TY - JOUR

T1 - Talking academic writing: A conversation analysis of one-to-one learning development tutorials

AU - Caldwell, Elizabeth Frances

AU - Stapleford, Katharine

AU - Tinker, Amanda

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Within the Learning Development (LD) community there are few professional development opportunities or resources for new entrants to the profession, particularly with regard to conducting individual academic writing tutorials. The current study seeks to address this by analysing the talk of individual academic writing tutorials in order to better understand how tutorials are organised and conducted, how identities and relationships are established and how learning is developed. We analysed the audio recordings of one-to-one academic writing tutorials and used conversation analysis (CA) methodology to identify features of effective practice. The analysis revealed an overarching three-part sequential structure to the tutorials and identified several features of effective practice in the middle phase where advice-giving occurs. The key finding was that indirect and complex processes of highlighting problems and arriving at solutions are useful to develop learners’ skills and autonomy. The application of these insights have the potential to contribute to a more evidence-informed reflective community of Learning Development practitioners.

AB - Within the Learning Development (LD) community there are few professional development opportunities or resources for new entrants to the profession, particularly with regard to conducting individual academic writing tutorials. The current study seeks to address this by analysing the talk of individual academic writing tutorials in order to better understand how tutorials are organised and conducted, how identities and relationships are established and how learning is developed. We analysed the audio recordings of one-to-one academic writing tutorials and used conversation analysis (CA) methodology to identify features of effective practice. The analysis revealed an overarching three-part sequential structure to the tutorials and identified several features of effective practice in the middle phase where advice-giving occurs. The key finding was that indirect and complex processes of highlighting problems and arriving at solutions are useful to develop learners’ skills and autonomy. The application of these insights have the potential to contribute to a more evidence-informed reflective community of Learning Development practitioners.

KW - Academic Writing

KW - writing tutorials

KW - learning development

KW - conversation analysis

U2 - 10.18552/joaw.v8i2.464

DO - 10.18552/joaw.v8i2.464

M3 - Journal article

VL - 8

SP - 124

EP - 136

JO - Journal of Academic Writing

JF - Journal of Academic Writing

SN - 2225-8973

IS - 2

ER -