The pedagogical significance of this project, Enhancing Literacy, is that it aims to improve retention rates via the enhancement of literacy skills of first year Bachelor of Education (pre-service) students at two of the outer campuses of Victoria University. This is being achieved by integrating these concepts into a core first year subject, Learning in a Changing World. The premise is that if discussion on literacy and peer learning is encouraged amongst students, and if students’ literacy skills are made adequate to the task during the pre-service cycle, then the likelihood of completing their first year (and subsequently their degree) is significantly increased.
Essentially, with the help of teaching staff, students were encouraged to identify their own literacy needs. Practicing secondary school English teachers formed part of the teaching team and offered practical tips and techniques to improve the students’ literacy skills. Peer learning and support was encouraged by designating students to work in pairs (‘editing partners’). This enabled students to critique other work, develop ideas and improve their literacy skills at an early stage in the development of an assessment task. The ACER Tertiary Writing Assessment was used to test literacy skills of students at the start of Semester. The results of these are currently being analysed. Although this is a ‘work in progress’, preliminary results indicate that early identification of literacy needs, together with peer learning and support from teaching staff have had a positive impact on students in their first year. |
