Open AccessThe development of, and response to, an academic writing module for electrical engineers at the University of Bath
Author(s) -
Miranda Armstrong,
Jackie A Dannatt,
Adrian Evans
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of learning development in higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1759-667X
DOI - 10.47408/jldhe.v0i0.180
Subject(s) - tutor , academic writing , principal (computer security) , english for academic purposes , subject (documents) , mathematics education , modular design , computer science , academic year , second language writing , pedagogy , psychology , second language , linguistics , library science , programming language , philosophy , operating system
The academic writing module for electrical engineering students, offered at the University of Bath, is the result of collaboration between the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) and the English Language Centre (ELC) and is currently designed to deliver academic writing support to undergraduate students embarking on their engineering studies at Bath. The need for the course arose from subject tutor recognition of the studentsââ¬â¢ lack of awareness of the genre within which they were expected to write, suggesting that not only the subject content but also the expression of that content needed input and support. This paper presents details of the academic writing input provided by the University of Bath English Language Centre, the background to the module and ongoing development based on feedback from students, academic staff and EAP (English for Academic Purposes) tutors. Feedback indicates that the course succeeds in supporting students in their writing. The principal direction for future development lies in tailoring the course to fit the modular nature of studentsââ¬â¢ degrees, addressing issues connected to language proficiency and the nature of assessment.