INFORM CONFERENCE | 2018 InForm Transition to university: providing the tools for success

Lecture rooms 1 – 3 Arts Building Edgbaston campus – Red Zone (R16) 30 June 2018 Inform Conference 2018

HOW TO FIND US EDGBASTON CAMPUS, BIRMINGHAM, B15 2TT

utes min Key 15 G21

Edgbaston Campus Map Y2 Building name Oakley The Vale Footpath SOM Court ERSET RO Information point AD Index to buildings by zone B9 Level access entrance Medical Practice The Elms and Dental Centre Day Nursery Steps Tennis Court

Red Zone Orange Zone Visitors car park D G20 P A O R1 Law Building O1 The Guild of Students Hospital Pritchatts House R H RD A New atheletics track R2 Frankland Building O2 St Francis Hall HO 24 hour security R G19 24 Ashcroft U RQ Park House R3 Hills Building O3 University House AR Bus stops HA R4 Aston Webb – Lapworth Museum O4 Ash House Pritchatts Park UF L Q CANA Village P R Library A AM R5 Aston Webb – B Block O5 Beech House R F I T C Museum 13 Pritchatts Road E Conference H D R6 Aston Webb – Great Hall O6 Cedar House D BIRMINGH The Spinney A G18 Priorsfield Park AN G T Sport facilities T B R7 Aston Webb – Student Hub O7 Sport & Fitness S A CESTER R ST G17 Peter Scott House O WOR R8 Physics West First aid O A Green Zone D N P G5 R9 Nuffield Food and drink Pritchatts Road P G16 Lucas House G1 32 Pritchatts Road A Car Park R R10 Physics East K Retail G2 31 Pritchatts Road R s O R11 Medical Physics inute G14 Toilets B8 10 m Garth House A G3 European Research Institute G4 Conference D R12 Bramall Music Building G15 Westmere G4 3 Elms Road ATM Park R13 Poynting Building Edgbaston Park G5 Computer Centre Canal bridge D B7 B6 A Hotel and Conference R14 Barber Institute of Fine Arts G1 O R Centre – opening G6 Metallurgy and Materials Sculpture trail BRAILSFORD DRIVE R15 Watson Building S Autumn 2018 M G7 IRC Net Shape Laboratory L R16 Arts Building Rail G3 E G8 Gisbert Kapp Building G6 G2 G13 R17 Ashley Building Lift HOSPITAL DRIVE MINDELSOHN WAY B11 Hornton Grange G9 52 Pritchatts Road B4 G12 R18 Strathcona Building G7 G10 54 Pritchatts Road Institute of In development B5 G8 Winterbourne R19 Education Building Translational House and G11 Nicolson Building Medicine Garden R20 J G Smith Building average walk time H P G12 Winterbourne House and Garden from ChancellorOLD’s Court QUEEN ELIZABETH North East B3 HOSPITAL G9 Car Park R21 Muirhead Tower North G11 G15 Westmere B10 E Gate Nicolson I V R23 University Centre R no longer Building G18 Priorsfield D accessible G10 T Arts Building R16. R24 Staff House N R29 PR G19 Park House E tes ITC C CANAL inu H M 5 m A R26 Geography IN A TT GH R20 S G20 Elms Plant B2 V R B1 MIN O ool R A R27 Biosciences Building ical Sch BI D Med a ND G22 Elms Day Nursery A R R28 Murray Learning Centre E Green Zone Conference Park CEST WOR RIN R29 The Alan Walters Building G RO R30 AD G13 Hornton Grange R21 NO R19 University running track R Main R18 T R30 Main Library Green Heart H G14 Garth House B12 Library ST WE R31 Collaborative Teaching Laboratory AD R17 G16 Lucas House O R University Y – in development IT Station S R26 G17 Peter Scott House R R23 R16 E IV Blue Zone N R27 Yellow Zone U R31 B1 Medical School West University Square Gate R28R.30 Y1 Old Gymnasium – R24 B2 Institute of Biomedical Research R14 KING in development Y16 R15 The Barber EDWARD’S including IBR West Institute of SCHOOL Y2 Haworth Building Y9 Fine Arts Y8 R2 UN B3 Wellcome Clinical Research Facility R1 IVER Y3 Mechanical and Civil SITY Y2 ROA Y17 D EA B4 Robert Aitken Institute for School of ST East Engineering Building Engineering Y10 R13 Gate MAIN ENTRANCE Clinical Research development Y1 R3 Y4 Terrace Huts CHANCELLOR’S B5 CRUK Institute for Cancer Studies COURT R8 O3 Y5 Estates West R4 Y12 R9 E and Denis Howell Building D Y6 Maintenance Building Y11 R5 The Guild G R12 of Students B O2 A B6 Research Park Y13 Bramall R10 S Y7 Grounds and Gardens R7 Music O1 R6 T Y3 Building O B7 90 Vincent Drive 24 Y8 Chemistry West N Student B8 Henry Wellcome Building for Hub P Sport, Y4 A Y9 Computer Science R Exercise and RIN Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy Rehabilitation G R H Car Park Entrance P K OAD SOUT Y10 Alta Bioscience Sciences R11 R B9 Medical Practice and Dental Centre Y5 O Y11 Chemical Engineering Y14 AD O6 B10 Advanced Therapies Facility Cultural attractions (open to the public) Y6 O7 O5 Y12 Biochemical Engineering Sport & Fitness B11 BioHub Birmingham O4 To city centre Y13 Chemical Engineering Workshop Bramall Music B12 Health Sciences Research Centre Y19 Y15 Y7 Outdoor Sport Facilities Y14 Sport, Exercise and Building (R12) Main Entrance (HSRC) Barber Institute Rehabilitation Sciences D of Fine Arts (R14) Grange OA Bournbrook R Y18 Road OL Y15 Civil Engineering Laboratories Lapworth Museum Student T Gate RIS To School of Dentistry Accommodation Pavilion South B of Geology (R4) Gate 38 Y16 Occupational Health (now open) Pedestrian access only A Y17 Public Health Winterbourne House To Jarratt Hall To Selly Oak campus and and Garden (G12) University of Birmingham School Y18 Bournbrook Student Accommodation Y19 Buried infrastructure facility

2 Inform Conference 2018 InForm CONFERENCE 2018 TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY: PROVIDING THE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS Birmingham International Academy at the University of Birmingham, in conjunction with the Inform editorial board at the University of Reading, is very pleased to welcome you to the ninth annual Inform conference. The theme of the conference is “Transition to University: providing the tools for success”. We believe this theme is central to the role of International Foundation Programmes and Pathways. Understanding that the personal, academic and, in most cases, linguistic transformation that students undertake during this year empowers us, as practitioners, to guide the students to their place at the heart of the academic community. We have had a large number of excellent submissions, addressing the theme in a number of ways, and we feel confident that the talks will provide a stimulus for discussion and research into this vital area. We are very pleased to welcome Dr Vikki Burns from the University of Birmingham and Dr Ursula Wingate from Kings College London as keynote speakers. Both speakers have some crucial insights to share, and we are very much looking forward to their talks. We hope that you will have a thought-provoking and stimulating day and that you are able to take advantage of the networking opportunities the event will offer.

Mike Groves College Programmes Manager Birmingham International Academy University of Birmingham

3 Inform Conference 2018 INFORM Conference 2018 programme Transition to university: providing the tools for success

08:50 – 09:15 Registration – refreshments

09:15 – 09:20 Welcome and conference opening (all delegates)

09:20 – 10:05 Not a problem to be fixed Keynote Dr Vikki Burns – University of Birmingham address 1 Vikki explores our approach to integrating international students into university study and life. Often support is provided to enable students to overcome cultural differences and, in a sense, conform to our expectation of what we think students should be. Vikki considers an alternative approach that does not view international students as being ‘deficient’ in particular academic communities and practises, but instead embraces their differences, enabling the unique strengths of individuals to develop.

10:05 – 10:40 Assessed reflective writing; An online academic study skills course ‘Flying start’ – a framework to facilitate friend or foe? the transition of undergraduate Aysen Gilroy – Zayed University international students to UK Maria Hussain – University of Leeds Zayed University provides online Higher Education Assessed reflective writing has gained courses to students graduating from Clare Poulson – University of Leeds ground in many fields in recent years, high schools to prepare them for including STEM related areas. However, undergraduate studies in an English- The session examines some of for many international students the medium instruction higher-education the issues related to the transition ‘cultural-situatedness’ (Tsui and Ng, institution. The speaker will introduce and acculturation of international 2010:32) of this genre acts as a barrier the Academic Study Skills for University undergraduate students’ transition to engagement. This presentation course which aims to develop skills to UK HE. A framework developed to offers practical insights in addressing necessary to make the transition from facilitate this transition will be presented, and overcoming such challenges in high school to university successful. as well as materials used with students. assessment and course design. Feedback from both students and teaching staff will be discussed, together with the limitations and possible wider applications.

10:45 – 11:10 Refreshments and posters

11:10 – 11:50 From IFY to FY with home students: Highlighting the factors that can The university food transition: challenges and strategies – an EAP make Foundation writers English what tools can we provide? tutor’s experience appear unacademic Liz Wilding – University of Reading Deirdre McKenna – University of Sussex Matthew Lemon – University of York This presentation will describe the The IFY/ EAP practitioner, specialising When transitioning to university, what International Student Food Project, in language and skills development is it that often makes student writing an initiative designed to explore the for international students, may need appear unacademic? role that food plays in the transition to adapt to a changing HE sector by experiences of international students delivering such content to ‘Home’ This presentation will investigate this and to find ways to enhance their students. This talk presents the recent issue and demonstrate ways to improve adjustment to shopping, cooking and experience of a Teaching Fellow in ELT writing beyond focusing on individual eating at university in the UK. delivering academic skills to FY ‘Home’ grammatical / vocabulary errors, based students. It focuses on the IFY skills on research conducted using systemic which can be transferred to a native functional linguistic genre and register speaker FY context, the challenges analysis. this transition in teaching poses for the practitioner, and outlines the strategies which have been found most effective in overcoming these difficulties.

11:50 – 12:30 ‘Unity in diversity’ – introducing a broad Problem-based learning: solving STEM focused IFY study skills: range of students to the requirements the problem of preparing high-level an evaluation of changes implemented of university writing students for undergraduate study at the University of Leeds (2017 – 18) Shuna I. A. Neilson – Richmond The Elizabeth Allen and Ruth Taylor – Jenny Hirst – University of Leeds American International University University of Bristol in London The presentation will evaluate changes This presentation outlines how problem- implemented in order to support the Richmond University requires all based learning has been used with transition of International Foundation students, regardless of nationality, to students with a high language level to Year students at the University of Leeds complete two credit-bearing modules in develop their academic language and onto STEM undergraduate programmes. research and writing providing them with literacy through discipline-specific the tools to successfully develop these problems. This approach has also skills at University. I will present research developed other essential skills required undertaken to revise these modules and for undergraduate study, especially the the effects that these revisions have had ability to work collaboratively with peers, on student performance. independently of the tutor.

4 Inform Conference 2018

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch and posters

13:30 – 14:15 Lost in transition: how to prepare students for reading and writing at university? Keynote Dr Ursula Wingate – School for Education, Communication and Society, Kings College London address 2 Ursula investigates the concept of academic discourse, specifically teaching, assessing and providing feedback on writing. Drawing on her own research into students’ own perceptions of their difficulties in this area, she focuses on the vital, but complex, area of argumentation, highlighting the various notions students have of what argumentation is, and how these notions may affect their transitions into university-level academic reading and writing.

14:15 – 14:55 Mastering academic writing – Under the formative sun – moving Looking 4 solutions: managing the key to a successful transition towards authentic assessments using liminality and transitions on Foundation response e-portfolio Programmes in the UK Kerry Tavakoli – University of St Andrews Sebastian Kozbi and Michael Salmon – Clare Nukui and Martin Millar – Academic writing and the successful University of Liverpool Oxford Brookes University completion of assignments constitute a significant cause of anxiety for many The presentation includes three ideas This presentation reviews some of the students. If sufficient attention is paid to that relate to the use of formative literature on liminality and asks whether this aspect of academic success, then assessment as the key element in FPs might be seen as liminal zones. many other aspects of transition may getting students ‘university ready’: Does the introduction of four-year be less problematic. This presentation 1) inclusion of relevant sub-skills, programmes and Level 4 modules go considers the impact of intensive, authentic tasks and meaningful some way to alleviating this potential scaffolded writing instruction on output; liminality and facilitate better transition students on foundation courses. 2) working with formative feedback; and to UG studies? 3) involving alumni, experts, practitioners etc. as the audience when assessing students.

14:55 – 15:20 Refreshments and posters

15:20 – 16:00 Effectively developing IFP students’ Backwards planning in practice: Foundation Programmes as library skills how a small UK HEI went about it socialisation structures: understanding the first year experiences of post-EAP Hannah Gurr – University of Bristol Julia Clifford – foundation students University College Birmingham This session will look at the ongoing Sandra Leigh – University of Nottingham collaboration between EAP tutors and In order to provide students with subject librarians at Bristol University the tools to succeed on their main This presentation explores the to effectively develop our IFP students’ programmes, module leaders on the findings of a doctoral investigation information literacy – essential library International Foundation Diploma into how former Foundation students skills for transition into university. English and Study Skills modules at navigated their first year. Data collected University College Birmingham have via interviews with students were been applying the backwards-planning analysed using socialisation theories. curriculum design model. This paper Despite areas for development, the outlines the steps taken and comments findings reveal that EAP is part of the on their application. socialisation structures that support student transition into university.

16:00 – 16:40 Using Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Developing ‘soft’ transferable skills to ‘DISCERN’: the discerning student to enhance students’ academic writing achieve ‘hard’ targets through cultural Dave Watton and Jake Groves – and community engagement Paula Villegas – University of Sheffield University of Birmingham Rebecca Hooker and Felicia Heard – Based on Maton’s (2009) Semantic University of Exeter Can EAP tutors help their learners foster Dimension, Ingold & O’Sullivan (2017) and a more critical approach by teaching a Brooks (2017) have developed practical A new academic English module has ‘language’ of critical thinking? To address activities to help students produce been developed which focuses on this question, we identified, taught academic texts. This presentation community and cultural engagement. and practised seven cognitive skills merges both techniques, providing It helps students acquire ‘softer’ skills, forming the acronym ‘DISCERN’. We a hands-on model on applying this such as reflective and critical skills; and evaluate how meaningful this process conceptual toolkit in the foundation EAP builds confidence and a sense of ‘fitting was through the eyes of both tutors and writing classroom. in’. This allows students moving on to learners themselves. pathway/degree programmes to develop the general skills and attributes needed for future academic challenges.

5 Inform Conference 2018 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Arts Lecture Theatre 1 09:20 –10:05 Not a problem to be fixed When we consider transition to university for international foundation pathway students, we often focus on how we can support the incoming students to overcome cultural barriers and “fit in” to our institutions. Although these initiatives are always well intended, I will propose Dr Vikki Burns in this talk that they can encourage a “deficit” approach, in which international students are Reader in Science Education a “problem to be fixed” in the classroom, rather than valuable and skilled members of our School of Sport, Exercise and academic and social communities. I will discuss how we can encourage our international Rehabilitation Sciences students to recognise their own strengths and contributions to the university, as well as University of Birmingham the potential benefits of extracurricular activities in supporting their development and integration. Finally, I will propose that Foundation Academy leaders have an important role to play in influencing institutional narratives regarding international students.

Dr Vikki Burns is a Reader in Science Education, with a special interest in how we can support students to become effective, educated citizens. She uses experiential learning, innovative assessments, and extracurricular activities to give students opportunities to connect theory to practice, learn to communicate effectively with different audiences, and promote intercultural understanding. In recognition of this work, she is a National Teaching Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

6 Inform Conference 2018

Arts Lecture Theatre 1 13:30 –14:15 Lost in transition: How to prepare students for reading and writing at university? Dr Ursula Wingate I will present an ‘essay-writing framework’ and argue for the use of this in teaching Senior Lecturer in Language academic reading and writing in pre-sessional and foundation programmes to facilitate in Education students’ transition into university. I draw on research I conducted with two cohorts of Centre for Language, Learning first-year undergraduate students to identify typical difficulties encountered in academic and Discourse School for Education, transition. These include the understanding of the discourse of academic writing guidance, Communication and Society assessment criteria and feedback, and in particular of the key requirement of critical Kings College London thinking and argumentation. Focusing on argumentation, I will discuss the concepts of argumentation that students bring to university and the type and quality of instruction they receive. I will also show that incorrect concepts of argumentation are related to considerable difficulties in academic reading.

Dr Ursula Wingate works in the Centre for Language, Discourse and Communication at Kings College London, and is the convenor of the Forum for Academic Language and Literacy (FALL). She teaches on the BA English Language and Linguistics, the MA Applied Linguistics and ELT, the MA TESOL and also supervises several doctoral students. She was joint editor of the Language Learning Journal from 2011 to 2015, and regularly reviews papers for various academic journals.

7 Inform Conference 2018 PARALLEL SESSIONS Session outlines

10:05 – 10:45 Assessed reflective writing; friend or foe? Arts Building Reflective writing as an assessed practice International Foundation Year (IFY) students Lecture Room 1 has gained ground in many fields in recent over the span of a year through teacher years, including STEM related areas and observations, student reflective writing many EAP courses. This upward trend is samples and surveys. With explicit genre- supported by recent studies showing a based approaches to reflective writing in positive correlation between reflective the second term, results showed a marked writing and the development of critical improvement in both the quality of students’ thinking. reflective writing and awareness of the However, for many international students potential benefits of ‘critical reflection’ critical self-reflection is a novel genre of beyond the IFY programme, with a view to writing due to the differences in cultural transferability of skills to future academic Maria Hussain expectations of writing and thus may act as and professional contexts. University of Leeds a barrier to engagement with this ‘culturally- The findings do suggest that with greater situated’ (Tsui and Ng, 2010:32) type of explicit genre-based instruction of such writing. This issue is also compounded by ‘fuzzy’ (ibid:262 ) concepts, IFY students are the ambiguity that surrounds this genre of better able to engage and benefit from this writing for both students and teachers alike writing practice and assessment. (Clarà, 2014). References This presentation will explore the Clarà, M. (2015). What is reflection? Looking relationship between reflective writing for clarity in an ambiguous notion. practices and the development of Journal of Teacher Education, 66(3), 261–271. critical thinking as a transitional aid for doi:10.1177/0022487114552028 international students into the academy. It will also discuss practical challenges and Tsui, A. B. M., & Ng, M. M. Y. (2010). Cultural limitations in addressing those needs in contexts and situated possibilities in the assessment and syllabus design. This is teaching of second language writing. informed by data gathered from current Journal of Teacher Education, 61(4), 364–375. doi:10.1177/0022487110364855 10:05 – 10:45 Arts Building An online academic study skills course Lecture Room 2 Recently Zayed University in the UAE has In this presentation the speaker will: taken on the responsibility of providing • talk about the UAE and ZU context; online courses to students graduating • explain the principles upon which this from a dual language school system online course was based; with the overall aim of preparing them for undergraduate studies in an English- • introduce the different units covered in medium instruction higher-education this course and explain how this content institution. As part of this brief, the was selected (Units: Introduction to Academic Bridge Program has created a Life at University, Critical Thinking, Time number of online courses, one of which is Management, Assignment Management); Aysen Gilroy Academic Study Skills for University. This and Zayed University course specifically targets students who are • highlight one of the units, namely the about to embark on their university career Critical Thinking Skills, to demonstrate and aims to develop skills that are necessary how the learners’ needs combined with to make the transition from high school to the institutional needs informed the university successful. content of the course.

8 Inform Conference 2018

10:05 – 10:45 ‘Flying start’ – a framework to facilitate the transition Arts Building of undergraduate international students to UK Lecture Room 3 Higher Education All undergraduate students experience References the transition from pre-university life Briggs, A.R.J., Clark, J. and Hall, I. (2012). to their new academic community, and Building bridges: understanding student this transition stage is key to their future transition to university. Quality in Higher academic development and success. Education. 18(1), pp.3–21. However, it can be far from smooth, with many students encountering problems Gamache, P. (2002). University Students along the way. Research suggests that as the Creators of Personal Knowledge: an this could be due to a number of factors, alternative epistemological view. Teaching Clare Poulson in Higher Education. 7:3, 277–294. University of Leeds including a lack of knowledge and understanding about the university context Harvey, L. Drew, S. and Smith, M. (2006). and environment, and lack of preparation The First-Year Experience: A review of for what is involved in university-level study literature for the Higher Education Academy. (Briggs et al., 2012; Scanlon et al., 2007; London: The Higher Education Academy. Wingate, 2007; Harvey et al., 2006). The Hussey, T. and Smith, P. (2010). Transitions in presentation will examine issues relating Higher Education. Innovations in Education & to the transition and acculturation of Teaching International. 47:2, 156–164. international undergraduate students as they embark on their journey into UK Scanlon, L., Rowling, L. & Weber, Z., (2005). Higher Education. ‘“You don’t have like an identity …. you are just lost in a crowd”: forming a student A framework developed to facilitate this identity in the first-year transition to transition will be presented, along with university’. Journal of Youth Studies. 10(2), examples materials used with students, pp.223–41. including interactive online Padlets, online student confidence surveys and personal Wingate, U. (2007). A Framework for development plans. The framework itself Transition: Supporting ‘Learning to Learn’. is based on Wingate’s (2007) ‘Framework Higher Education. Higher Education for Transition: Learning to Learn in HE’. Quarterly. 61: pp391–405. Both the framework and materials were developed from the findings of tracking research undertaken at a University of Leeds undergraduate student cohort. Feedback from both the student cohort and teaching staff, together with the limitations, will be presented. The framework and its individual components could be further developed and adapted for wider application including: • Adapting the content for application across discipline-specific contexts • Using confidence surveys across modules/ programmes • Developing the content of the materials for use with both home and international students.

9 Inform Conference 2018

11:10 – 11:50 From IFY to FY with home students: Arts Building challenges and strategies – an EAP tutor’s experience Lecture Room 1 The role of the IFY/ EAP practitioner is References changing in the current HE sector, blurring Ashwin (2015). Reflective Teaching in Higher the traditional lines between language Education. London: Bloomsbury and skills development for native / non- native English speakers. At the University Basturkmen, H. (2010) Developing Courses of Sussex, for example, a core FY module for English for Specific Purposes. Basingstoke: ‘Academic Development’ has been designed Palgrave Macmillan for a cohort of over 700 ‘Home’ students; Jones, E. (2017). Problematising and the module is delivered by Teaching reimagining the notion of ‘international Fellows who specialise in working with student experience.’ Studies in Higher Deirdre McKenna non-native speakers, given that they are Education, 42(5), 933–943 University of Sussex largely from an EAP/ ELT/ IFY background. Kavanagh, M. (2017). ‘Teaching Home This diversification in the IFY/EAP role Students: Teachers’ Attitudes to a New suggests that the teaching culture itself Challenge’. BALEAP: Addressing the State may be changing (Munn, 2017). Due to this, of the Union: Working Together = Learning questions may arise for the practitioner in Together. University of Bristol, Bristol. terms of their teacher identity, the teaching Available at: https://www.baleap.org/event/ methodology they apply, and their role addressing-state-union-working-together- within the wider HE context (Ashwin, 2015; learning-together Kreber, 2010). Kreber, C. (2010). Academics’ teacher The transition from IFY to FY teaching may identities, authenticity & pedagogy. Studies present a number of teaching challenges in Higher Education, 35(2), pp. 171–194 (Kavanagh, 2017), including student attendance issues, lack of engagement, Munn, M. (2017). ‘Cultural Practices and extensive pastoral support. However, within EAP and Study Skills/ Academic despite the apparent differences in teaching Development – for Ed.D in Education’, context, the needs of the Home FY student PR8008: Cultural Practices, University of can in fact be similar to those of the IFY Chester. Unpublished Assignment student, particularly in terms of training for academic writing (Jones, 2017, p.935). In addition, the principles which are applicable in course design for EAP courses, such as liaising with subject specialists (Basturkmen, 2010), can also be applied to the FY ‘Home’ student context. This means that the IFY/ EAP practitioner has a broad range of skills which can be transferred to FY modules, including the English language specialism, which can be evidenced through the experiences of the University of Sussex Teaching Fellows.

10 Inform Conference 2018

11:10 – 11:50 Highlighting the factors that can make Arts Building Foundation writers English appear unacademic Lecture Room 2 Introduction – IELTS writing chestnuts Genre requirements of academic writing on-screen: A selection of clichés sure to get – brief outline of academic writing genre eyes rolling (especially if you’ve ever been an referring especially to Hyland. IELTS examiner!). Outline of research and findings – The IELTS exam – A discussion of how it is an outline of the findings of research and isn’t academic due to the limitations of conducted on analysing essays written the nature of the exam. by Foundation students, with specific examples – highlighting what made it Systemic functional linguistics – brief appear unacademic. The conclusion drawn introduction to what it is, referencing from this was that, aside from grammar/ Matthew Lemon Michael Halliday. University of Sussex lexical mistakes, it was largely down to Genre/register analysis – more detail lexical density, because students were on what this is and why it is a useful and not producing nominalised noun phrases. different approach to analyse choices Examples will be provided to illustrate. made rather than focusing on the How to address this issue – an outline of mistakes themselves. how students were guided to rewrite their essays with more lexical density – with examples on screen.

11:10 – 11:50 The university food transition: Arts Building what tools can we provide? Lecture Room 3 Food can play a significant role in the Reading and to produce a bank of resources acculturation of international students, but for use by new students. We will report on is its importance sometimes overlooked by the outcomes so far, including the findings international foundation programme staff of our questionnaire and our focus groups and students alike? Can we do more to and on what we have learned from our ‘food support our students’ transition into eating, chat’ sessions and competitions. as well as food-shopping and cooking, at Attendees should expect a menu of food University? Experience suggests that these images and metaphors as we serve up questions are especially relevant to IFP our challenges and successes. We will also students, and research suggests that the Liz Wilding invite attendees to join us ‘at the table’ answer to both of them is ‘yes’ (see Brown, University of Reading and give feedback on our ideas for future 2009 and Hartwell et al 2011). With funding developments of this work in progress. from UKCISA, the International Student Food Project was designed to explore References this ‘food transition’ in more depth and to Brown, L. (2009). The role of food in the develop interventions that might enhance adjustment journey of international the experience of international students students. In A. Lingreen and M. Hingley when they first arrive on their programmes (eds) The New Cultures of Food: Marketing in the UK. Opportunities from Ethnic, Religious and This presentation will describe the aims Cultural Diversity. London: Gower. and activities of the one-year project, Hartwell, H., Edwards, J. and Brown, L., (2011). which has sought to obtain feedback on Acculturation and food habits: lessons to the food-related experiences, issues and be learned. British Food Journal, 113 (11), needs of students at the University of pp, 1393–1405.

11 Inform Conference 2018

11:50 – 12:30 ‘Unity in diversity’ – introducing a broad range of Arts Building students to the requirements of university writing Lecture Room 1 I will present on the criteria upon which the We undertook a review of the research in two research and writing modules at 3,000 the field, with particular focus on the work of and 4,000 level were reformulated for their Wingate and Hardy and Clughen, and looked launch in September 2015, followed by an at practice elsewhere at other liberal arts assessment of the effects of these changes universities and at universities in the UK. on student performance. Richmond faculty was interviewed for their The origin of these modules lies within the contribution to the debate and a survey was US liberal arts tradition, but in response to distributed to Richmond final-year students student feedback, Richmond focuses solely for their assessment of the research and Shuna I.A. Neilson on academic tools required for success at writing modules they had taken. university. The experience outlined here is Richmond The American The modules were revised by specialists in likely to be of use to those in the UK system International University academic literacies and were launched in in London who are required to formulate a ‘learning September 2015. academic writing’ module to facilitate the transition of all kinds of students from Refinement of the modules is on-going, school to university. informed by regular dialogue among the teaching faculty and feedback and data from To benchmark these modules we examined the students. Yearly reviews are conducted the explicit requirements of both our UK and on the effects of the modules. US accrediting bodies, plus the SEEC level descriptors for levels 3,000 and 4,000.

11:50 – 12:30 Problem-based learning: solving the problem of Arts Building preparing high-level students for undergraduate study Lecture Room 3 This presentation outlines how a problem- suitable problems. Based on an approach based learning (PBL) approach has been used by Wood and Head (2004), students used on an EAP unit to address the problem work in teams to create problems for of how to engage foundation students with each other that are discipline-specific a high level of English. By giving students and meet the requirement of a ‘good’ complex, real-world problems to solve, they problem. This is itself a problem requiring are provided with a challenging, engaging students to research their peers’ proposed context in which to develop a range of undergraduate disciplines, as well as the academic literacy skills through conducting requirements of a ‘good’ problem. research, seminars, presentations and Elizabeth Allen The presentation will conclude with a writing reports. Moreover, as PBL places the discussion of the students’ and course University of Bristol teacher in the role of ‘guide by the side’ or tutors’ evaluation of problem-based ‘meddler in the middle’ (McWilliam, 2009) learning, and the extent to which this rather than ‘sage on the stage’, students approach helps students develop the skills develop other essential skills required needed to transition to undergraduate study. for undergraduate study, most obviously problem-solving. Other key skills are: References working collaboratively with peers as part McWilliam, E., 2009. Teaching for creativity: of a team, studying independently of the from sage to guide to meddler. Asia Pacific tutor, critically evaluating their own work as Journal of Education, 29(3), pp.281–293. Ruth Taylor well as the work of others, and reflecting Wood, A. and Head, M., 2004. ‘Just what the University of Bristol on progress. doctor ordered’: the application of problem- This presentation also addresses the based learning to EAP. English for Specific issue of how to provide students with Purposes, 23(1), pp.3–17.

12 Inform Conference 2018

11:50 – 12:30 STEM focused IFY study skills: an evaluation of changes Arts Building implemented at the University of Leeds (2017–18) Lecture Room 3 The presentation will be divided into six Can we provide generic skills and tasks sections, each with questions that have which are transferable to a range of STEM arisen from my research and findings from academic disciplines? implementation, which I have tried to answer 6 Transition to International University – input from the audience is welcome. policy and student experience. 1 Context and Transition: overview of Questions: What does it mean to be an University of Leeds IFY programme international student to IFY students? and new strands (student cohort How are university internationalisation demographics, additional modules and policies implemented? What is the actual Jenny Hirst progression departments). experience of international students? University of Leeds 2 Stakeholder Expectations: Students’ Progression Departments; other module tutors. Questions: What do students and departments really need? Do they know what they need? Can we provide it? Can we please everyone? 3 Content Changes: transition to STEM focus (what, why and how); UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Citizen Project. Questions: How do we engage and prepare students for the transition into a range of undergraduate STEM departments? 4 Delivery Changes: Conferences, Workshops, Debates, Lectures, Listening tests, Campus Treasure Hunt, Padlets, Socrative, combined class groups, group work and peer assessment. Questions: How much control should the course lead, the tutors or the students have regarding input? How do we guarantee students (all of them) are adequately and appropriately challenged? How high do we set the bar? Are we teaching language or content? 5 Assessment Changes (providing evidence of being ready for the transition): Annotated Bibliography; Assessed Discussion; Report; Abstract; Individual Presentation; Reflection; and Marking Criteria. Questions: What should assessment do? to what extent should it/or can it replicate tasks/skills required at UG level?

13 Inform Conference 2018

14:15 – 14:55 Mastering academic writing – Arts Building the key to a successful transition Lecture Room 1 Making the transition from writing school classified as ‘successful’, and this is a major assignments to developing competence and cause of stress. A foundation programme confidence in completing a range of university which focuses heavily on instruction in assignments is a considerable challenge. In writing, providing a thorough grounding in fact, adapting to academic culture may be syntax can make a considerable difference more of an obstacle than social acculturation, to the student experience. The same applies and is likely to be perceived as more to the acquisition of vocabulary, as students, important to many international students. both native and non-native speakers, have Research suggests that this is not confined been shown to lack academic vocabulary Kerry Tavakoli to international students, as many native (McKeown & Beck, 2004; Stahl, 2005). speakers ‘experienced a range of problems University of St Andrews A small study in ELT at the University of in “bridging the gap” between A level and St Andrews suggests that international degree’ (Ballinger). students preparing to enter their first year Given that the medium for much assessment become increasingly less anxious about is written (Lea, 1999), the ability to write the transition as they gain confidence in well is fundamental to success at university. their ability to write through multiple drafts If students are unable to articulate their of assessments with detailed written and knowledge in writing, they will not be oral feedback.

14:15 – 14:55 Under the formative sun – moving towards authentic Arts Building assessments using response e-portfolio Lecture Room 2 This session aims to illustrate the tasks from RE-p. This section is devoted importance of authentic assessment and to practically illustrating how this approach its key element, formative assessment, could be utilised with students intending as they relate to the theme of the InForm to study different university courses in Conference ‘Transition into University: disciplines as varied as Music, TESOL Providing the Tools for Success’. and Accounting. Firstly, the presentation briefly introduces Finally, the presentation concludes with the these two terms and why it is thought they upcoming developments in terms of further are essential in students’ transition into integration of skills and greater use of Sebastian Kozbi university. Then, it moves onto illustrating technology, as well as anticipated issues. the development of ‘Response E-portfolio’ University of Liverpool References (RE-p) at the University of Liverpool (UoL), an innovative new approach to authentic, Bachman, l. And Palmer, A (2010) Language formative assessment, in which students Assessment in Practice. Oxford: Oxford react dynamically to teaching material and University Press. remix in-class stimuli into output (in the Bennett, R.E. (2011) ‘Formative assessment: form of a wide-ranging electronic portfolio). a critical review’, Assessment in Education: This allows for greater creativity and Principles, Policy & Practice, vol. 18, no. 1, reflection on the part of the students, but pp. 5–25. also requires a great deal of academic rigour Clarke, S. (2014) Outstanding formative Michael Salmon in the selection of relevant sub-skills that assessment: culture and practice, London: University of Liverpool student need to practise / master in order Hodder Education. in London to be ‘university-ready’, alongside authentic Davies, A. (1990) Principles of language and appropriate portfolio tasks that allow testing. Oxford: Blackwell. these skills to be developed. Richards, J. and Rogers, T. (1999) Approaches The second part shifts its attention to and Method in Language Teaching. Oxford: formative assessment and examples of Oxford University Press 14 Inform Conference 2018

14:15 – 14:55 The answer is 4: questions of liminality and transition Arts Building on Foundation Programmes in the UK Lecture Room 3 The first part of our presentation will look References at the notion of liminality (Van Gennep in Ball, S.J. (2015) ‘Living the Neo-Liberal Turner, 1967) and ask whether student on University’ European Journal of Education a Foundation Programme could be said to Vol. 50 No. 3, 2015. be in a liminal space, “a cultural realm that has few or none of the attributes of the Barnett, R. (2011) Being a University past or coming state” (Turner, 1967). We will Abingdon: Routledge. explore whether or not placing students on Turner, V. (1967) The Ritual Process Ithaca, a 4-year integrated programme with a year New York: Cornell University Press. Clare Nukui 0 as compared to a stand-alone Foundation Oxford Brookes University year does anything to mitigate against the possible feelings of liminality that might be experienced by Foundation students. A cross-institutional analysis of Foundation Programmes structures as well as focus groups will be employed. Traditional liminal phases are marked by rites of passage and we will investigate whether opening and closing ceremonies are an important aspect of a Foundation programme. Martin Millar The second part of the presentation will Oxford Brookes University present the organisation of Oxford Brookes’ foundation courses and the original rationale for the inclusion of an alternative compulsory Level 4 module in all of these. This will be followed by a discussion of how this rationale has changed in the light of cultural shifts in the principles and practices in HE (Barnett, 2011, 2013 and 2016; and Ball, 2015), before moving on to a comparative analysis of foundation student performance on a small sample of Level 3 and Level 4 modules, and their performance in comparison with the undergraduate students taking the same level 4 modules. In the conclusion, the presenters will argue that liminality is now an emerging aspect of undergraduate education and that this development is set to impact on foundation courses in various ways.

15 Inform Conference 2018

15:20 – 16:00 Effectively developing IFP students’ library skills Arts Building Library Skills are a key skill for students to from their course reading lists. Students Lecture Room 1 develop while at university. However, many also learned how to find journals and articles students come to us unaware of the need using Library Search, and apply appropriate to do research, evaluate sources, cite or filters to help narrow down the results. In the reference at the end of their essays. In second session, students compared books 2017–18, we wanted to get IFP students with the journals that Sarah had brought in and subject librarians together, alongside to help them make the connection between IFP teaching staff, to explore the most the physical journal and the need to find effective ways of helping students acquire them on a database. these essential skills, and moving away By encouraging questions and feedback from Google/Baidu as a way of finding throughout the sessions, we were able to Hannah Gurr information for their academic writing. identify problematic areas and areas of University of Bristol The subject librarian for Economics interest. We are now working on making the (Sarah Brain) and I trialled two library skills sessions for next year even more effective sessions with our Arts and Humanities, by flipping the input for the very basic Social Sciences and Law pathway students. information by using edpuzzle.com. This will Students learned how to locate their subject maximise the face-to-face time students library and identify their subject librarian, have with their subject librarian. as well as find the class mark of textbooks

15:20 – 16:00 Backwards planning in practice: Arts Building how a small UK HEI went about it Lecture Room 2 There is a great deal written about using Each of these stages will be discussed from backwards planning for the design of the point of view of the English teaching language curricula (see, for example, team, with an explanation of how the team McTighe and Thomas, 2003; Wiggins and went about the backwards planning process McTighe, 2006; and Richards, 2013), with so as to ensure that the English and study various models provided for approaching it, skills modules provided the students with but how can it actually be done? the tools they need to succeed on their BA University College Birmingham, a small and FdA programmes. specialist UK HEI, has been applying this Julia Clifford approach to the design of the EAP modules on its International Foundation Diploma University College Birmingham for the past seven years and this paper will outline the steps that staff have used in an attempt to make the English modules engaging and relevant for students at the University. Drawing on the work of Richards (2013) and Wiggins and McTighe (2006), the discussion will consider the three key stages of identifying the desired results, deciding on appropriate sources of data and developing an action plan.

16 Inform Conference 2018

15:20 – 16:00 Foundation Programmes as socialisation structures: Arts Building understanding the first year experiences of post-EAP Lecture Room 3 Foundation students Background The Findings EAP courses: the what, why and how Positive impacts: Our Foundation programmes: aims & • Academic: skills, knowledge, linguistic context competence, academic expectations • Non-academic: relationships, familiarity The Research with context Research aim: to investigate the missing Negative impacts: link – post-EAP Foundation students’ Sandra Leigh • Academic: specific linguistic socialisation, experiences. University of Nottingham workload, task types RQs: • Non-academic: level of autonomy & • How do students fare in their first year? agency • What is the impact of their EAP education Other findings: spaces aided integration in their transition? especially e-spaces & online resources. • What this means for EAP & Foundation Programmes? Conclusion Methodology: face-to-face semi-structured Foundation Programme are part of interviews (students, lecturers & EAP tutors). institutional socialisation structures to support student transition; however, more Theoretical framework: socialisation departmental collaboration is necessary for theories (transitioning into a new more effective preparation. environment); understanding EAP from a socialisation perspective.

17 Inform Conference 2018

16:00 – 16:40 Using Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) to enhance Arts Building students’ academic writing Lecture Room 1 Objectives academic. This practical reflection will • To briefly introduce Legitimation be followed by a brief introduction to the Code Theory semantics dimension. Emphasis is given to • To explore the Semantic dimension semantic gravity and semantic density, as well as the concept of semantic waves. • To discuss practical activities in which LCT and SD can be included in the IFY The activities used with IFY students, writing classroom. based on IngoId and O’Sullivan (2017) and • To explore IFY students perception on LCT Brooke’s (2017) approach to including LCT in the classroom, will then be explored. This practical session starts with a brief Paula Villegas This presentation will conclude with a brief introduction to LCT. A practical approach University of Sheffield summary on qualitative data collected will be taken, thus participants will be asked from students discussing their experience to look at 3 authentic samples of students’ with LCT. writing and discuss what makes the samples

16:00 – 16:40 Developing ‘soft’, transferable skills to achieve ‘hard’, Arts Building targets through cultural and community engagement Lecture Room 2 Some might assume that there is limited We argue that students can benefit value neither in acquiring ‘softer’, more enormously by having ‘softer’ as well as personal skills/attributes nor in attending measurable ‘hard’ skills, e.g. presentation a non-accredited academic English (AE) skills, framed in a less-threatening and module to prepare for university study. engaging learning environment. By reducing This session will present and evaluate a performance and language anxiety, newly-piloted (2017) AE module from INTO, transferable skills can be developed to University of Exeter (UoE), which directly increase students’ confidence to undertake confronts these two assumptions. some of the more traditional tasks faced with university study. Rebecca Hooker The module, Engagement in Community University of Exeter and Language Skills (ECLS), prepares Such benefits for students include: international students at INTO, the opportunities to interact with native English University of Exeter (UoE), for transition speakers in authentic communicative to pathway / degree programmes at UoE. situations; improving culturally-appropriate Notably, it is a non-accredited module, communication; developing cultural although it is informally assessed. awareness, both of British culture and their own culture; and reflective skills. This session will report on some of the activities and projects involved, e.g. a project It has been significant that teachers on on an artefact from the local museum subsequent pathway programmes have Felicia Heard or weekly class visits to historical sites or commented that students from this University of Exeter charity shops. module demonstrate both confidence and communicative competence. It will also outline some of the identifiable benefits of this module for students’ personal/linguistic/academic development and for teachers.

18 Inform Conference 2018

16:00 – 16:40 ‘DISCERN’: the discerning student Arts Building Although the term ‘critical thinking’ is References Lecture Room 3 commonly used by academic tutors and Ellerton, P. (2014). How to teach all students curricula, its precise meaning can be vague to think critically. The Conversation [online] and little understood by learners. This issue Available at: https://theconversation.com/ is compounded in the case of international how-to-teach-all-students-to-think- students, many of whom are second critically-35331 [Accessed: 12/12/2017] language learners with limited linguistic resources at their disposal. In this context, Ellerton (2014) calls for a “language of thinking”, specifying Dave Watton the cognitive skills involved in critical University of Birmingham thinking such as evaluation, inference and categorisation. Ellerton asserts that students who can develop an understanding of these terms can then learn to think critically in much the same way as they would master a physical process such as playing a musical instrument, whereby different elements of the activity can be honed and practised. Jake Groves In tandem with Ellerton’s insight, our University of Birmingham practical experience of foundation teaching has led us to consider how we might foster a more discerning approach in learners who are taking their initial steps in tertiary level study. Foremost in our considerations is how students might perceive ‘quality’ in terms of effective argumentation, communication and language use in an academic context. We thus identified seven cognitive skills which formed the acronym ‘DISCERN’: Differentiating, Interpreting, selecting Strategies, being Critical, Evaluating, Reflecting and Noticing. Our aim was to teach students these terms and to integrate them into lesson planning, study materials and classroom discourse in a consistent way. This session will share our action research, exploring the extent to which both learners and tutors found the ‘DISCERN’ skills meaningful in fostering a critical approach.

19 Inform Conference 2018 POSTERS

Salmah Yakoob Richard Cotterill Coventry University University of York Providing tools to reference accurately: The poster provides an analysis of how observations of citation practices of Hofstede’s power-distance model could be IFP students applied to the teaching of Chinese students in UK universities. It offers some insights The poster presents observations of the into how Chinese students’ expectations of citation practices from a corpus of 45 IFP their relationships with teachers is strongly student essays. influenced by their culture. Using discourse analysis, the findings present specific ways referencing is constructed by novices. This can provide as a pedagogical tool for teaching Academic Writing to Foundation students, especially curriculum and assessment planning.

Emdad Aziz Nadia Sucha INTO University of Exeter University of York Peer review: a tool for success How has English language teaching in China in transition to university transformed over the previous 15 years, and how might it change in the future? This The poster will present the importance of research, based on students’ questionnaire a peer review process through software responses and interviews with Chinese called MyReviewers where students review teachers, analyses prior English language each other. The peer review process has learning experienced by Chinese foundation got the potential to improve analytical skills students now studying at The University of the students which might support their of York. transition to University.

20 Inform Conference 2018 New Edition

10 key skills for academic success

View online inspection copies of the series at www.garneteducation.com/TASK

InForm CALL FOR PAPERS THIS IS A CALL FOR PAPERS FOR ISSUE 18 OF INFORM The submission of papers is now invited for the eighteenth edition of InForm from members of the academic community associated with international foundation programmes. Issue 18 will be published in December 2018. We are interested in articles related to the variety of academic disciplines commonly found across international foundation programmes and remind contributors that InForm is not predominantly an English language teaching journal. InForm also includes a letters page with readers’ responses to the articles included in previous editions. Letters should be no longer than 200 words. Journal articles (of no more than 1200 words) should be sent by email to [email protected] by 12.00 pm on 30 September 2018. For more information and a full writer’s guide please visit www.reading.ac.uk/inform We regret that contributing authors to InForm will no longer receive payment for papers published. If you wish to discuss an idea for an article, please email us on [email protected]

21

23 INFORM CONFERENCE 2018 For more information, please contact: International Foundation Programme University of Reading Whiteknights PO Box 218 Reading, RG6 6AA [email protected] Tel (0118) 378 6983 Fax (0118) 378 5427 /theuniversityofreading @UniofReading www.reading.ac.uk/inform

24 B21578 06.18