THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG [^W^ CAMPUS NE\VS Distributed each Tuesday Deadline for copy noon Monday Editor: George Wilson, tel. (042) 270926 of previous week 15 July 1986 METACOGITATING WHILE YOU READ International Congress Report Three years' work on how readers keep track of their cessing is not an easy one to investigate but the results are own comprehension processes will be presented as a final significant in view of the fact that we have very little report by Bill Winser of Education in London at the end of information about this area of literacy; yet it is now in­ July. His paper on comprehension monitoring will be given creasingly accepted that consciousness in learning activities at the Eleventh World Congress on Reading sponsored by is a crucial factor in early literacy development. Follow up the International Reading Association. studies now in progress are tackling this issue in classroom This work began with an interest in the part played by settings so that appropriate teaching strategies and programs metacognition in learning and developed into a study of the can be developed. ways in which readers keep control of meaning as they process print. There were 40 children and adults in the NATIONAL ABORIGINAL WEEK study, with the University and local TAFE providing the National Aboriginal Week, organised by the Aboriginal adult readers. Video replays of readers'spontaneous correct­ Education Unit in the University of Wollongong, began ions were used as a stimulus that proved sufficient to elicit yesterday, Monday July 14. Today (Tuesday) at 12.30 pm, 'think aloud' responses from subjects as young as seven the speaker and singer under the fig trees will be Mr Robert years. The resulting protocols were analysed using a specially McLeod. developed taxonomy that described a range of strategies The program for the remainder of the week is as follows: that these readers reported using, during both oral and Wednesday, 4.30 pm: Preparing and decorating the silent reading. Another analytic procedure was developed Aboriginal Eduction Unit and Resource room. Barbeque to deal with readers miscues, and the two taxonomies to­ after. Bring own meat, salad etc. gether revealed some significant patterns of processing that Thursday, 11 am: Official opening of Aboriginal Educat­ up to now have not been accessible to reading researchers. ion Unit by Ms Natasha McNamara, Co-Director of the At least one result of this work will be to broaden the Aboriginal Training Cultural Institute, 12.30 pm Smorgas- understanding we have of ways in which readers (and, as board lunch in the Northern Lounge (invitation only). some related work is showing, writers) actually come to Friday, 12.30 pm: Closing of National Aboriginal Week terms with the task of getting control of meaning in trans­ on campus. Guest speaker and singer, Mr Bob Randall, actions with text. The notion of conscious control of pro­ will perform under the fig tree. Community Advisory Committee to the Aboriginal Education Unit: front row: Dr Arthur Smith, Ms Kathy Rozemeta, Mrs Margrett Gilson, Mrs Jane Ardler, Mrs Lorna Brown, Mrs Julie Brown; back row: Ms Joy Williams, Dr Peter Sales, Mrs Anne Louis, Mr Trevor Brew, Mr Ron Pretty, Mrs Betty Connelly, Mr Patric Tapp, Mr Vic Chapman, Mr Ted Booth natural sciences and engineering include agricultural, forestry, biological, chemical, earth, engineering and General Notices applied, mathematical, medical and physical sciences). Proformas have been sent to units within the University thought likely to make a response. DRAFT CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT PLAN Any unit which has not been contacted and which would like to contribute is asked to contact Mr Tom Moore, The University is currently preparing a Development ext 3886. Plan to provide a framework for the implementation of In addition the Science and Technology Council would its future capital works program and associated services (ike to receive information on infrastructure. — products and processes which have, or are, arising out of A 'draft' of the Development Plan prepared by the R&D work at this institution for which commercial University's consultant team is on display in the Library partners are now being sought, or for which it is expected Foyer. that commercial partners will be sought within 1 -3 years. On the last afternoon of exhibition (tomorrow, July 16) — research projects, carried out in close collaboration or in the architects, Graham, Bell and Bowman Pty. Limited liaison with business enterprises which aim to improve will be available to discuss the planning and to answer existing products, processes or innovation activities questions. carried out in commercial enterprises. Submissions are invited from the campus community — the services provided by this institution to support and should be delivered to Mr K; Turnbull, Manager, business enterprise R&D, eg industrial liaison centres, Buildings and Grounds, Building 9 (The Hut) by Friday contract organisations, specialist R&D management July 18. training courses etc. Planning issues being considered in the preparation of Responses should reach Mr Moore for transmission to the Development Plan include: the Council by July 18. — Identification of future building sites — Development of ring road, service road and carparking ILLAWARRA COMMITTEE FOR OVERSEAS systems STUDENTS — Public transport policies The lllawarra Committee for Overseas Students,financed — Development of pedestrian and cycle networks by the Australian government through their agency, the — Requirements for passive and active recreation areas Australian Development Assistance Bureau, was established — Landscaping last year to provide services for overseas students. The — Development of an efficient services infrastructure committee provides assistance with accommodation, — Architectural design issues including use of materials, reception, orientation, hospitality and recreational needs. the appearance of buildings, height and massing of Any person wishing to provide hospitality for overseas buildings, circulation, patterns, etc. students or any students wishing to meet with local residents K.E. Turnbull are requested to contact Mrs Diana Wong on 272453. Manager, Buildings and Grounds The Annual General Meeting of the Committee will be held on July 30 at 5.30 pm in the Northern Lounge, Union FRINGE BENEFITS TAX Building. Elections will be held for the positions on the Executive As from Tuesday July 1 1986 the University has been Committee. All nominations should be in writing, seconded subject to the payment of Fringe Benefits Tax. Under the by another member and signed by the nominee as evidence new legislation, a tax rate of 46 per cent will apply from of consent to the nomination. 1 July 1986 to 31 March 1987, and a tax rate of 49 per Marie Lewis cent will apply after 31 March 1987 where fringe benefits Secretary, ext 3924 are made available to: — employees NEW LITERACY PROJECT — associates of employees — non-resident visitors The language consultants for the A.C.T. Schools Auth­ The items which fall into the Fringe Benefits category ority have approached the Centre for Literacy, Language include: and Cognition to advise on the development of a literacy — motor vehicles inservice course for primary teachers throughout the A.C.T. — debt waivers This course is conceived as a follow-up to the Early Literacy — loans Inservice course now being evaluated in N.S.W. by the — expense payment benefits Centre; co-ordination of this consultancy is being handled — housing by Bill Winser. Other members of the project team are — living-away-from-home allowances Brian Cambourne, Bev Derewianka, Jenny Hammond and — airline transport benefits Jan Turbill. — board and meals Funding has been provided for consultations with the — property benefits Centre which have reached the stage where specific concerns — tax exempt body entertainment of the consultants are now being addressed. It is likely that — other benefits (called residual benefits) four inservice modules will result from this work, focussing Further information may be obtained from Mrs Melda on concerns that have been raised by teachers as a result of Moss on ext 3919. the earlier inservice course. A major theoretical issue of interest to the consultants is the degree of knowledge NSW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL teachers should have about the structure of the English R&D STUDY language itself and the need for them to become more familiar with recent work in functional models of language. The NSW Science and Technology Council is preparing The functional model in use in the Centre is able to provide a data base of applied higher education, business enterprise. more adequate descriptions and explanations of language Commonwealth Government and NSW Government R&D use, including notions of sentence and text structure that in the natural sciences and engineering in the State. This are informed by a grammar of English developed by Prof­ data base will be widely accessible, and will be used to essor Michael Halliday of Sydney University. promote awareness in industry and government of R&D cap­ Jenny Hammond and Bill Winser have therefore been abilities within the State. (Following the OECD definition, asked to spend time with the consultants working through some aspects of this functional approach to language, with a view to developing a unit that will improve teachers ability to analyse language in use. The goal is to assist teachers in developing ways of facilitating children's langu­ age development as a basis for their literacy development. Since Hammond and Winser are now collaborating with Halliday in the application of this functional language model to the primary school, it is likely that this work will inform the development of the Canberra Project and result in some significant reshaping of current assumptions in literacy education. This should provide a more rigorous theoretical framework for literacy work in the schools as well as answering the common criticisms of employers and others that schools are not providing adequately for children's development in language proficiency.