Investigating the efficacy of a PELA at Bond University

Cameron Lydster, Shirley Brown

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearch

    Abstract

    This paper reports on a trial of the use of a PELA (Bond English Language Assessment [BELA]) at Bond University. The aim was to identify students with low communication skills in academic writing at commencement of their university studies to provide intervention strategies at an early stage to reduce the chances of failure. BELA is embedded in one of the university’s compulsory core subjects for all new undergraduate students in semester 1 of their studies. Students considered to be displaying below satisfactory levels of academic writing skills were required to attend a meeting with a Learning Advisor to go through their essays in order to receive the 2% allocated for this homework task. During this meeting, Learning Advisors provided advice and recommended resources and follow-up meetings to help the students improve their written skills. At the end of the semester, students were invited to take the test again with a different question and a comparative analysis of performance was conducted. A focus group was also facilitated to obtain students’ feedback. It was hypothesised that intervention at an early stage would increase students’ chances of success in this subject and throughout their studies. Preliminary findings indicate that there is some correlation between the intervention and the students’ grades on the subject’s major essay; however, more data is needed from the second BELA.

    Key words: PELA, written communication skills, first
    semester students

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages1-21
    Number of pages21
    Publication statusPublished - 25 Nov 2015
    EventThe Association for Academic Language and Learning Biennial Conference (2015)
    - University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
    Duration: 25 Nov 201527 Nov 2015
    https://ro.uow.edu.au/aall2015/

    Conference

    ConferenceThe Association for Academic Language and Learning Biennial Conference (2015)
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    CityWollongong
    Period25/11/1527/11/15
    OtherThe 12th Biennial Conference of the Association for Academic Language and Learning was held at the University of Wollongong from 25-27 November, 2015. AALL 2015 UOW, 'Critical Intersections', invited discussion about the critical intersections between a range of discourses and practices that circulate and combine in perplexing and often surprising ways in the broad field of academic language and learning. The conference was organised into six streams that invited consideration of the critical intersections between pairs of concepts, directives or topics. While some of these pairings might not, at first glance, seem conceptually distinct, they are often conceived of or programmed as separate by institutional operations. Presentations addressed one of the following six critical intersections: * Learning & Language; * Digital & Literacy: * Transition & First Year Experience; * HDR Writing & Supervision: * Assessment & Professional Development; and * Numeracy & Literacy. Keynote speakers: Emeritus Professor Ronald Barnett (University of London), Associate Professor Cath Ellis (University of New South Wales) and Dr Kate Bowles (University of Wollongong).
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