This pilot miniproject analysed students’ written work in the MSOR subject areas to identify gaps in their understanding. These gaps were used to inform the development of content for reusable learning objects (RLOs) to help students improve their writing. This study focused on international students who all used English as a second language. A new mechanism for analysis derived from Halliday’s [1] text-context-functions model allowed students’ written work to be tested at the ideas function, the interpersonal function and the signpost functions. Specific instruments tested each function: the use of definitions tested ideas, the audience awareness scale tested the interpersonal and a text function scale tested signposting.
The methods developed enabled specific areas of weakness to be identified. Specifically, students’ writing was found to be weak in terms of, signposting; in design of tables, graphs and basic page layout for example using bullet points, sub headings. It was further found that the consistency was variable, layout or font size would change mid-document.
Overseas students’ experience their most serious problems progressing from the first year to the second (De Vita) [2]. It is questioned if this was always the case or if this is a result of widening participation. Pokorny and Pokorny [3] suggest that a key factor affecting adjustment to the demands of university study is students’ entry grades and it is acknowledged this is one of the realities of widening participation. It is argued here that the findings revealed here can be translated into learning and teaching strategies to address specific student learning needs.
This combined approach of using qualitative and quantitative methods worked well to identify specific areas of weakness in students’ writing. It is suggested this approach, based methods traditionally used in Linguistics and Ecology helped disentangle key factors from the ‘mass of data’, in this case students’ writing (Kershaw) [4]. Once it is known what is present, or in this case absent, strategies can be developed to help students’ understanding of what is required.
To further help entry-level students understand what is expected and how to present work, it is proposed to show them examples of work written by good mathematicians or statisticians. Thus this project resulted in recommendations for the development of responsive content for RLOs. Content that is pedagogically meaningful based on specific student needs and empirically derived in terms of what was needed to support student learning.
[1] Halliday, M.A.K., (1973) ‘Explorations in the functions of language’, London, Edward Arnold.
[2] De Vita, G. (2005) ‘Tracking the Academic Progression of Home’
and De Vita, G. (2005) ‘Tracking the Academic Progression of Home and International Students: An Exploratory Study’, Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching 1(3).
[3] Pokorny, M. and Pokorny, H. (2001) ‘Widening participation, independent learning and developing numeracy: A contradiction in terms’, BEST Conference Papers, 2003.
[4] Kershaw, K. A. (1964) ‘Quantitative and dynamic ecology’, Lewis Arnold London.