From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on physical interactions, which in many ways changed how we live and work. Due to these restrictions, writing centres at universities and other educational institutions around the world had to transition from traditional ways of supporting students t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/6783 |
| _version_ | 1797258061153304576 |
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| author | Halima Namakula Emure Kadenge Sarah Blessed-Sayah |
| author_facet | Halima Namakula Emure Kadenge Sarah Blessed-Sayah |
| author_sort | Halima Namakula |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The Covid-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on physical interactions, which in many ways changed how we live and work. Due to these restrictions, writing centres at universities and other educational institutions around the world had to transition from traditional ways of supporting students to online or remote methods. To save the academic year, Wits University’s teaching and learning and other student support programmes, including the Wits School of Education Writing Centre (WSoE WC), were compelled to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL). Transitioning to ERTL meant1 reimagining student support in an online mode. This paper explores how the WSoE WC transitioned from face-to-face student consultations to offering online academic literacy support and development. The paper highlights the adaptation process in the transition, particularly how the WSoE WC dealt with the varying complexities accompanying ERTL. The main question guiding this exploration is: How did the WSoE WC negotiate the move to online academic literacy support and development during the Covid-19 pandemic? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the director of the WSoE WC, who steered the adoption of the online mode and the peer tutors who worked directly with students online. The findings show that transitioning to the online mode during ERTL was difficult and complex. However, collective and individual agency enabled continued student academic literacy2 support despite disruption and change. This paper contributes to the ongoing conversation around the role of writing centres at universities in South Africa and beyond, particularly during disruptions.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:47:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18cc3cdb560b4d2dac8195ba57760a94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:47:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-18cc3cdb560b4d2dac8195ba57760a942024-03-18T11:08:45ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2023-09-0141310.38140/pie.v41i3.6783From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic.Halima Namakula0Emure Kadenge1Sarah Blessed-Sayah2University of Johannesburg, South AfricaWits School of Education, South AfricaUniversity of the Witwatersrand, South Africa The Covid-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on physical interactions, which in many ways changed how we live and work. Due to these restrictions, writing centres at universities and other educational institutions around the world had to transition from traditional ways of supporting students to online or remote methods. To save the academic year, Wits University’s teaching and learning and other student support programmes, including the Wits School of Education Writing Centre (WSoE WC), were compelled to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL). Transitioning to ERTL meant1 reimagining student support in an online mode. This paper explores how the WSoE WC transitioned from face-to-face student consultations to offering online academic literacy support and development. The paper highlights the adaptation process in the transition, particularly how the WSoE WC dealt with the varying complexities accompanying ERTL. The main question guiding this exploration is: How did the WSoE WC negotiate the move to online academic literacy support and development during the Covid-19 pandemic? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the director of the WSoE WC, who steered the adoption of the online mode and the peer tutors who worked directly with students online. The findings show that transitioning to the online mode during ERTL was difficult and complex. However, collective and individual agency enabled continued student academic literacy2 support despite disruption and change. This paper contributes to the ongoing conversation around the role of writing centres at universities in South Africa and beyond, particularly during disruptions. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/6783Academic literacy support and developmentCOVID-19Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL)writing centre |
| spellingShingle | Halima Namakula Emure Kadenge Sarah Blessed-Sayah From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Perspectives in Education Academic literacy support and development COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) writing centre |
| title | From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title_full | From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title_fullStr | From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title_full_unstemmed | From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title_short | From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title_sort | from business as usual to business unusual online academic literacy development for education students during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Academic literacy support and development COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) writing centre |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/6783 |
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