Literacies for Learning in Further Education

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Literacies for Learning in Further Education
Yes, I do get people to read bits out in class
which some like to do and others dont, but I do
like them to do it.
I dont know really, Ive never read it.
Theres too much information in it.
If you present a student with an A4 piece of
paper with a nice big heading and a page full of
writing, I can almost guarantee it will get left
behind, shoved in the bottom of a bag or
something like that.
We are actually reducing the amount of literacy
sorry, the amount of writing that is
required.
Where I would struggle is to get the terminology
in.
The Literacies for Learning in Further Education
project, funded by the ESRC as part of its
Teaching and Learning Research Programme,
involves researchers from Lancaster and Stirling
Universities and four FE colleges.
I have students who write in text language
because they are so used to the mobile phone
thing, they are so used to abbreviating it and
breaking it down in that way, that its almost
natural for them to do it.
Recent theory and research in literacy studies suggests that students who appear to have low levels of literacy in educational settings are highly literate in other domains of life in their work, domestic, community and leisure activities. Focusing on students ranging in age from 16-65, the project is researching a variety of different curriculum areas and levels of course across four FE colleges. By co-research with students, the project is finding about the range of literacies in their everyday lives, and how these interface with their course demands and with their future work and study. The purpose is to understand how students everyday literacy practices can support them on their college courses. The research is in three phases Phase One concentrated on mapping the literacy demands of studying at the colleges, from the perspectives of subject staff, support staff and students. Phase Two has explored and analysed in more detail the kinds of literacy practices that 128 students are involved in through their learning, and across their lives outside of college. Teaching staff have been involved in analysing their own practice and the literacy demands of their courses. In Phase Three college staff are experimenting with innovations in the teaching of these units, based on the research in Phase Two. This project takes a social practices approach to literacy seeing literacy as something which is intrinsic to all of our lives, not as a basic skill.