Teaching academic writing to midwifery and nursing university students

1
Teaching academic writing to midwifery and
nursing university students

• Julio Gimenez
• English Language and Learning Support
• Middlesex University

2
Outline

• Theoretical background GAW, D-s AW
• The study
• A typology of genres in nursing midwifery
• Genre cognitive linguistic demands
• Students views
• Pedagogical implications

3
Background General Academic Writing (GAW) in HE

• A skill students need to master
• On admission, students expected to know the
  basics (Elander et al., 2006 Lillis Turner,
  2001 Whitehead, 2002)
• Expected to write with precision and control over
  rhetorical patterning (Lillis Turner, 2001)
• The academic essay (default genre- Andrews,
  2003 Womack, 1993)
• One of the most demanding tasks and source of
  frustration (Elander, et al. 2006 Krauser, 2001)
• Its importance acknowledged by students even at
  post-graduate levels (Allison, 2004)

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Background Discipline-specific Academic Writing
(D-s AW) in HE

• Some of these beliefs also hold in nursing
  midwifery Students will acquire it relatively
  easily to the expected standards (Whitehead
  2002)
• However,
• Nursing and midwifery students find D-s AW
  difficult (Gimenez, 2007)
• They find most guidelines and requirements
  confusing
• Most writing lecturers focus on structuring
  organisational principles (Kaldor Rochecouste,
  2002)
• Most content lecturers seem to take these as
  given and to highlight the need for
  discipline-specific thinking, argumentation, and
  content (Bazerman, 2005 Gimenez, 2007 McLeod,
  1989)

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The study

• Aim To investigate the nature and dynamics of
  academic writing in pre-registration nursing and
  midwifery at a UK university
• Duration Over two semesters in 2004 and in 2005
• Participants N 135 (68 nursing students, 67
  midwifery students)
• Data surveys, writing samples and criteria to
  mark subject specific genres
• Report
• Typology of discipline-specific genres
• Difficulties students find
• How students feel they can be best helped

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A typology of genres in nursing midwifery
Level
General
Nursing
Midwifery
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Genre cognitive demands

• Cognitive process(es) involved in writing the
  specific genres (e.g. Reflection for the
  reflective essay)
• Appropriate model(s) for a given genre (e.g.
  Gibbs reflective cycle or Johns guided
  reflection)
• Critical analysis, evaluation and critiquing
• Support claims with evidence (literature/clinical
  experience)
• Evaluation of source materials
• Link between theory and practice

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Genre linguistic demands

• Links between assignment question and written
  assignment (e.g. discuss This report will
  discuss) QA
• Explicit reference to processes and models used
  in assignment
• The language of critical analysis, evaluation,
  critiquing
• Appropriate devices to support claims (e.g. right
  verb) and to show writers stance (e.g. Rogers
  (2005, p. 234) strongly suggests that)
• Projecting an impersonal voice
• Linking theory and practice (e.g. observed on
  the writers clinical placement.)

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Typical marking criteria
Reflective essay (Level 1)
10
Students views Frequent genres
11
Students views Frequent genres
12
Students views Difficult genres
13
Students views After writing
14
Students views Best helped
15
Pedagogical implications
In nursing and midwifery
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References

• Allison, D. (2004) Creativity, students academic
  writing, and EAP exploring comments on writing
  in an English language degree programme. Journal
  of English for Academic Purposes, Vol. 3191209.
• Andrews, R. (2003). The end of the essay?
  Teaching in Higher Education, Vol. 8/1117-128.
• Bazerman, C. (2005). A response to Anthony
  Fleurys Liberal Education and Communication
  against the Disciplines A view from the world
  of writing. Communication Education, Vol., 54/1
  86-91.
• Elander J., K. Harrington, L. Norton, H. Robinson
  and P. Reddy (2006). Complex skills and academic
  writing a review of evidence about the types of
  learning required to meet core assessment
  criteria. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher
  Education, Vol. 31/1 7190
• Gimenez, J. (2007). Writing for Nursing and
  Midwifery Students. Basingstoke Palgrave
  Macmillan. http//www.palgrave.com/products/Catalo
  gue.aspx?is0230008577

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References

• Kaldor, S., Rochecouste, J. (2002). General
  academic writing and discipline specific academic
  writing. Australian Review of Applied
  Linguistics, 25(2), 29-47.
• Krause, K-L. (2001). The university essay writing
  experience a pathway for academic integration
  during transition. Higher Education Research
  Development, Vol. 20/2 147-168.
• Lea, M. and Street, B. (1998). Student writing in
  higher education an academic literacies
  approach, Studies in Higher Education,
  11/3182199.
• Lillis, T. and Turner, J. (2001) Student writing
  in higher education contemporary confusion.
  Teaching in Higher Education, Vol. 6/157-68.
• McLeod, S. (1989). Writing across the curriculum
  The second stage, and beyond. College Composition
  and Communication, Vol. 40 337-343.
• Whitehead, D. (2000). The academic writing
  experiences of a group of student nurses A
  phenomenological study. Journal of Advanced
  Nursing, Vol. 38/5 498-506.
• Womack, P. (1993). What are essays for? English
  in Education, Vol. 27/242 48.