Session / Purpose of the session / How this can help students / Time
Session 1: Academic writing Lesson
Pre-test measures: Gauging Students’ unique profile at pre-test
Lesson content / To gather data about the students’:
  • level of anxiety about completing writing tasks,
  • confidence in performing some general writing tasks
  • proficiency in writing
Academic style
Introductions
Paragraphing
Cohesion and coherence
Conclusions / Once the study concludes, students will be made aware of any changes to their writing anxiety, confidence and proficiency profiles compared to pre-test levels.
This session should give students the confidence and skills to structure their writing so that it is logical and easy to follow. We will cover topics on writing in an academic style, writing introductions, conclusions and paragraphs, and using cohesive devices. / 60 min
60 min
Session 2:
Lesson content
Post-test measures: Measuring students’ profile at post-test / Citing ideas
Quoting
Paraphrasing
Referencing
To find out if students’:
  • level of writing anxiety,
  • confidence in performing some general writing tasks,
  • writing proficiency
have changed over the two sessions. / This session should equip students with the skills that many first year university students struggle with, such as citing in text, quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing.
Now that students have finished this program, they can find out if there are any changes to their writing anxiety and confidence as well as writing proficiency / 45 min
45 min

FREE!Additional Language Assistance Available to all Diploma Students.

WHAT:

One of Murdoch University’s PhD students is looking for volunteers to take part in Academic Writing lessons. Students should attend two successive writing sessions covering different aspects of academic writing over a period of approximately two weeks.

WHEN:

SESSION 1: Monday 12th March 2pm – 4pm

SESSION 2: Monday 19th March 2pm – 4pm.

A short 10-minute interview with a few students will also be required. A convenient time and place will be negotiated with individual students at the end of the second session. These interviews will be audio-recorded with students’ consent.

WHY:

Participants will obtain a number of benefits from being a part of this study. They will:

  • participate in an innovative program to develop their academic writing skills;
  • receive feedback on their level of writing anxiety and self-efficacy after completion of the lessons;
  • receive feedback on their writing a few months after the conclusion of both sessions;
  • have the opportunity to win an IPad mini; and
  • receive a textbook voucher or incentive of equal value and a certificate of completion if they participate in both sessions.

STUDENT PRIVACY:

The following measures will be taken to safeguard participants’ confidentiality:

  • Survey data will be through the use of an assigned ID number recorded on the demographic sheet, which means that the data will be de-identified at the point of capture (Feedback to participants will be facilitated through the matching of each participant’s unique ID number recorded in the demographic sheet, which is linked to the consent form with the participant’s name)
  • The data will be initially stored on a learning management system, and later transferred to a non-networked personal computer for data analysis.
  • All data will be kept from school staff.