Embedding writing in the subject curriculum: An intervention study

Author(s):

Ursula Wingate

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 06 D, Academic Writing

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-29

10:30-12:00

Room:

HG, HS 45

Chair:

Contribution

This paper addresses the widely recognised need to support students in the UK’s higher education system in the acquisition of academic literacy (Lea & Street, 1998; Lillis 2006). It presents a writing intervention that was carried out with first-year undergraduates in a Social Sciences programme. The intervention recognised the need, stressed by Academic Literacies and EAP researchers (Lea & Street, 2006; Wingate, 2006), to develop writing within the discipline. The research objectives were 1) to assess the feasibility of embedding writing instruction into a content-intensive curriculum, and 2) to assess the impact of the formative feedback provided to students throughout the first term.

Method

Various in-class and online writing tasks, as well as formative assessment measures, were integrated into two first-year modules. The 68 students received tutor and peer feedback on these tasks before they had to write their first assignment. The intervention was evaluated by a student questionnaire, interviews, and a text analysis in which the final assignment was scrutinised for effects of previous feedback.

Expected Outcomes

The intervention was perceived as helpful by the students, and resulted in certain overall improvements in the final assignment. However, a comparison with the assignment grades of previous years showed that the intervention has resulted in a greater gap between high and bottom achievers, with far fewer average performers. This indicates that the intervention had clearly benefited receptive students while others seemed to be ‘feedback-resistant’. Student interviews confirmed previous research findings (e.g. Haggis & Pouget, 2002) by revealing that the gap is partly due to factors that lie outside higher education such as expectations or lack of preparation at school. The paper concludes that for some students additional measures such as individual counselling may be needed.

References

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Author Information

Ursula Wingate

King's College London

Education and Professional Studies

London

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