On-boarding discipline experts to adopt the academic literacies framework

Evidence shows that students must possess academic literacy skills to achieve success. While aware of student limitations in academic writing, discipline academics delivering first year subjects are often reluctant to teach academic literacies. The reluctance can stem from a deficit view of students, a perceived lack of skill to teach academic literacies, and/or the way academics view their work. Our experience shows that we need to change our ideas about what our work entails. Using a pedagogical framework for course design (Lea & Street, 2006), the chapter demonstrates that to take academics on the journey of change requires a commitment to participate in a robust, collegial community of practice characterised by mutual respect for the expertise of academics and academic literacy skill advisors. Such practice not only facilitates deep professional learning, but ensures that the message to students in relation to academic literacies is consistent. By using feedup and feedforward, underpinned by a concern for student welfare, students realise that the learnings can be transferred to all of their studies. Our journey led to the development of common resources, a defensible and immediate increase in pass rates and student feedback that told us that our commitment was worthwhile.

© 2020 selection and editorial matter, Angela Jones, Anita Olds and Joanne G. Lisciandro; individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Dr Angela Jones, Anita Olds and Dr Joanne G. Lisciandro to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.