Beyond transition

Rowena Harper

University of Canberra

Academic literacies approach

ALL work dominated by an academic literacies approach, as in texts such as:

Literacy by Degrees (1988) by Gordon Taylor, Brigid Ballard, Vic Beasley, Hanne Bock, John Clanchy & Peggy Nightingale.

Lea and Street’s (1998) ‘Student writing in higher education: an academic literacies approach’ in Studies in Higher Education 23(2)

• Avoids deficit models, which locate “problems” with individual students• Moves beyond a skills approach, which sees reading and writing as

technical, instrumental and transferrable

Focuses on ‘a wider institutional approach to student writing. . . to consider the complexity of writing practices that are taking place at degree level in universities’ and emphasises the ‘cultural and contextual component of reading and writing practices’

Lea and Street, 1998

Transition and academic literacy

Students experience academic literacy development mainly in moments of transition:

• first year, first semester• the first weeks of honours• the first months of a PhD

Transition as rapid acculturation:constructs what we know to be

advanced literacies as skills, which can and should be picked up in

transition.

“The curriculum and its delivery should be designed to be consistent and

explicit in assisting students’ transition from their previous educational

experience to the nature of learning in higher education and learning in their

discipline” Kift, Transition Pedagogy, p.41 (emphasis in original).

Level 1 Level 3Should psychologists use objective or projective personality tests to assess personality?

Do violent video games lead to increased levels of aggression?

1,500 words 1800 - 2000 words

Adopt an appropriate viewpoint based on the published literature.

Formulate an informed response.

Provide critical evaluation of theories and research. Include comment in the conclusion on the state of the literature and implications for practice/future research.

Theory, research and critical argument are all important components. At least 15-20 relevant citations should be used.

The sources of information for your essay must be peer-reviewed journals and edited book chapters

The main sources of information for your essay should be peer-reviewed journals and edited book chapters

Psychology

Level 1 Level 3Do you think that the role of managers have changed significantly since the 1960s as a result of a fundamental shift to a ‘knowledge economy’?

What are the implications of the current population debate for immigration and Australian identity?

1500 words 3000 words

Critical evaluation of theory in light of contemporary research and practice.

Breadth of research and reading.A high degree of critical analysis.

Persuasive, well structured information or argument.

Clear central argument supported by evidence.

A minimum of six peer-reviewed journal articles and two scholarly books.

Minimum 5 references.

Management

“assessment should increase in complexity from the first

to later years of curriculum design”

Kift, Transition Pedagogy, p.41.

Staged development

Develop a conceptual framework for systematically staging students’ academic literacy development through their degree program.

• Basis: Research Skills Development (RSD) framework (Willison & O’Regan 2006)

• Focus of two ALTC-funded projects

• Used in 5 Australian universities

• Also adapted as Work Skills Development (WSD) framework (Bandaranaike & Willison 2010)

8 facets of academic literacy

A set of skills, capacities or

knowledges required to

successfully engage in a discipline

8 facets of academic literacy

1. Reading Students comprehend discipline-specific information

2. Recording Students extract relevant information from discipline specific resources and make notes using language appropriate for the discipline

3. Reviewing Students evaluate discipline- specific information

4. Responding Students understand discipline- specific questions and how to answer them

5. Researching Students locate relevant discipline- specific information.

6. Relating Students apply and synthesise discipline- specific information

7. Reporting Students organise information and communicate knowledge using discipline-specific genres

8. Referencing Students acknowledge sources of information using an appropriate referencing style for the discipline

5 stages of academic literacy development

1. Scaffolded Students develop literacies within a topic area and Literacies require a high degree of scaffolding

2. Supported Students develop literacies within a topic area and Literacies require some scaffolding

3. Guided Students develop literacies within a topic area and Literacies can do so independently

4. Supervised Students develop literacies within the discipline Literacies and require some scaffolding

5. Independent Students develop literacies within the discipline Literacies and can do so independently

Level 5 – independent literacies

Example descriptors:

Reading Students comprehend information that requires extensive knowledge of the discipline

Recording Students identify key information and make notes by transcribing strategically and summarising/ paraphrasing and elaborating confidently using the language of the discipline

Responding Students generate questions based on experience, expertise and literature

Relating Students apply and synthesise information to fill self-identified gaps or extend knowledge

Level 1 – scaffolded literacies

Example descriptors:

Reading Students comprehend information that requires little knowledge of the topic area

Recording Students identify key information and make notes with a combination of transcribing, paraphrasing/ summarising and expanding using mainly lay language

Reviewing Students evaluate information using simple prescribed criteria

Responding Students respond to questions arising explicitly from a set task and ask questions of clarification/curiosity

Level 1 – scaffolded literacies

Example descriptors:

Researching Students use prescribed information and/or locate relevant information using simple prescribed strategies

Relating Students apply and synthesise information to reproduce existing knowledge

Reporting Students organise and communicate information using simple prescribed formats for lecturer/teacher as audience

Referencing Students acknowledge sources of information using the referencing style prescribed by the subject after a process

of modelling, practice and feedback

How can we use this tool?

Are discipline staff aware they require specific communicative practices from their students?

If so, how do they understand their discipline’s own communicative practices, and how do they make these explicit for students?

How can ALL staff support this?

How can we use this tool?

1. ALL community contribute refinements and challenges to ALDF

• Are the facets comprehensive?

• Are the facets appropriately worded?

• Are the theoretical underpinnings of each facet sound, e.g.

Scaffolding reading = considering “assumed knowledge” in a text

• Are the levels useful and representative of what should occur?

• Is the scaffolding approach to planning student development sound?

Does this reflect what we aim to do with students and

how we aim to do it?

How can we use this tool?

2. Apply the ALDF as a diagnostic instrument to assessment

Conclusion

• Our understanding of academic literacy requires that we move beyond transition as a phase of rapid acculturation

• The problem is not with first year units or their assessment pieces, but with coordination across degree programs

• Disciplines must consciously map student development in all the necessary skills and literacies

• ALL staff may be in a position to facilitate this discussion with regard to academic literacy

• The ALDF could be a useful tool in the discussion.