounds and needs as
they make the transition into study
at university and to help provide a
level playing field for all beginning
students.
THEY DEVELOP KEY UNIVERSIT Y SKILLS
AND KNOWLEDGE UPFRONT
Academic skills
 Cultural knowledge
 Critical enquiry
 Creativity and teamwork
 Citizenship and social
responsibility
 Confidence to participate in
academic culture
From: housing.ucr.edu
MANAGEMENT GROUP
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Pro Vice Chancellor Learning, Teaching
& Learning Development (Chair)
Theme Leader Common Units
Head - School of Academic Language
and Learning
Representative Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous Leadership
Faculty PVC's
Faculty HOS T&L
Unit Coordinators
Coordinator Information Literacy
Higher Education student representative
IN FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
COMPLETE
One academic literacy common unit:
CUC100 Academic Literacies
(for humanities and social sciences
or
CUC106 Design & Innovation:
Communicating Technology
(for Business, technology, science)
and
CUC107 Cultural intelligence and capability
(For everyone)
ACADEMIC LITERACIES
COVERED
1. Critical thinking, reading, researching & writing
2. Notetaking, summarising and paraphrasing
3. Referencing and using evidence to build a
logical argument
4. Writing different academic genres:
 Annotated bibliography
 Report
 Discursive essay
5. Verbally presenting information
6. ICT skills for online learning & professional
assignment presentation
CULTURAL LITERACY (CUC107)
 Understanding of self as a multidimensional cultural
being
 Analyse the dynamic interactions of self and others in
a variety of cultural contexts;
 Analyse and evaluate strategies for creating culturally
safe spaces in diverse social, academic and work
environments;
 Identify, access, evaluate, organise and communicate
information using contemporary technologies .
The requirements of university culture are explored in
relation to the educational cultures students know
CONTEXTUALISING THEIR LITERACY
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Content references all disciplines
Teaching teams drawn from different
schools
Management group and unit advisory
groups include representatives from
faculties and schools
KEY PRACTISES THAT REFLECT OUR
PHILOSOPHY
Assessment that:
 Is formative and developmental
 Allows students to perfect and
develop their skills as they go
through the course
 Is fair and designed to take into
account students diverse
educational and cultural
backgrounds
Learning activities and assignments that
scaffold students learning by:

Working from manageable levels to
gradually harder with support.

Allowing students to resubmit
assignments so they can learn by
addressing problems

Understand that for some students
reaching the bare minimum standard by
the end of the units will represent
significant progress
OUR LEARNING AND TEACHING
APPROACH IS BASED ON:
Authentic, Experiential and
Collaborative pedagogy so …
Learning experiences should consider
students learning styles and
backgrounds, and facilitate learning
through authentic, meaningful and
purposeful collaboration with peers and
teachers.
REFLECTIVE REVIEW: WE ARE ON THE
RIGHT TRACK
ALTC Award 2011 for
Programs that Enhance
Learning: the first year
experience
 SELTS Average 6 across
units
 81% students surveyed find
them helpful
 Retention and success study
found CU’s allow vulnerable
students to succeed
 External review
endorsement:
 Baldwin & McGuiness (2001),
Baldwin (2008),
 AUQA 2012
ALLSP - THE OTHER MECHANISM FOR
ENABLING AND SUPPORT ACADEMIC LITERACY
ALLSP offer academic literacy support in the following
ways:
1. Generic academic skills Workshops
2. Embedded academic literacy programs
3. Individual consultations (50mins)
4. Drop-in service (20mins)
GENERIC VS. EMBEDDED ACADEMIC
LITERACY SUPPORT
LET’S PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE
Generic Workshops Semester 1,
2015
Embedded Literacy Workshops
Semester 1, 2015
Developed independent of discipline
content and student cohort needs
Developed with unit lecturer and with
consideration of discipline relevant
specific student needs
Delivered independently
Delivered in unit lecture time
15 workshops conducted (on campus 10 Embedded (discipline specific)
and online)
literacy workshops conducted (on
campus and online)
Total
21 students (most repeat students)
Total
440 (unique students)
ALLSP - THE OTHER MECHANISM FOR
ENABLING AND SUPPORT ACADEMIC LITERACY
Do students really need ongoing enabling and academic literacy
support?
The proof is in the academic support pudding…
Semester 2, 2014
Semester 1, 2015
(ongoing)
Individual
consultations
191
140 (ongoing)
Generic Workshops
30 workshops (25
students)
15 workshops (21
students)
Embedded Workshops Not run
440 (students across
5 x units)
TOTAL
601
216
LITERACY LEARNING MUST BE ONGOING
 How well are we achieving this at CDU?
 How might we do this better?
 What can you do within your units and
courses?
IDEAS AND PRACTICES WE COULD ALL
ADOPT
Adopting an apprenticeship model
Scaffolding their reading and writing
Having realistic expectations
Supporting students more both online
and in the classrooms
 Supporting students with assignments
Other ideas
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AN APPRENTICESHIP MODEL
Learning to read and write
academic texts takes time
and practice.
So
Our teaching for first year
students and beyond should
be seen as an apprenticeship
model – this means
scaffolding student learning.
This involves supporting
students in the acquisition of
literacy, giving students time
to practise complex skills.
http://investingcaffeine.com/tag/bubble/
SCAFFOLDING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
AND LITERACY
Academic texts are highly
specialised and dense.
So,
Teaching at university
involves teaching students
how to recognise how
meanings are made in
texts.
Then,
They can make use of this
knowledge in academic
tasks.
http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/scaffolding-or-no-scaffolding.html
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FIRST YEAR
UNIVERSIT Y STUDENTS?
What do you expect 1 st year students to be able to do?
Acquisition of knowledge: How independent should they be
as learners?
 Knowledge Base: What do you expect them to know?
 Application: How effectively and broadly should they be
able to apply this knowledge?
 Creativity: How original and/or innovative should their
ideas be?
 Communication: What do you expect them to be able to
do in spoken and written tasks? (Consider language
criteria)
 Team Work: How well should they be operating in a group
context?
SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS IN THE
CLASSROOM & ONLINE
 Provide a clear
overview of a lecture
or workshop and what
will be covered, and
at the end, give a
summary of what was
covered
 Provide lecture notes
of key points
 Provide clear visual
teaching aids to
support lectures or
discussions
http://blog.simplek12.com/education/engage-students-online/
SUPPORTING ALL THE STUDENTS IN THE
CLASSROOM
In group discussions
Give students enough time
to organise their thoughts
and speak to each other, and
record their ideas
In class discussions
Summarise what was said, and note down the
main points on the board where possible.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/cbi/stempartners/student.html
Supporting Students to Learn Through Assignments
Interpretation of
assignments
Plan and check drafts (or partial draft) – to check students
understanding of task
Giving feedback
Be instructive and specific in your comments.
Prioritise content and structure
Critical Thinking
Help students to expand on what they have said
Coherence and reference
Be explicit about where and how –revise 1 part to demonstrate
Logical progressions
Stylistic devices
Clarify where logical parts should be e.g. thesis, reference details,
cohesive markers …
Explain if particular aspects not appropriate
Evidence
Say what constitutes acceptable or ‘good’ evidence and what does not.
Correcting grammar and
language
Decide what is tolerable ‘writing accent’ - if meaning comes through
focus on key systematic errors.
Remember Overcorrection of grammar and language use is not usually instructive.
BE POSITIVE WITH THE STUDENT’S
EFFORTS
Hi Jane
In general you have made a great attempt at summarising and
paraphrasing these readings.
As you will see from my comments within your assignment you
have at times slipped into informal language – remember no
personal pronouns (e.g “I” and “you”) in academic assignments
unless you are asked for these specifically. You could also have
developed your comments on the readings a little further to talk
specifically about why the ideas were relevant or not to your
profession.
Overall though you have presented your annotated bibliography
correctly and captured the key ideas well.
Cheers
Nicola
GOING FORWARD TOGETHER
Realistic goals?
Other strategies?
Resources needed?