Skills, access, and 'basic writing': A community college case study from the United States
Author: Curry M.J.
Source: Studies in the Education of Adults, Volume 35, Number 1, 1 April 2003 , pp. 5-18(14)
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Abstract:
As policymakers in many parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, push for widening participation in higher education, the preparation of diverse students for the communicative demands of the academy becomes increasingly salient. As greater numbers of 'non-traditional' students, who may be unfamiliar with the conventions of academic communication, enter higher education, discussions about explicitly teaching academic literacy have increased. A 'skills' conception of learning concurrently dominates governmental and policy discourses. In response, this article argues against the use of the skills model in teaching academic writing by drawing on a case study of a 'basic' (pre-university level) writing course for English language learners (ELLs) at a US community college. In particular,it examines the use of a version of the 'skills model' to teach writing to 'non-traditional' students. It concludes that in the context of this case study,in which students had varied backgrounds and educational goals, the skills model was insufficient for teaching writing and helping students gain access to the discourses of tertiary education.Document Type: Research article
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