ACADEMIC LITERACY RESEARCH
DRAFT RESEARCH FOR COMMENT
ACADEMIC LITERACY PROGRAMME
MODEL DESIGN
Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT)
S PACHAGADU & KJ DE BEER
ABSTRACT
The aim of the Academic Literacy Programme (ALP) at the CUT is to improve student’s academic literacy skills which will ultimately boost the student throughput rate at the CUT. According to Sebolai (2008) the programme will help students develop their academic language skills whilst creating a positive attitude towards the English language. The pass rate of grade 12 learners is shockingly high and this is supposed to be the feeding ground for Higher Educations in South Africa. Alet Rademeyer quotes from a document of Advocate Paul Hoffman, SC, and director of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, that the South African School System only delivers one out of 29 functional literate Black matriculants. It is a national crisis and is an indication of gigantic proportions
(www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
1. INTRODUCTION
Rademeyer (www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008) continues with a supporting quote from statistics of the literacy consultants, Hough & Horne, in Johannesburg who states that only two thirds of the 1,56 million six year old Black pupils who started 12 years ago with their school career completed grade twelve in 2007 ! Of these candidates 360 000 passed their final assessment.
When the successful candidates were tested for literacy in English, their first language choice of instruction, it was found that only 15% of the 278 000 Black candidates were actually functionally literate (Ibid). Fortunately more and more Black parents are now in favour to let their children start off with mother tongue education up to grade 3 found Dr Mbithi wa Kivilu in a Council of Human Scientific Research survey (Rademeyer in www.Volksblad.com/7 May/2008). However, the public trend towards English still exists. This survey included 3000 respondents of all races. Afrikaans speaking parents preferred mother tongue education in the basic years. Interestingly, it was founded in this survey that race, monthly income and level of education mainly influenced respondent’s choices (Ibid). According to the survey, English remain the language of preference in Higher Education Institutions, followed by grade 10 to grade 12 and there after from grade 4 to grade 9. Over the last four years, Black parents progressively preferred mother tongue education for the academic foundation years of their children (Ibid).
Professor Mary Metcalfe, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Witwatersrand, said that the scale on which Black learners have access to mother tongue education especially in urban areas where there are a multitude of mother tongue speakers and cultures, it will not be always possible due to the limited number of languages that teachers can speak. This includes the scarcity of resources as well (Ibid).
“The total number is 42 000 Black school leavers who have the potential to conduct skilled work” says Rademeyer. Each province in South Africa only delivered 4600 functionally literate candidates. According to Hoffman, it means that only 1 out of 29 (3,5%) of Black learners who entered the school system, came out with matriculation certificates which enables them to enter the levels for higher education, instruction and skills training. This in an economy where there exists a great need for skilled workers
(www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
Hoffman says that South African schools’ drop out figure is 77% over the past 12 years of scholastic training while the international norm according to UNESCO’s figures is 21%. Unfortunately the phenomenon of violence in schools is an obvious obstacle to quality assurance while the reluctance to insist on mother tongue education in the forming years of grade one pupils is also a factor for failure in the later grades according to educational specialists (Iwww.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
2. NEEDS/SITUATION ANALYSIS
According to Hay & Sebolai (2007:1) one of the biggest challenges higher education institutions in South Africa are facing is the low academic language proficiency level of their student cohorts. The CUT, like other universities in South Africa, admit a great number of previously disadvantaged students with poor English language abilities.
Yeld (2003: 26-27) the Dean for the Faculty of Academic Development at the University of Cape Town, students require specific levels of knowledge and skills that are necessary for them to understand the ideologies that they will study at a tertiary level. Failure to address student’s shortcomings in academic language abilities at the CUT, will lead to unacceptable high failure rates, or lowered standards as institutions attempt to avoid the inevitable consequences of educational under preparedness.
3. Aims & Objectives OF CUT’S ALP
The aims and objectives of the ALP under the authority of the Unit for Academic Development is to improve first year students’ reading and writing skills in English and to use the Placement Test in English for Educational Purposes (PTEEP), to assess the students academic language skills. It implies to give the test to all first year students during the first quarter and to use PTEEP to decide whether learners should take classes for the ALP – Students who pass the test are exempted from attending these classes while those who fail will be obliged to attend.
4. Learning outcomes
the accreditation Status: NQF Exit level 5.
Van Wyk (2007:3) of the University of the Free State’s ALP states that upon completion of the course students must be able to: use a particular strategy to organise and comprehend texts and identify and understand the functions of discourse markers in texts. They must also be able to make inferences based on a given text. A further ability what ALP learners have to achieve, is to complete comprehension-based and problem-solving tasks accurately in the mode of written presentation as well as to write paragraphs and expository essays based on passages read. Finally they have to be able to summarise the main ideas of a written text.
5. CONTENT
5.1 Intensive Reading
Intensive reading is a component of the ALP in which students rigoursly read moderately short academic passages in class (one to two pages). A typical intensive reading lesson has three stages. These are the pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading stages.
5.2 Extensive Reading
Extensive reading is the major part of the ALP and graded readers are used for this component of the programme. At the beginning of the course students take a reading proficiency test. They are then placed at different reading levels (2, 3 and 4) depending on their scores. A student reads ten books at one level (they write reading responses on the books) before they move on to the next level.
5.3 Writing
The writing part of the course focuses on developing students’ competence in expressing information/ideas clearly and logically in paragraphs and essays. Student will focus on paragraph writing in the first semester and essay writing in the second semester.
5.4 Resources and other material
ALP learners are exposed throughout the course to books, the Internet; periodicals; magazines; and newspapers.
6. TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
ALP learners are developed within the following context:
· Oral class/group discussion;
· Read extensively outside class;
· Write reading responses/paragraphs and essays; and
· Research assignments.
7. SPECIFIC AND GENERIC OUTCOMES
Van Wyk (2007:3) outlines the following specific outcomes such as completing comprehension-based activities and problem-solving tasks. This enables students to develop their English language reading skills. Students will then also be able to express their opinions about a variety of issues fluently, critically as well as creatively in the mode of oral discussion; and to express information and opinions clearly and with appropriate organisation in the written mode.
8. ASSESSMENT: CRITERIA, STRATEGY, METHODS, TECHNIQUES
8.1 Assessment Criteria
Once the module has been completed, students will be able to:
· Read academic text with understanding;
· Write coherent academic essays;
· Process various sentence structures quickly and accurately in a comprehensible text; and
· Accurately complete comprehension-based and problem-solving tasks in the mode of written presentation.
8.2 Assessment Strategy Method
· Weekly quizzes (vocabulary)-based on the reading they do in class 10 x 5 = 50 marks
· Weekly reading reactions on Graded Readers 7 x 20 = 140 marks
· Paragraph writing in the first semester 5 x 10 = 50 marks
· Essays-one page long essay in second semester 3 x 20 = 60 marks
· Summative-reading comprehension = 200 marks
Total marks = 500 marks
9. EVALUATION STRATEGY
The following evaluation strategy will be used, namely to conduct a coherent survey on the effectiveness of this programme for students furthering their studies in other programmes and to evaluate the performance of students who have completed the programme. Proper records are to be kept to make a coherent study of the effectiveness of this programme by establishing the progress of students in other programmes.
10. THE WAY FORWARD
To adapt the ALP at the CUT to suit modern higher education standards, the Centre for e-Learning and Educational Technology (CeLET) should integrate the programme with Blackboard 6, Campus Edition to prepare learning materials and to enable learners to develop themselves academically in their own time. It forms part of the modern development of Open Learning trends such as at UNISA.
UNISA opened the very first Institute for Open Learning on the African continent during May this year on the recommendations of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). It will not only add value to learning and teaching, but also for research outputs said Professor Mandla Makhanya, pro-vice chancellor of UNISA in Pretoria (SA Media. (SA Media. University of the Free State.www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/Rademeyer/2008). In comparing higher education access for SA learners for instance with Egypt on the African continent, it is lower. Participation in Higher Education in SA is lower than 45% comparing to the rest of the continent. Enrolments south of the Sahara are of the lowest in the world. Since 1965 it only increased from 1% to the current 5% stated Makhanya.
South Africa’s participation in Higher Education is 17% and the aim is to increase it to 20% in 2010. Open Learning and ALP could enhance both wider access as well as outputs. It provides better academic support to enhance quality Higher Education (Ibid).
REFERENCES
Hay, H.R. & Sebolai, K.W. 2007. Compulsory Academic Language Proficiency Testing and Development at the Central University of Technology: Proposal for Funding. (Report to CUT Senate on 22 October 2007.) Bloemfontein. 1p. (Unpublished.)
SA Media. 2008. University of the Free State Newspaper clipping service. (www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008)
Sebolai, K.W. 2008. Verbal communication with the author. Bloemfontein.
Van Wyk, A. 2007. Academic Language Proficiency Course (ALP00BV). Bloemfontein: UFS. 3p. (Study guide BVDPLF.)
Yeld, N. 2003. Academic literacy and numeracy profiles: An analysis of some results from the AARP and TELP tests of incoming students. In. Into Higher Education – perspective on entry thresholds and enrolment system. A joint SAUVCA- CPT publication. Pretoria.
ACADEMIC LITERACY PROGRAMME
MODEL DESIGN
Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT)
S PACHAGADU & KJ DE BEER
ABSTRACT
The aim of the Academic Literacy Programme (ALP) at the CUT is to improve student’s academic literacy skills which will ultimately boost the student throughput rate at the CUT. According to Sebolai (2008) the programme will help students develop their academic language skills whilst creating a positive attitude towards the English language. The pass rate of grade 12 learners is shockingly high and this is supposed to be the feeding ground for Higher Educations in South Africa. Alet Rademeyer quotes from a document of Advocate Paul Hoffman, SC, and director of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, that the South African School System only delivers one out of 29 functional literate Black matriculants. It is a national crisis and is an indication of gigantic proportions
(www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
1. INTRODUCTION
Rademeyer (www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008) continues with a supporting quote from statistics of the literacy consultants, Hough & Horne, in Johannesburg who states that only two thirds of the 1,56 million six year old Black pupils who started 12 years ago with their school career completed grade twelve in 2007 ! Of these candidates 360 000 passed their final assessment.
When the successful candidates were tested for literacy in English, their first language choice of instruction, it was found that only 15% of the 278 000 Black candidates were actually functionally literate (Ibid). Fortunately more and more Black parents are now in favour to let their children start off with mother tongue education up to grade 3 found Dr Mbithi wa Kivilu in a Council of Human Scientific Research survey (Rademeyer in www.Volksblad.com/7 May/2008). However, the public trend towards English still exists. This survey included 3000 respondents of all races. Afrikaans speaking parents preferred mother tongue education in the basic years. Interestingly, it was founded in this survey that race, monthly income and level of education mainly influenced respondent’s choices (Ibid). According to the survey, English remain the language of preference in Higher Education Institutions, followed by grade 10 to grade 12 and there after from grade 4 to grade 9. Over the last four years, Black parents progressively preferred mother tongue education for the academic foundation years of their children (Ibid).
Professor Mary Metcalfe, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Witwatersrand, said that the scale on which Black learners have access to mother tongue education especially in urban areas where there are a multitude of mother tongue speakers and cultures, it will not be always possible due to the limited number of languages that teachers can speak. This includes the scarcity of resources as well (Ibid).
“The total number is 42 000 Black school leavers who have the potential to conduct skilled work” says Rademeyer. Each province in South Africa only delivered 4600 functionally literate candidates. According to Hoffman, it means that only 1 out of 29 (3,5%) of Black learners who entered the school system, came out with matriculation certificates which enables them to enter the levels for higher education, instruction and skills training. This in an economy where there exists a great need for skilled workers
(www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
Hoffman says that South African schools’ drop out figure is 77% over the past 12 years of scholastic training while the international norm according to UNESCO’s figures is 21%. Unfortunately the phenomenon of violence in schools is an obvious obstacle to quality assurance while the reluctance to insist on mother tongue education in the forming years of grade one pupils is also a factor for failure in the later grades according to educational specialists (Iwww.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008).
2. NEEDS/SITUATION ANALYSIS
According to Hay & Sebolai (2007:1) one of the biggest challenges higher education institutions in South Africa are facing is the low academic language proficiency level of their student cohorts. The CUT, like other universities in South Africa, admit a great number of previously disadvantaged students with poor English language abilities.
Yeld (2003: 26-27) the Dean for the Faculty of Academic Development at the University of Cape Town, students require specific levels of knowledge and skills that are necessary for them to understand the ideologies that they will study at a tertiary level. Failure to address student’s shortcomings in academic language abilities at the CUT, will lead to unacceptable high failure rates, or lowered standards as institutions attempt to avoid the inevitable consequences of educational under preparedness.
3. Aims & Objectives OF CUT’S ALP
The aims and objectives of the ALP under the authority of the Unit for Academic Development is to improve first year students’ reading and writing skills in English and to use the Placement Test in English for Educational Purposes (PTEEP), to assess the students academic language skills. It implies to give the test to all first year students during the first quarter and to use PTEEP to decide whether learners should take classes for the ALP – Students who pass the test are exempted from attending these classes while those who fail will be obliged to attend.
4. Learning outcomes
the accreditation Status: NQF Exit level 5.
Van Wyk (2007:3) of the University of the Free State’s ALP states that upon completion of the course students must be able to: use a particular strategy to organise and comprehend texts and identify and understand the functions of discourse markers in texts. They must also be able to make inferences based on a given text. A further ability what ALP learners have to achieve, is to complete comprehension-based and problem-solving tasks accurately in the mode of written presentation as well as to write paragraphs and expository essays based on passages read. Finally they have to be able to summarise the main ideas of a written text.
5. CONTENT
5.1 Intensive Reading
Intensive reading is a component of the ALP in which students rigoursly read moderately short academic passages in class (one to two pages). A typical intensive reading lesson has three stages. These are the pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading stages.
5.2 Extensive Reading
Extensive reading is the major part of the ALP and graded readers are used for this component of the programme. At the beginning of the course students take a reading proficiency test. They are then placed at different reading levels (2, 3 and 4) depending on their scores. A student reads ten books at one level (they write reading responses on the books) before they move on to the next level.
5.3 Writing
The writing part of the course focuses on developing students’ competence in expressing information/ideas clearly and logically in paragraphs and essays. Student will focus on paragraph writing in the first semester and essay writing in the second semester.
5.4 Resources and other material
ALP learners are exposed throughout the course to books, the Internet; periodicals; magazines; and newspapers.
6. TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
ALP learners are developed within the following context:
· Oral class/group discussion;
· Read extensively outside class;
· Write reading responses/paragraphs and essays; and
· Research assignments.
7. SPECIFIC AND GENERIC OUTCOMES
Van Wyk (2007:3) outlines the following specific outcomes such as completing comprehension-based activities and problem-solving tasks. This enables students to develop their English language reading skills. Students will then also be able to express their opinions about a variety of issues fluently, critically as well as creatively in the mode of oral discussion; and to express information and opinions clearly and with appropriate organisation in the written mode.
8. ASSESSMENT: CRITERIA, STRATEGY, METHODS, TECHNIQUES
8.1 Assessment Criteria
Once the module has been completed, students will be able to:
· Read academic text with understanding;
· Write coherent academic essays;
· Process various sentence structures quickly and accurately in a comprehensible text; and
· Accurately complete comprehension-based and problem-solving tasks in the mode of written presentation.
8.2 Assessment Strategy Method
· Weekly quizzes (vocabulary)-based on the reading they do in class 10 x 5 = 50 marks
· Weekly reading reactions on Graded Readers 7 x 20 = 140 marks
· Paragraph writing in the first semester 5 x 10 = 50 marks
· Essays-one page long essay in second semester 3 x 20 = 60 marks
· Summative-reading comprehension = 200 marks
Total marks = 500 marks
9. EVALUATION STRATEGY
The following evaluation strategy will be used, namely to conduct a coherent survey on the effectiveness of this programme for students furthering their studies in other programmes and to evaluate the performance of students who have completed the programme. Proper records are to be kept to make a coherent study of the effectiveness of this programme by establishing the progress of students in other programmes.
10. THE WAY FORWARD
To adapt the ALP at the CUT to suit modern higher education standards, the Centre for e-Learning and Educational Technology (CeLET) should integrate the programme with Blackboard 6, Campus Edition to prepare learning materials and to enable learners to develop themselves academically in their own time. It forms part of the modern development of Open Learning trends such as at UNISA.
UNISA opened the very first Institute for Open Learning on the African continent during May this year on the recommendations of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). It will not only add value to learning and teaching, but also for research outputs said Professor Mandla Makhanya, pro-vice chancellor of UNISA in Pretoria (SA Media. (SA Media. University of the Free State.www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/Rademeyer/2008). In comparing higher education access for SA learners for instance with Egypt on the African continent, it is lower. Participation in Higher Education in SA is lower than 45% comparing to the rest of the continent. Enrolments south of the Sahara are of the lowest in the world. Since 1965 it only increased from 1% to the current 5% stated Makhanya.
South Africa’s participation in Higher Education is 17% and the aim is to increase it to 20% in 2010. Open Learning and ALP could enhance both wider access as well as outputs. It provides better academic support to enhance quality Higher Education (Ibid).
REFERENCES
Hay, H.R. & Sebolai, K.W. 2007. Compulsory Academic Language Proficiency Testing and Development at the Central University of Technology: Proposal for Funding. (Report to CUT Senate on 22 October 2007.) Bloemfontein. 1p. (Unpublished.)
SA Media. 2008. University of the Free State Newspaper clipping service. (www.Volksblad.com/thursday/10april/2008)
Sebolai, K.W. 2008. Verbal communication with the author. Bloemfontein.
Van Wyk, A. 2007. Academic Language Proficiency Course (ALP00BV). Bloemfontein: UFS. 3p. (Study guide BVDPLF.)
Yeld, N. 2003. Academic literacy and numeracy profiles: An analysis of some results from the AARP and TELP tests of incoming students. In. Into Higher Education – perspective on entry thresholds and enrolment system. A joint SAUVCA- CPT publication. Pretoria.
posted by Kallie (Karel Johannes) de Beer at 3:51 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home