In a break from ideas for names...
I believe that WiD is often cited at being at part of an academic literacies continuum with Writing Across the Curriculum at the other end. I understand that WAC work has tended to come from roots in North American writing centres and the more-generic freshman year approaches. It is primarily concerned with getting students to write more and write for activities other than just passing assignments. It's sometimes derided as an approach for not being WiD, as WiD with the focus on disciplinarity 'feels' right and WAC can feel horribly like the generic writing materials we normally seek to get away from. Nonetheless, I do think that there's something valuable in getting students to 'do stuff' regularly to keep the writing muscles flexed. I fear that just dropping WiD on people not ready to engage with more nuanced approaches to writing is potentially problematic.
Becky Bell wrote a literature review on some of the issues around academic writing in the Academic Writing pages of the Learnhigher Website that may also be of interest to anyone starting to explore the issues
People may also wish to take a look at LEA, M.R., STIERER, B. (eds) (2000) Student Writing in Higher Education New Contexts. Buckingham. Open University Press, as a route into some further issues about contextualising approaches to supporting academic writing, this book tends to be cited a lot in the UK
And to be clear, I'm not disputing anything Peter suggests, just offering up another thought. All mangling of other people's ideas = all my own work.
Ed
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network on behalf of Peter Samuels
Sent: Wed 12/2/2009 5:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Panel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Dear John,
I understand WiD to have the following features:
1. The need for an intervention is initiated by the subject specialist
2. The academic writing specialist works with the subject specialist to design the intervention and in the process begins to introduce the subject specialist to generic (i.e. not subject specific) issues to do with academic writing
3. The team teaching at the event is led by the subject specialist with the writing specialist playing a supportive role
4. The examples used at the intervention are generated by the subject specialist in collaboration with the students
5. The aim of WiD is to hold a series of interventions by which the subject specialist will become trained to provide the academic writing support themselves and the academic writing specialist will play less and less of a role
I have been recommended the following paper:
Somerville, E. M. and Crème, P. (2005) "Asking 'Pompeii Questions': A Co-
Operative Approach to Writing in the Disciplines." Teaching in Higher
Education 10 (1), pp. 17-28.
Kind regards,
Peter
Dr. Peter C. Samuels
Senior Research Fellow
sigma Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support
Armstrong Siddeley Building
Faculty of Engineering and Computing
Coventry University
Priory Street
COVENTRY
CV1 5FB
UK
Tel. +44(0) 24 7688 8603
Mob. +44(0) 7974 984 345
www.sigma-cetl.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Hilsdon
Sent: 02 December 2009 17:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Panel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Dear All
In brief and partial response to Peter: could you tell us more about what you understand the WID approach to be
(since not everyone may be familiar with it, and since it may be interpreted in varying ways)?
And to add to Eloise, John C and Pat H,s points: one issue related to the problems of an 'embedding' approach seems to me to be the lack of alignment between the focus of learning development activities (eg work on critical thinking) and the ways students' work is assessed. To help more effectively, an LD approach to assessment is needed - which implies holistic, programme level engagement.
V best
John Hilsdon
On 2 Dec 2009, at 16:25, "Peter Samuels" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Dear Pat et al,
From my experience of both sides of different engagement models, I like the Writing in the Disciplines model best and believe that it may also be applicable to areas outside of academic writing. I am hoping to use it in maths/numeracy support in due course.
Kind regards,
Peter
Dr. Peter C. Samuels
Senior Research Fellow
sigma Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support
Armstrong Siddeley Building
Faculty of Engineering and Computing
Coventry University
Priory Street
COVENTRY
CV1 5FB
UK
Tel. +44(0) 24 7688 8603
Mob. +44(0) 7974 984 345
<www.sigma-cetl.ac.uk>www.sigma-cetl.ac.uk<http://www.sigma-cetl.ac.uk>
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pat Hill
Sent: 02 December 2009 15:36
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Panel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Engaging academics and embedding learning development
Some of the more forward thinking academics here have worked with us to produce models of embedding which acknowledge the need for learning development to be timely and relevant to the discipline and also require some assessed reflection so that the student develops a more holistic idea of their course, education and future prospects. Most of these involve team teaching with Academic Skills Tutors but not always.
We have recently bid for internal funding to produce a framework map of different models of successful embedding across the University which we then hope to develop into a 'toolkit' so that anyone interested in embedding learning development can see a possible way forward tailored to their particular needs. We hope that as we evaluate the success of these models more of our colleagues will see the benefits of including learning development within curriculum design.
Incidentally, in making our bid we also felt that we had to emphasise that this was in addition to, and not instead of, one-to-ones and stand alone workshops which still have a very positive impact for many students.
Pat
Dr Pat Hill, FHEA
Academic Skills Tutor
School of Music, Humanities and Media
University of Huddersfield HD1 3DH
West Yorkshire UK
Tel + 44 (0)1484 472170
e-mail <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Room WG20 West Building
Leaders in student-centred academic excellence <http://www.hud.ac.uk/mh/> www.hud.ac.uk/mh/<http://www.hud.ac.uk/mh/>
________________________________
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cowan, John
Sent: 02 December 2009 12:41
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Pannel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Generic abilities and embedding
We in current HE seem to me to have as yet failed to face up to the central dichotomy. This is that generic teaching/tutorial input needs to be in a specific or particular context in the first instance, yet will then be applied, noticed and should well be assessed and rewarded in an accumulation of different contexts.
What we surely need is a holistic approach which overcomes the limitations of modular compartmentalisation. Let's say you and I, Eloise, teach in the same programme or group of modules. Imagine we are both concerned to develop the ability of critical thinking. We value reasoned arguments, effective use of examples, careful consideration of implications, and searching for counter examples. Maybe you do the initial teaching workshop on that; maybe I do. I am not territorial about that. But once the impact has been achieved, it will show in work on your module and on my module and in other modules where critical thinking is well regarded.
Our problem is that, at the moment, with modularisation, we do not have a way of judging, rewarding and endorsing critical thinking holistically across our programme - wherever the initial teaching and the subsequent developmental tutoring takes place. Until that challenge is resolved, I suspect we shall still be in difficulty with the embedding which I passionately believe is a fundamental feature of holistic education in which abilities are used, and should be developed, across the board.
Yours aye
John
________________________________
From: learning development in higher education network [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eloise Sentito [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 December 2009 11:54
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Pannel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Hi all,
I sent this to Michelle yesterday, plus a bit more, and would like to see what others think of my thoughts on embedding?
A lot of my time at present is spent meeting with academics to design sessions that I work very hard to make into their sessions (paradox), preferably with them doing plenty of the design and delivery too, so I guess my main interest is to do with inspiring and empowering them to take 'ownership' of 'our' subject and materials.
Though I haven't put the following into practice, I question our habitual approach of trying to tailor our 'subject' to sit with their subject rather than perhaps reversing the emphasis so that we work more consultatively, looking at how we can introduce our principles/skills etc. into their existing curriculum, e.g. by helping them embed some of our materials, activities or whatever into their existing lectures rather than offering distinct sessions or modules that are likely to be generic (one big problem with this being that the transferability is not always easily perceived/applied). That might work in practice by, say, using our critical thinking model to get students engaging actively with a lecture, or through activities around presentations, public speaking, groupwork etc. that can be embedded into discipline sessions (lectures, seminars or tutorials). So rather than us tying ourselves in knots trying to make 'skills' stuff relevant to their subjects, or fit their subjects into 'our' frameworks, session plans etc. and still offering something fairly generic, we help them help their students engage with academic skills whilst the focus is still on the discipline they feel they are really here to learn about - a bit of a different emphasis, I think.
I'd be interested to know who feels they work or would like to work like this or whether it is possible/practicable/desirable, or perhaps too problematic?
Eloïse
Eloïse Sentito <image001.png>
Learning Development
Tel. (01752 5)87752 (Part-time: regular days= Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Room 103, 21 Portland Villas, Drake Circus
University of Plymouth <http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn> www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn>
<image002.gif>
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pat Hill
Sent: 02 December 2009 10:59
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Pannel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Hi Michelle
As Academic Skills Tutors we are located in Schools rather than centrally but still have problems getting some academics to work with us although we have also had some real successes. I think we could make a useful contribution to the debate and would happily work with you on a proposal.
Pat
Dr Pat Hill, FHEA
Academic Skills Tutor
School of Music, Humanities and Media
University of Huddersfield HD1 3DH
West Yorkshire UK
Tel + 44 (0)1484 472170
e-mail <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Room WG20 West Building
Leaders in student-centred academic excellence <http://www.hud.ac.uk/mh/> www.hud.ac.uk/mh/<http://www.hud.ac.uk/mh/>
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michelle Reid
Sent: 27 November 2009 09:49
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Pannel on engaging subject academics in LD for LDHEN symposium
Hi All,
I was hoping to put in a proposal for the LDHEN symposium about research we did at Reading on report writing - using our report writing resources as a way of enticing subject academics to give time for interviews & discussion & evaluation - using one research activity to get multiple outcomes!
Kim made the excellent suggestion that this would make a good panel topic - with 3 or 4 of us discussing different ways in which we have got subject academics involved in, and working with us, on Learning Development.
I was wondering if anyone would like to join me in submitting a proposal for this panel? I hope so!
(And it means you don't have to put in a separate proposal or a separate paper, so time and effort saved!)
Please let me know if you would be interested Best wishes Michelle
Dr Michelle Reid, University Study Adviser and LearnHigher Research Officer Carrington Building, Whiteknights, University of Reading, RG6 6UA| ( 0118 378 4242| : <http://www.rdg.ac.uk/studyadvice> www.rdg.ac.uk/studyadvice<http://www.rdg.ac.uk/studyadvice>
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