Developing students' academic writing skills with in-course support from the writing centre

You may know that The Writing Centre offers one-on-one writing consultations for coursework students; what you may not know is that the Writing Centre can also deliver targeted writing support as part of your courses! Learn more.

Throughout 2023, the Writing Centre have provided in-course support in a variety of ways; read below for examples of how the Writing Centre can provide bespoke support during timetabled classes, and how they can provide additional support to students outside of timetabled classes.

Providing Support Outside of Class Hours
Exemplar: Targeted Drop-in Sessions for 3rd year H&MS Research Placement Students.

Following in-course support offered in 2022, and in collaboration with the H&MS Research Placement academic team, the Writing Centre offered in-course writing drop-in sessions for 3rd year research placement students outside of timetabled classes. These sessions afforded students the opportunity to receive focused writing support in developing and producing their research proposals. Early in-course promotion of the sessions – and delivery of information about refining research strategy and following academic integrity expectations – was also provided in seminars earlier in the semester. Clear correspondence and fruitful collaboration with academic staff led to successful continuation of a 2022 collaborative effort.

Providing Support During Timetabled Class Time
Exemplar – In-Course Workshops for Arts (Advanced) Students.

In close collaboration with the course coordinator, a Writing Centre Learning Advisor attended all tutorials in ARTS 1011 (Introductory Arts: Theory and Method) to deliver bespoke workshops during timetabled class time. Workshop content involved developing students’ writing skills and conducting research at a university level; in short, students were given focused advice on how to best synthesise ideas in a manner appropriate for a text and theory-rich course. Utilising the disciplinary expertise and academic writing background of the Learning Advisor allowed students to receive focused advice, equipping them with a stronger academic toolkit with which they could better approach their writing.

In-course Support Leads to Increased Service Uptake
Data from Semester 1 2023 suggests that students who receive in-course support from The Writing Centre are more likely to book a 30-minute, one-on-one consultation with a Learning Advisor. As such, the provision of in-course support has the additional benefit of encouraging students to make use of the Writing Centre as an auxiliary academic support service.

Interested in Collaborating with the Writing Centre?
If you have an interest in having the Writing Centre involved in your Semester 2 teaching, then please do not hesitate to contact the Writing Centre team at writingcentre@adelaide.edu.au, or the Writing Support Programs Coordinator at michael.lazarou@adelaide.edu.au

We look forward to hearing from you soon!