An investigation into the relationship between the use of academic language and attainment – with a focus on students from ethnic minorities

The research employed textual analysis, tutorial observation and interview procedures. Language specialists worked together with subject tutors in three OU courses to investigate the features of student texts that are associated with higher scoring assignments. The researchers then assessed whether students from BME backgrounds were less likely to produce these language features. Texts were obtained from 78 students with a range of assignment marks, from the following ethnic groups: African, Caribbean, Pakistani, Other (Bangladeshi, Chinese and Asian Other) and White (White British and White Other). A total of 220 texts drawn from three subject areas were analysed. The courses chosen for investigation were a level 1 course in Social Sciences, a level 1 course in Technology and a level 2 course in Health and Social Care (DD100, T175 and K204). The language specialists studied course materials, visited tutorials, met with students and analysed the first, mid and final tutor marked assignments (TMAs) of students in their group. The text analysis was carried out using the MASUS (Measuring Academic Skills of University Students) assessment procedure developed at the University of Sydney. The MASUS procedure assesses students’ academic writing skills in five areas: A. Use of source material; B. Structure and development of text; C. Control of academic writing style; D. Grammatical correctness; and E. Presentation. They are given a score in each of these areas: a low score indicates that the student needs support in this area of language use. The data from the MASUS procedure were analysed statistically and qualitatively. Results Analysis of the MASUS data indicated a strong correlation between students’ marks and their use of language (0.52). It also showed that: • The relationship between language and attainment was stronger in earlier TMAs on all courses. There was a stronger correlation between language and attainment in the Social Sciences and Health and Social Care courses than in the Technology course. • The areas of language use that related to the role of language in how content is presented (Use of source material and Structure and development of text) were particularly significant in determining a student’s marks on early TMAs. These are also the categories that tutor feedback focused on. • There was no statistical correlation identified between students’ mark and the areas Academic writing style and Grammatical correctness. However, qualitative analysis indicated that these features distinguished high performers from middle performers. There was little tutor feedback on these categories, and their role in how content is presented and linked was not recognised by the tutors or the course materials. A large number of the total sample – as many as 47%– had language scores that indicated a need for additional support in the areas identified, both in their initial TMAs and in TMAs later in the course (see Table 1 below). This percentage was higher for students in this sample from ethnic minorities. This may at least partially explain the comparatively poor attainment of students from ethnic minorities that has been identified. In this sample, students from ethnic minorities were more likely than students who are White to receive low scores in the area Use of source material (35%, compared with 6%). Plagiarism and problems with referencing were also more likely to occur among students from ethnic minorities. Students from ethnic minorities were more likely than students who are White to receive low scores in the area Structure and development of text (53%, compared with 17%). This gap in language performance narrowed in later TMAs, but is still notable. Table 1: The number of students in sample with low language scores Initial TMA Later TMA Total % of BME % of White Total % of BME % of White Use of source material 29% 35% 6% 24% 25% 6% Structure and development 47% 53% 17% 39% 40% 11% Academic writing style 45% 40% 56% 34% 28% 33% Grammatical correctness 24% 23% 22% 39% 37% 22% Presentation 17% 13% 28% 12% 12% 6% (n=78) (n=60) (n=18) (n=69) (n=55) (n=14) Students who are White were more likely than students from ethnic minorities to receive low scores in the area Academic writing style, particularly in the initial TMAs (56%, compared with 40%). Students from ethnic minorities were more likely than students who are White to get low scores in the area Grammatical correctness, particularly in later TMAs (37%, compared to 22%). The number of students with low scores in the area Grammatical correctness increased over the period of the course. While this area was not found to correlate statistically with student attainment, the researchers who analysed the texts identified a number of grammatical features that appeared to be particularly important for high achievers: • correct sentence structure • use of noun phrases for topic development and conciseness • correct and appropriate use of modals in argumentation • use of passive voice for organising information Apart from the first feature, the significance of these grammatical features lies not in their ‘correctness’ (which is a matter of form) but in their ‘appropriacy’ (which is a matter of how they are used). These features play an important role in students’ use of source materials and structuring and development of texts. Other findings The investigation suggests that the role of language in how content is presented and linked is not recognised by the course materials or the tutors. Course materials Tutors are encouraged to focus their marking on students’ understanding of key concepts in the course. The role that language plays in how these concepts are understood, presented and linked is not acknowledged in the courses’ assessment guidelines. As a result, the students perceive the significant amount of generic language support material available as peripheral. Students’ success in assignments was found to be linked to following the conventions of the text type (or ‘genre’) and using the writing style (or ‘register’) expected by the tutor and referred to in the Assignment Guidelines. In some cases, the assignment guidelines were found to be complicated (e.g. 5½ pages long) and to demand a range of text types and writing styles. This presents further challenges for students unfamiliar with this range of genres and registers. Mixed messages are conveyed to students about the style which is appropriate in academic writing. Students may be offered articles to read which are more ‘academic’ and formal in style, but the ‘voice’ of most OU material is friendly and relatively informal. Tutor feedback In all courses, aspects such as writing style, grammatical correctness and punctuation were not often commented on or corrected by tutors. At times, tutors did not comment on sections of texts where the researchers perceived a student’s ability to communicate ideas to be severely affected. On some assignments, marks were allocated for grammatical correctness and structure, but some students obtained full marks when these aspects of their writing were judged as being far from perfect. When tutors gave language feedback, they tended to ‘tell’ and not ‘show’. This did not seem to make a significant impact on student performance. Tutors did not always provide good language models in their feedback. Students in one group who had direct and sustained contact with a language specialist showed more progress in their writing development than those in the other groups. Implications The research suggests that language plays a significant role in student attainment. A large number of the students from ethnic minorities in the sample had language scores that indicated a need for additional support, particularly in the areas Structure and development of text. This area is particularly significant in determining students’ marks and could explain in part the gap in attainment. But, this investigation suggests that the role of language in how content is presented and linked is not recognised by the course materials or the tutors. Nor does the generic language support available seem to be serving its purpose, as the number of students with low scores in the area Grammatical correctness increased as the courses progressed. The findings suggest that it may not be in the students’ best interest to be waved through a course without sufficient attention paid to their language needs, as this may prove a significant barrier to achieving above a certain level (cf. O’Shea-Poon and Kimura 2008, who found that non-fluency in English appears to be a significant barrier to achieving above a certain level in OU courses). Recommendations It was not the primary purpose of this research to generate recommendations for practice but a number of good practices are suggested by the findings. Tutors should be supported in raising their awareness of the importance of language in student attainment and in giving helpful feedback on students’ language use across the span of a course. Only by linking grammar and vocabulary development to the categories Use of source material and Structure and development of text is it possible to go beyond notions of language as ‘a problem’ that interferes in students’ performance towards notions of language as ‘a resource’ to be developed as part of students’ academic attainment. Feedback on students’ language use should concretely demonstrate how to do things, instead of abstractly telling them. The use of language in tutor feedback should also provide a model. Students and tutors could be offered models of good writing practice in addition to the assignment descriptions they already receive in Assignment Guidelines. These could be exemplars of text types and writing styles appropriate to key assignments on a course (see, for example, the concept maps for TMAs designed as part of this project). A diagnostic might be a useful tool to identify those students who could benefit from some support with academic English. Tutors could then target that support most effectively. Further research Further data should be collected on students’ language backgrounds. Other useful studies to gain more insight into the relationship between language use and attainment would include further examination of: • the grammatical constructions required in the structuring and development of assignments, particularly in the areas of grammar identified in this project; instances of plagiarism and problems with referencing; use of informal language • tutor feedback on language use • the research instruments used in this project. Further information Please contact Elizabeth Erling or Jim Donohue in OpenELT for any further information on this project, including a copy of the full report, which includes case studies of the three courses involved (DD100, T175 and K204): [email protected] ; [email protected]. Contact Rachel Hawkins in Student Services regarding any actions: [email protected]. Project team David Hann, John Kearsey, Kerry Bannister, Christine Buller, Christina Healey, Zoe Doyé, Chris Lee, Harish Mehra Acknowledgements With gratitude to • Student Services, who generously funded this project; • the project advisors: Rachel Hawkins, Roberta Nathan, Anne Jelfs, Erica Morris, Maggie Coates, Maki Kimura, Tony O’Shea-Poon, John Richardson; • the tutors, course teams and Regions that allowed the project to take place; and • the students who volunteered to participate

Experiencing Voice-Activated Artificial Intelligence Assistants in the Home: A Phenomenological Approach

Voice-controlled artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant, serve as the gateway to the Internet of Things and connected home, executing the commands of its users, providing information, entertainment, utility, and convenience while enabling consumers to bypass the advertising they would typically see on a screen. This “screen-less” communication presents significant challenges for brands used to “pushing” messages to audiences in exchange for the content they seek. It also raises questions about data collection, usage, and privacy. Brands need to understand how and why audiences engage with AI assistants, as well as the risks with these devices, in order to determine how to be relevant in a voice-powered world. Because there’s little published research, a phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived meaning and shared experience of having an AI assistant in the home. Three overarching types of experiences with Alexa were revealed: removing friction, enabling personalization, and extending self and enriching life. These experiences encapsulated two types of explicit and implicit goals satisfied through interaction with Alexa, those that related to “Helping do,” focused on functional elements or tasks that Alexa performed, and those related to “Helping become,” encapsulating the transformative results of experiences with Alexa enabling users to become better versions of themselves. This is the first qualitative study to explore the meaning of interacting with AI assistants, and establishes a much-needed foundation of consumer understanding, rooted in the words and perspectives of the audience themselves, on which to build future research. Advisor: Aleidine Moelle

Teacher Education Futures: Developing learning and teaching in ITE across the UK

A selection of papers from the Teacher Education Futures conference 2006

BERA-TACTYC Early Childhood Research Review 2003-2017

BERA/TACTYC Review of Early Childhood Education and Care in the UK, 2003-2017 has involved a wide range of early childhood specialists, both in the early consultation stages, and in writing the five main sections of the Review. Teams of authors and their reference groups came together from TACTYC – the Association for Professional Development in Early Years, and the BERA Early Childhood Education and Care SIG. Using specific questions to interrogate the literature, each team worked on one of five main themes: Professionalism; Parenting and Family; Play and Pedagogy; Learning, Development and Curriculum, and Assessment and School Readiness. These themes are contextualised within broad policy issues in the UK. The Introduction shows the working methods for the Review, and the Conclusion brings together key messages and suggestions for future research. We hope that the Review will prove useful to a range of early childhood specialists, including students, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and teachers in further and higher education. We intend to create a User Review that will be aimed at practitioners and to engage other stakeholders in current trends and debates. The Review is being launched at a time of change and uncertainty within early childhood education and care, and we hope that the Review will provide a focal point for discussions about future directions in the four UK policy frameworks, the importance of research, and how we use research evidence to inform provision and practice

Undergraduate Scholarship in the College of Arts and Sciences 2004 Book of Abstracts

In his work entitled The Advancement of Learning (1605), Francis Bacon expresses the need for students and their teachers to push beyond current knowledge by testing accepted theories, developing new paradigms, and discovering new information. The abstracts in this booklet are clear examples of how students and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are advancing knowledge in a variety of disciplines. From the analysis of particular proteins to the examination of various literary themes, the students whose scholarly endeavors are represented in this booklet pursued research projects that have explored new ideas; and their teachers have helped them to achieve their goals by providing expert guidance in the field of study, by challenging students to excel, and by encouraging them as they developed their ideas. Students and faculty should be very proud of the work reflected in these abstracts. These individual efforts and collaborations reveal what is best about Winthrop University as a learning community.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/undergradresearch_abstractbooks/1010/thumbnail.jp

Affordances of Learning Analytics for Mediating Learning

Learning analytics acceptance and adoption is a socio-technological endeavour. Understanding how learning analytics impact practice is an important part of demonstrating their value. In the study presented in this thesis, "Mediated Learning" provides a framework through which to describe how learning analytics can impact psychological, social and material aspects of learning, from the perspective of educators and learners. It also offers a structure through which to make recommendations for improving the mediatory effects of learning analytics. A qualitative research design, based on "Grounded Theory" was implemented and 10 educators from 3 European universities were recruited through convenience and purposive sampling for exploratory interviews. A subsequent case study of the Open University provided critical perspectives from both educators (n=18) and learners (n=22) about the institutional, departmental, domain-related and epistemological factors that broadly influence perceptions of learning analytics. The study applied "Affordance Theory" to identify what participants were most easily able to recognise as beneficial to their own practice. Participant contributions were open-coded to uncover emerging themes and then organised into thematic categories and subcategories. Respondent validation, as well as triangulation of data between the exploratory interviews and focus groups support the validity of the study. Findings suggested that domain-related epistemological assumptions and previous experience influence how and why an individual could make use of learning analytics insights. Gaining stakeholder acceptance involves targeting the right training and opportunities at the appropriate disciplines. Findings also indicate that learning analytics has the strongest mediatory effect for learners when the technology is capable of exposing them to other learners' strategies, or when it assists them personally, and continually in goal orientation adoption. The implications of the study are important for higher education institutions looking to implement large-scale learning analytics initiatives, in particular, those with a diverse student body