Academic Skills Student Success Advisors

WorkshopMonday, 14th January 2013

Agenda9:30 am What is Expected of University Students Academic Capital Foundational Academic Skills including

Critical Thinking/Analysis (Keithia) 10:30 am Academic Writing Resources Essay Paragraph Writing (PEEL model) Essay Introductions & Conclusions Oral Presentations Effective Critical Reading & Note-taking Referencing (Lyn) 12:30 pm Strategies for Assignment Feedback (Jaya) 2:30 pm Numeracy Resources (Angel)

Acknowledgment of Country

In the Spirit of ReconciliationFollowing on from Sorry Day

I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land that we are meeting

on today, the Yugambeh People, and pay respect to their Elders past & present

What do we assume our students know?

What do we assume our students know?

Two domains of assumed knowledge1. Foundational Academic Skills Well-recognised by support and academic staff2. Academic Capital The Hidden Curriculum generally less well

recognised, understood or acknowledged by academic staff & a primary cause of failure by non-traditional students

What are Foundational Academic Skills?• Information Literacy• Computer Literacy• Reading Skills• Written Communication• Numeracy Skills• Critical thinking & analysis• Independent Learning (self-regulation) (viz. time on task, self-study, time management, uni-work-

social life balance, successful student behaviour)

Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

What are some aspects of academic or cultural capital?

The “Hidden Curriculum” – The things Non-traditional commencing students don’t know that they don’t know

Student role Understanding student role expectations & successful behaviour

(realistic role appraisal, time investment necessary to achieve, predictors of success, home study desk, computer access)

Performance Expectations Reading the academic context for performance requirements about

studying & especially assessment (different language, academic jargon)

Help-seeking Capacity for help-seeking without fear of negative labelling

(dumb/stupid)Identity as a student Sense of belonging & personal fit with university & role (overcome the

“outsider within” phenomenon – “A stranger in a foreign land”)Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

Two approaches to teaching Academic Skills & Academic Capital

Generic Skills approach1. Teaching Generic Academic Skills through stand alone

workshops as a front loading strategy to progressively develop skills & confidence early on

Contextualised Skills approach2. Teaching generic academic skills & capital as a function of

preparing students to undertake different types of assessment tasks which are relevant to each discipline (e.g. MC exams, critical essays, laboratory reports etc), especially first assessment tasks in threshold courses, & are taught as a series of just-in-time interventions

Both are valid approachesProf Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

Value of both approaches

• Generic and Contextualised approaches are valuable & valid

• Students perceived Contextualised approaches tied to assessment tasks & timed 2 weeks prior to submission dates as more relevant higher student uptake

System’s approach to facilitating academic skills & capital

Partnership• Academic staff Academic Skills & Capital Workshops need to

be planned, designed & ideally facilitated in partnership with academic staff viz.

First Year Coordinators First Year Senior Tutors & Course Convenors with particular

assessment tasks in their courses • Learning Advisors These workshops can be co-run with

Learning Advisor support & collaboration (depending on LA availability, given 7.8 staff)

• Student Success Advisors SSAs may collaborate together in Groups & across degree programs to co-facilitate workshops