Showing papers in "Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education in 2012"

Who wants to be able to do references properly and be unemployed? STEM student writing and employer needs

Abstract: The issue of graduate writing is one that has attracted much focus and debate in higher education, particularly around maintaining A¢â‚¬Eœacademic standardsA¢â‚¬â„¢ at a time of expansion in this sector. The need to develop academic skills, including writing, for higher education study has increasingly been linked to the skills that graduates need to gain employment (Davies et al., 2006). This raises the question of whether the type and purpose of writing within university programmes is different to, and possibly in tension with, writing required for employment after university. This is a point raised by recent research (Day, 2011) which shows that students studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) subjects are more confident with oral rather than writing skills. The material discussed in this article is part of a two-year mixed method study looking at literacies, including writing, which undergraduate students develop at university, and the relationship of these literacies to employability. This article focuses on six first-year STEM students studying Forensic Science and Computing Science within the larger study. The qualitative data, gathered through repeat interviews, is discussed in relation to a small sample of employers and alumni working in science-based industries describing writing for transition into work and for on-going employment. The project therefore provides a useful student insight into writing, comparing this with employer expectations and the experience of alumni who have made the transition into work. What emerges from our study is the need to see writing at university as part of a wider communicative repertoire supported by a social and cultural approach to situated writing. This approach is more than simply skills based and is one that encourages and develops social as well as academic learning. We argue that such an approach, added to by technical skills support, enables greater engagement and success with learning in addition to enhancing employability.

Plagiarism and attribution: an academic literacies approach?

Abstract: Normal.dotm 0 0 1 163 881 University of East Anglia 16 2 1142 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} In many Higher Education courses in the UK the ability to write extended academic prose is central to assessment and therefore to student success. One aspect of academic writing which students struggle with is incorporating the work and ideas of others, using appropriate attribution conventions. This can lead them to fall foul of A‚ institutionsA¢â‚¬â„¢ plagiarism policies. Advice on plagiarism often consists of discussions around what is or is not plagiaristic behaviour while advice on attribution has tended to focus on referencing. This paper explores what an academic literacies approach to plagiarism might look like. It discusses and illustrates how an academic literacies approach was used in the design, analysis and application of a small-scale ethnographic research which set out to explore international postgraduate students' understandings of and questions about plagiarism across the disciplines in one UK university. The intention of the research was to use the findings in developing more culturally and context sensitive explanations of our attribution practices.A‚ A‚ A‚ A‚Â

Online peer assessment: helping to facilitate learning through participation

Abstract: The focus of this paper is on the combination of enquiry-based learning, information literacy and e-learning and how they are embedded in an online peer assessment exercise. What it shall present is a structure and strategy that aids student learning in the short and long-term. Ninety eight students completed a questionnaire before and after a three-week online peer assessment exercise during a first year undergraduate research and study skills module. The results demonstrate that a significant number of students valued the design of the exercise and the benefits it can have on their future learning and development. The paper concludes by suggesting that new and innovative ways of assessment are needed to keep engaging students and develop their learning in different ways.

Reducing academic isolation in favour of learning relationships through a virtual classroom

Abstract: Due to geographical distances and sporadic contact with peers and faculty members, many off-campus or distance learners experience feelings of inadequacy, reduced self-confidence and other social anxieties. As a means to reduce and avoid these consequences of academic isolation, Higher Education institutes have traditionally used asynchronous forms of communication in order to bridge these geographical gaps. However, due to advances in technology, it is now possible to offer distance learners the opportunity to communicate synchronously with their peers and their teachers as they would in a real classroom. In accordance with these developments, this research examines the development of a virtual learning support service in National College of Ireland. Using survey results, online student feedback and semester results, this research will present how the problem of academic isolation was reduced in National College of Ireland by incorporating the use of a virtual classroom. Presenting screen shots and a review of online teaching, the research will illustrate how a learning support service can become more flexible and student centred.

Integrating academic reading and writing skills development with core content in science and engineering

Abstract: This paper presents the application of genre pedagogy as an approach to teaching academic reading and writing skills development to a class of undergraduate engineering students. This approach was designed so that it may be applied by core subject teachers in courses with students who typically do not engage well with these aspects of their studies. Our focus was specifically on the A¢â‚¬Eœbigger pictureA¢â‚¬â„¢ of writing skills development by encouraging students to learn how to analyse for themselves a particular genre from their own discipline, and how to use this knowledge to develop an appropriately academic style in writing their own essay. Our approach involved combining the expertise of subject teacher and linguist in running four workshops in class time during the first half of a semesterised course. These workshops had associated homework tasks, designed incrementally to contribute to studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ understanding and application of the skills they need for academic writing. These were followed by the submission of a written report on the topics covered during the first six weeks of the semester, and was of direct relevance to their degree major. Assessment criteria focused on both technical content and academic literacy. With this integrated approach to literacy and content development it was intended to engage traditionally resistant students with the development of their academic language skills, and also to model a possible approach for the engagement of STEM academics in fostering this academic literacy development. Student participants in this programme agreed that this strategy improved both their writing skills and their understanding of course content.

Developing student writing in science and engineering: the Write Reports in Science and Engineering (WRiSE) project

Abstract: This paper reports on the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a discipline-specific online report writing resource for undergraduate science and engineering students, known as A¢â‚¬EœWrite Reports in Science and EngineeringA¢â‚¬â„¢ (WRiSE). WRiSE was developed by a cross-institutional and cross-discipline collaborative team made up of subject specialists, learning advisors and eLearning specialists. Its conceptual design is based on research and pedagogy in A¢â‚¬EœLearning to WriteA¢â‚¬â„¢ and A¢â‚¬EœWriting to LearnA¢â‚¬â„¢. Genre analysis and genre pedagogy in the Sydney School tradition underpin the A¢â‚¬EœLearning to WriteA¢â‚¬â„¢ resources. WRiSE contains nine modules from eight disciplines. Each module brings together resources to support student learning of both report writing and discipline content relevant to reporting experimental or field work. The site addresses student learning about the product of writing, namely the report genre, as well as the writing process. Evaluations post-project have shown that WRiSE users attained higher marks than non-users in their report assignments. Users also rated WRiSE highly for: developing understanding of the report writing requirements in their discipline; increasing awareness of strengths and weaknesses in their report writing; and, for deciding what changes to make to their report. WRiSE works best when integrated into the curriculum and when it is regularly promoted and demonstrated by lecturers, tutors and learning advisors.

Developing writing in STEM disciplines

Abstract: The first Special Edition of the JLDHE, published in 2010, was a collection of papers written as part of the National Action Research Network project on PDP and e-Portfolio Practice, and was called “Researching and Evaluating Personal Development Planning and e-Portfolio Practice”. The second Special Edition is also a collaborative venture. It was prompted by the National HE STEM Programme project Developing Writing in STEM Disciplines (http://go.bath.ac.uk/stemwriting) which ran throughout 2010-11. Its follow-up activities (of which this special edition is one) are extending into 2013. The project was responding to the issue of graduate literacy, with surveys such as those of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (Graduate Prospects, 2008) and the Council for Industry and Higher Education (Archer and Davison, 2008) identifying the writing abilities of graduates as a key area for concern.

Report on postgraduate training event in science education writing

Abstract: This case study reports on a Writing in the Disciplines intervention for doctoral students in science education held at Coventry University in May 2010. Unique features of this event compared with previous ones are described, including the use of an online writing peer review system. An overview is provided of the subjects covered in the training and issues that emerged during the discussions. The outcome of the event on the day is discussed and an evaluation of the event as a whole is provided. Conclusions are drawn about the importance of developing social communities in writing, the effectiveness of supporting them with an online writing peer review system and the tensions created by the provision on subject specialist feedback alongside generic writing specialist feedback.

The development of, and response to, an academic writing module for electrical engineers at the University of Bath

Abstract: The academic writing module for electrical engineering students, offered at the University of Bath, is the result of collaboration between the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) and the English Language Centre (ELC) and is currently designed to deliver academic writing support to undergraduate students embarking on their engineering studies at Bath. The need for the course arose from subject tutor recognition of the studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ lack of awareness of the genre within which they were expected to write, suggesting that not only the subject content but also the expression of that content needed input and support. This paper presents details of the academic writing input provided by the University of Bath English Language Centre, the background to the module and ongoing development based on feedback from students, academic staff and EAP (English for Academic Purposes) tutors. Feedback indicates that the course succeeds in supporting students in their writing. The principal direction for future development lies in tailoring the course to fit the modular nature of studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ degrees, addressing issues connected to language proficiency and the nature of assessment.

Enhancing the quality of Final Year Projects in Computing through weekly written tasks

Abstract: Writing can be used as a means of engaging students in their studies, leading to greater time spent on the subject, greater interest in the subject and ultimately better grades. The intervention discussed in this paper involved the setting of weekly written tasks embedded within the lecture strand of a Computing Final Year Project (FYP) module. The aims behind this A¢â‚¬Eœthinking through writingA¢â‚¬â„¢ intervention were to enhance studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ ability to produce high quality projects and written project reports, as well as to improve studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ ability to manage their time while completing their projects. Results from this study showed that there was a significant positive relationship between weekly task marks and project marks, however, only 57% of the cohort were classed as being A¢â‚¬EœengagedA¢â‚¬â„¢ in doing the written tasks (as they had completed seven or more of the ten tasks). In addition, tentative results showed that the weekly task intervention seemed to be associated with better quality written project reports. Also, students generally seemed to regard the weekly written tasks as useful for time management, in terms of completing their written project reports. However, this collaborative intervention did raise questions about the link between learning and writing in this context. Finally, a number of recommendations are made for A¢â‚¬Eœlearning through writingA¢â‚¬â„¢ interventions in FYP modules.

Engaging Blended Learning Students: An evolving approach to engaging students through the VLE

Abstract: Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Students taking part-time, distance or blended learning units who are also in employment face high commitment demands of work, life and family in addition to their study. They do not have time to face the additional challenge of making sense of difficult to access learning materials. These students are also often highly discerning, and will talk with their feet A¢â‚¬â€œ failing to complete units that donA¢â‚¬â„¢t engage. At Southampton Solent University, we recognise the need to make online or blended units accessible and supportive. In order to engage students on these, we have developed a set of institutional standards for online course development that aim to make materials intuitive, easy access, clearly introduced and well signposted. The standards also identify levels of support and collaboration in order for students to feel both engaged in and to gain maximum benefit from the learning processes. At the same time we have established a Flexible Delivery Development and Support Team which collaborates with academic staff in course planning, writing and delivery. This team works with tutors to achieve the standards while aligning learning outcomes and assessment with online and blended learning activity. This workshop explores the stages that led to establishing our institutional standards for online course development and the scope of activities for the FDDST. We shall explore ways in which the activities of the team have been responsive and adaptive to student experiences, and illustrate some of the impact of these developments on both actual an anticipated student engagement, achievement and retention.

Less is more in physics: a small-scale Writing in the Disciplines (WiD) intervention

Abstract: This article reports on a Writing in the Disciplines (WiD) intervention for first year undergraduate physics (and joint Honours) students. A short (200-250 word) assignment was designed to maximise students’ learning of specific scientific writing practices, including writing with appropriate clarity and academic style for a target audience, incorporating mathematical expressions in text, creating diagrams and referring to them in text, and appropriately using citing and referencing. Peer marking was employed to offer students formative feedback before they completed the assignment. The success of the assignment as a vehicle for student learning was evaluated by reviewing the students’ submissions and marks awarded, and through ten students’ reported focus group responses to the experience of carrying out the assignment, their reaction to peer marking, and their responses to the assessor’s written and verbal feedback. The effectiveness of the assignment’s content and process, and the peer marking, are briefly discussed, and suggestions made as to how to improve this or similar assignments in future years.

Embedded writing instruction in the first year curriculum

Abstract: For many university students writing is a struggle and this may be more pronounced for students studying the sciences and technology. They may not foresee the need for good writing skills for their future employability. This case study discusses and critically analyses progress so far with integrating the writing process into the wider employability skills framework devised by the School of Science and Technology (S&T) at Middlesex University. It discusses areas of the thinking and writing process and highlights issues that have come to the forefront as a result.

TMI - Too Much Information: Creating Employability Skills Resources - enabling students to develop an effective interface with a client

Abstract: Employers from a range of disciplines have commented on the problem of weaning graduates from the behaviours instilled in them by the typical assessment process. When asked to give advice, information is usually correct but too often goes beyond what is needed by the client, thus giving the client TMI - too much information. As part of a project examining a range of employability skills a resource has been created to address this particular issue, which comprises audiovisual files illustrating four different contexts (housing, health, IT and education) with accompanying teaching notes. Students are encouraged to put themselves in the place of the client and recognise the difference between being told the 'textbook' response and receiving relevant advice. This paper examines the creation of the resources and evaluates the perceived value of their use in the classroom.

Public feedback - but personal feedforward?

Abstract: People can learn by considering and understanding examples. With assistance, students should see and appreciate in examples strengths on which they can build, and weaknesses which they should minimise. So feedback and feedforward to students can usefully dwell on both types of example, especially if drawn from individual studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ work. But this can generate problems for learners from a Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC). The writers encountered acute sensitivity in Taiwan to their judgements and responses to weak discussion board postings. Their gently constructive feedforward was regarded by some CHC students as stern and hurtful criticism, Such students often withdrew from participation in class activity. So the writers differentiated in their responding to weak and strong postings, When individuals had made weak postings, the writers opted for personal and private feedback leading naturally to constructive feedforward, For better postings, they mainly provided positive feedback with reasons for their judgements, and summarised this to the class - making generic points about strengths. They now favour using different approaches to communicating and balancing feedback and feedforward, depending on the standard of work being judged, They suggest this might also be a useful practice when tutoring solely in the West.

Engaging conceptual learning about threshold concepts with pots and pans

Abstract: This paper discusses a recent session delivered to teachers on a MastersA¢â‚¬â„¢ (MEd) programme, with a strong emphasis on enhancing professional practice, at a university in the north west of England. The aim of the session was to develop an understanding of threshold concepts for curriculum design by using a novel and practical approach to engage the teachers who deliver higher education, across a variety of subject areas, in further education colleges. What initially felt to be an unexpected and strange learning environment for the teachers (using a hands-on experiential approach with pots and pans) enabled a detailed focus on subject pedagogy (Cousins, 2010) and awareness of metalearning about threshold concepts (Ward and Meyer, 2010). The session supported the teachers, as learners, to move from seeing threshold concepts simply as A¢â‚¬Eœtroublesome knowledgeA¢â‚¬â„¢ (Meyer and Land, 2005; Land et al 2005) towards something that was transformative and that could usefully be integrated into their practice. The session, which presented threshold concepts as a threshold concept itself, challenged both our own and the teachersA¢â‚¬â„¢ assumptions about curriculum design in subject teaching encouraging a greater understanding of how to embed threshold concepts within subject pedagogy and learning activities (Davies and Mangan, 2006).

An assignment based on data driven journalism: a case study

Abstract: In a module designed to develop skills in presenting and evaluating statistics, students of mathematics and statistics were given an assignment asking them to research and write a piece of data driven journalism Data driven journalism is a new phenomenon which has expanded rapidly due to the growth in open data, new visualisation tools and online reporting in newspapers, periodicals and blogs The assignment provided students with a writing assignment that was individual, small-scale, research-based and embedded within their discipline The students were asked to formulate a research question that could be investigated using survey data available from an electronic data archive The result of the investigation was to be written up as a piece of data driven journalism for online publication, including a data visualisation In addition to using discipline-based skills and written communication, the assignment required students to use research skills and digital literacy An assignment set in the context of writing for the public extends studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ writing experience beyond the domains of discipline-based professional reports and academic writing Data driven journalism provides opportunities to develop studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ writing alongside other skills for employment and can be used to design assessments for a wide range of disciplines

Telling Tales: Students’ Learning Stories

Abstract: This paper outlines research conducted with undergraduate students. By listening to students' learning experiences the authors were able to support them and develop ways to enable them to become more effective learners. Sharing their learning stories helped students establish a sense of community as they realised the commonality of many experiences. Reflection on learning also helped them to resolve issues from the past and move forward in a more positive spirit. Through talking and telling, thinking and reflecting the student voice becomes more audible and the tutor/student relationship more conducive to successful learning.

Engaging Biological Sciences Students in the Development of Employability Skills through Creative Teaching and Peer Reviewed Action Plans

Abstract: In this article the authors describe how creative learning experiences can be developed within the curriculum to enhance employability skills and engage the students in their personal development planning. A novel approach using a subject specific employability exercise and the production of peer critiqued action plans is described along with a summary of studentsA¢â‚¬â„¢ responses.

Supporting students as learners: two questions concerning pedagogic practice

Abstract: Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ tableMsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 54pt 0cm 54pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:110pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Abstract Probably the most important thing that any of us who work in higher education can do, is to help our students to say themselves more clearly, by communicating what they know, what they think about what they know, and why they think it After all, it is by engaging skilfully in the processes of academic communication, whether in written or spoken forms, that they can persuade us that they have learned something and have thought about what they have learned What a pity, then, that most university teachers do so little to help students to develop the skills necessary to write well In this article I discuss two ways in which I have found I can help students in their development as writers capable of engaging, informing and challenging their readers In doing so, I acknowledge some possible criticisms A‚Â

Processes and tasks in collaborative writing in engineering: research-informed views and pedagogical applications

Abstract: Writing plays a central role in the activities that engineers carry out both in academia and industry. Different from other disciplines, in engineering a considerable amount of writing takes place as collaboration between a group of individuals. Despite this recognition, research in collaborative writing (CW) in engineering is rather scant and the available studies are mostly theoretical in nature, with very little empirical evidence. This article reports on an empirical study that examined CW in four schools at a faculty of engineering at a university in the UK. It specifically looks at the processes and the tasks in which engineering students and professionals get involved when writing collaboratively. Based on the findings of the study, the article suggests a number of research-informed pedagogical practices for developing CW in engineering.

Capturing and communicating advanced mathematical activity

Abstract: Unlike most other subjects, mathematical activity resides almost entirely within the cognitive processes of a mathematics practitioner and is therefore difficult to characterise. Despite recent interest, the nature of advanced mathematical activity remains something of a black box to educational researchers. In addition, the production of advanced mathematical texts, such as theses or journal articles, is often divorced from mathematicians’ experiences of creating mathematics which can lead them to a sense of personal alienation from their work. This article proposes four practical techniques for capturing advanced mathematical activity. The timing of the use of these techniques is compared against a model of mathematical creativity and the writing process. The establishment of a new genre for communicating advanced mathematics is proposed which combines the product of the activity with the process of creating it.

Dissertation Question Time: Supporting the Dissertation Project through Peer Advice

Abstract: Dissertation question time is a model for a workshop provided by the central academic skills department at Brunel and used to support dissertation writing. The analysis of the use of the model with students and their feedback raises interesting questions about peer learning and advice giving as a pedagogical method, especially when supporting researchers. The research focuses on the delivery of the dissertation question time workshop and the analysis of student feedback and follow up interviews. The positive impact of the workshop upon students’ understanding of the research processes led to in becoming an important aspect of central support provision for dissertation writing and research.