Academic support

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Academic support

• Curriculum Review Presentation
• 12th June 2008
• Mark Garner

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My background in the field

• Part-time ASA 1984-1991
• Adviser, Aboriginal Unit
• Head, Educational Services, LaTrobe University,
  1993-1998
• Publications conference papers on academic
  support (to 2004)
• Supervisor, Northumbria PhD on academic literacy
  

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Content of presentation

• Outline of AS
• Approaches to providing AS
• Advantages and disadvantages of approaches
• Recommendations for Aberdeen
• Discussion

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1 Outline of AS (i)

• ESL (not covered today)
• Academic writing
• Reading
• Note-taking
• Exam technique
• Participation in tutorials

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1 Outline of AS (ii)

• Study-life balance
• Time management
• Study habits
• Remembering what is learned
• Academic thinking
• Numeracy

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2 Provision of AS (i)

• Independent ASA(s)
• Dedicated Support Unit, sometimes with
  drop-in resource centre
• Within the counselling service
• Alongside professional development
• Alongside teaching-learning unit
• Department within Education

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2 Provision of AS (ii)

• ASA(s) within school/department
• Independent of academic staff
• Member of academic staff, contributing to
  degree courses

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2 Provision of AS (iii)

• Courses in academic literacy (? other skills)
• Generic, for major discipline areas
• Generic, content-based
• Specialist, in conjunction with major
  courses within school
• Any of these can be hurdle requirement
  compulsory option

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3 Evaluation of approaches (i)

• Generic skills
• University-widegenerally the least
  successful for academic literacy
• School-specific literacymore effective, if
  part of structures courses
• Either of these more effective in relation
  to note-taking, time management, c.

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3 Evaluation of approaches (ii)

• Academic courses in literacy (c.)
• More successful if discipline-specific, (joint
  majors can be a problem)
• Content-based courses have potential, if they
  focus on both the what and the how, but

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3 Evaluation of approaches (iii)

• Curriculum issues
• Hurdle credit points? Who should take the
  course?
• Compulsory negative attitudes difficult to
  teach across ability range
• Optional soft option for able students?

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4 Recommendations (i)

• 1 Avoid generic approach, esp. to literacy
  (highly discipline-specific)

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4 Recommendations (ii)

• 2 Integrate with college/school teaching and
  learning strategies. Issues include Assessment
  requirements
• Lecturers grasp of literacy
• Feedback (extent, nature, promptness,
  class vs individual)
• Consistency of approach by academic staff
  

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4 Recommendations (iii)

• 3 Provision for research to inform the academic
  support
• Scholarly pedagogical research
• Surveys of demand, c.

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4 Recommendations (iv)

• 4 Staff member providing academic support should
  specialize both in a subject area and in learning
  
• 5 Integrate academic support with professional
  development

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Discussion