Pat Strauss

Group Assessments: Dilemmas Facing Lecturers in Multicultural Tertiary Classrooms.

‘Group is good, and group is good for curing all social ills’ was the cynical observation of one of the lecturers in this study. Her comment reflects the uneasiness of lecturers at tertiary institutions with the notion that the educational advantages of group assessments far outweigh the disadvantages, and that such an approach promotes the integration of minority groups in multicultural universities. The dilemmas facing lecturers in multicultural tertiary classrooms are reflected on in this paper, when they adopt group assessment as a means of evaluation and highlight those challenges that often jeopardize the successful implementation of this type of practice.

‘I know the type of people I work well with’: student anxiety in multicultural group projects

Research indicates that the uncertainty created when students are required to work in groups for assessed projects induces anxiety, which can manifest itself both cognitively and affectively. Such anxiety may influence student attitudes towards the selection and formation of the groups. This study explored whether different methods of group formation impact on student anxiety levels and, in addition, whether the home language of the students is associated with the different levels of anxiety. In this study, 165 first-year tertiary students were surveyed before and after completion of assessed group projects. The findings reveal that the uncertainty profile produced different levels of anxiety.

‘Active agents of change?’ Mandarin-speaking students in New Zealand and the thesis writing process

This paper seeks to highlight the issue of learner agency in the supervisory relationship. Although this study is confined to the perceptions of a small group of Chinese-speaking international students, this issue is not one peculiar to them. Dealing with status imbalances in this relationship is a challenge that faces all students regardless of their cultural and linguistic background. However, it is undoubtedly more complex when the parties are drawn from very different backgrounds. In this paper we examine relationships between supervisors and their English as an additional language (EAL) students and the way in which these relationships influence the writing of the thesis, focusing on the dynamics between the two parties and language support offered by the supervisors. Taking the notion of agency as a point of departure, we interpret data from the point of view of the students and attempt to capture their voices. As Lea notes, research in this area ‘has been practitioner-based and practitioner-led’ (Studies in Higher Education 29, no. 6, p. 742). Students’ first-hand accounts of their interactions with supervisors during the thesis writing process will hopefully provide different insights into this nuanced and often problematic relationship and its effect on students’ sense of agency.

‘The English is not the same’: challenges in thesis writing for second language speakers of English

In this article I describe my interaction as an English for academic purposes (EAP) practitioner with a supervisor and her two postgraduate international students, both of whom were second language speakers of English (L2). Because of linguistic and relationship issues the supervisory experience for the parties was challenging and frustrating. I discuss the implications of this research and suggest that while linguistic difficulties impact negatively on the supervisory relationship this is exacerbated by the differing assumptions and expectations of the stakeholders. I argue, however, that what is regarded as ‘acceptable’ English at our institutions has not been sufficiently interrogated and the belief that English as a native language (ENL) is the only acceptable variety of English needs further investigation. Such an investigation needs to take place in a forum where the less powerful voices of the EAP practitioners and the students will not be marginalised.

But Pasta Is Pasta, It Is All the Same: The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Challenges of Supermarket Work.

This paper reports on an ethnographically based study of entry level supermarket work. The study, carried out in a large suburban supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, focused on the literacy and numeracy practices of supermarket assistants, all who had English as an additional language. It found that skills such as oral communication, personal presentation, reliability and motivation were considered vital by management for good ‘customer service’, a fundamental tenet of the supermarket and essential for its successful operation. However, for some assistants, the mastery of highly context-specific literacy texts and potentially complex ‘embedded’ numeracy was also necessary in order for them to carry out their work. This requirement was often poorly understood by management. The paper describes some of the literacy and numeracy challenges faced by assistants and their different personalised strategies for establishing meaning. It also discusses the significance of the findings for the teaching of literacy and numeracy in vocational training programmes. Findings indicate that off-site programmes have an important role in providing a learning foundation but also point to the importance of, and need for, workplace-specific, needs-based on-the-job literacy and numeracy training.

Painting the bigger picture: academic literacy in postgraduate vocational education

Currently postgraduate hospitality courses are attracting large numbers of international students, many of whom do not speak English as a first language. In addition, these programmes are also popular with first language students drawn from non-traditional academic backgrounds. Both cohorts experience difficulties with the academic genre requirements associated with study at postgraduate level, and these difficulties impact on the successful completion of their studies. Research indicates that students benefit most from academic literacy instruction when this instruction is contextualised in the relevant discipline area. This article describes the attempt of two lecturers, one an applied linguist, the other a discipline expert, to develop credit bearing papers that would address students’ academic literacy challenges using a contextualised discipline specific approach.

Assessment for Learning: capturing the interest of diverse students on an academic writing module in postgraduate vocational education

ABSTRACT This article discusses the complexities surrounding the teaching of a critical thinking and academic writing module on a vocational postgraduate programme. Students enrolled on this programme are strongly industry focused and often fail to see the relevance of such a module, despite the fact that most are international students with English as their second language. Obtaining student buy in has been challenging, and initial feedback from students and discipline lecturers was disappointing. However, this frustration was the trigger for an innovative approach that adopted assessment design as the starting point in the restructuring of the module. The approach is based on the principles underpinning Assessment for Learning. Taking varied student interests and backgrounds into account was crucial in the restructuring and has led to a marked improvement in both the attitude and engagement of students.

Caught between two stools? Academic writing in ‘new’ vocational disciplines in higher education

ABSTRACT ‘New’ vocational disciplines often struggle for acceptance in the academy. The marginalising of these disciplines impacts on their teaching and learning environment often to the detriment of staff and students. This study focuses both on the role academic writing plays in this marginalisation and how the teaching of such writing is affected by the positioning of these disciplines. Using semi-structured interviews the perceptions of 27 lecturers teaching postgraduate hospitality programmes in the UK were explored. While lecturers expressed concern that traditional academic writing requirements do not serve the best interests of the discipline or the students, they feel they are powerless to make changes to improve the situation. The academic enculturation process appears to be a one-sided affair, where the discipline adopts practices simply because they are part of long-standing academic traditions and not because they serve the needs of the discipline.

Uncertain pathways: foundation skills tutors and marginalised students in neoliberal times

Abstract This article deals with the work of polytechnic tutors on adult foundation programmes and describes how their work has been affected by the current neoliberal climate in the education sector. Inclusive neoliberalism is characterised by heightened regulation, reduced support for the public sector and a greater requirement for individual responsibility. The push to improve skills to meet labour demand is promoted as addressing social needs. Policies devised to promote these neoliberal values have led to numerous and far-reaching changes in adult education. In this study 73 foundation skills educators drawn from 8 institutions were interviewed to gain their insights into the effects of these policies. The article discusses three types of detrimental effects: the growing distrust between teaching staff and management; unsettling changes to institutional policy and its effects on staffing issues; and threats to the professionalism of teaching staff, the delivery of foundation studies, and the students themselves. Finally, the article suggests alternative possibilities for addressing these issues.

I Can See the Rabbit

In this chapter I explore how foundation students in bridging programmes in polytechnics in New Zealand are positioned in the institutional context, how this positioning impacts on their learning, and how foundation learners’ imagined identities help or hinder their educational progress.