What is it about?
It is about how non-traditional students who may have been out of study for some time struggle with understanding what is expected of them. The specific focus is on their understandings of assessment task words compared to those of the lecturers. The aim is to highlight points for discussion to help similar students elsewhere.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
It is important because it is often assumed that if students are native English speakers they will understand the words. It is also often assumed that if they have studied in the past this means they will understand the words and what is expected of them to achieve. here we shod how and why these assumptions may be rash and suggest ways forward to help students and lecturers.
Perspectives
For me this was a fascinating project as many of the ideas about cultures of learning these students had were very different to the assumed cultures of learning they were expected to have. It showed how assumptions about such areas can be misplaced and how dialogue is always key to help students understand what is expected of them, even if they are native speakers of a language and have previous education experience.
Dr Nick Pilcher
Edinburgh Napier University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘Discuss, Analyse, Define …’ Non-traditional Students Come to Terms with Cultures of Learning in the UK, January 2013, Nature,
DOI: 10.1057/9781137291646_8.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
