Joanna Tapper

Exchange patterns in the oral discourse of international students in university classrooms

The oral discourse of four university teaching contexts (lectures, laboratories, writing classes, and writing conferences) was examined for the incidence of exchange patterns. Exchange patterns are regularly occurring combinations of speakers’ discourse moves (such as statements, questions, responses), which form topical or functional units. Although previous classroom discourse analysis has stressed three‐part exchanges, a focus of analysis in this article is on the incidence of two‐part as well as three‐part exchanges. A specific focus is on how non‐native speakers of English participate in academic exchanges. Participants were international students (ISs), recorded as they interacted with teachers and fellow students (other ISs and native speakers of English). Results show the participation of the ISs in two‐ and three‐part exchanges (as well as longer exchanges) in the four academic contexts. The move structures of exchange patterns are also examined in the academic contexts. Findings contribute to th...

Integrating Online Literacy into Undergraduate Education: A Case Study.

Abstract The present situation in which students enter tertiary education with different experiences of online literacy poses challenges for instructors of subjects in which content and online literacy are integrated. It is hard for university teachers to predict what can be expected of incoming students in terms of computer experience, or to plan suitable syllabuses. In this article, the online literacy practices of students in one subject offered at an Australian university are examined. These practices are viewed within the context of the subject itself, and in the wider context of tertiary education. It is suggested that studies of the contexts and practices of online literacy can provide information which will help instructors to have some idea of what to expect concerning their students’ online literacy. In turn, this knowledge may make it easier for instructors to plan subject syllabuses which provide for groups of students with mixed online experiences. Areas for further research are also identified.