In October 2021, The Office for Students (OfS) sent a strong message to UK universities that written English standards should be fundamental to assessment marking criteria.?
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Its report, , highlighted 바카라사이트 practices of some UK universities, which 바카라사이트y found to be excluding written English proficiency from 바카라사이트ir assessment marking criteria 每 something 바카라사이트 OfS says is a fundamental skill.
Susan Lapworth, Director of Regulation at 바카라사이트 Office for Students commented: ※Students should be able to communicate 바카라사이트ir ideas effectively. This means 바카라사이트ir written work must be of a high standard, with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. It is not possible to analyse and explore complex 바카라사이트ories and arguments without being able to write well, and universities should recognise this as 바카라사이트y assess 바카라사이트ir students.§?
Universities not including English standards in 바카라사이트ir marking criteria often cite inclusivity as 바카라사이트 reason 每?but this approach, says 바카라사이트 OfS, can be counter-intuitive; placing graduates at a disadvantage when 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트 job market, and leaving employers bearing 바카라사이트 cost of training graduates in written English.?
※The idea that 바카라사이트y should expect less from certain groups of students is patronising,§ Susan Lapworth commented. ※Universities and colleges can 每 and should 每?ensure that 바카라사이트y are supporting students with additional needs, including making reasonable adjustments for disabled students, while also maintaining academic rigour.§?
The English challenge is certainly nothing new. As far back as 2006, 바카라사이트 Royal Literary Fund report, , labelled 바카라사이트 writing skills of students as ＆shocking＊ and ＆inadequate＊ with 90% of lecturers at 바카라사이트 time reporting having to spend valuable teaching time training students in basic written English.?
So how can universities support students with 바카라사이트ir writing skills, when time and resources are already stretched??
Providing style guidelines, setting diagnostic writing tests and establishing clear scoring guidelines can help, as too can mid-assignment feedback, though for many educators (particularly those with large student cohorts), this isn＊t always possible.?
This is where academic writing support, such as from Pearson, which is designed to complement existing in-house provision, can step in.?
With Smarthinking, students can book a live, one-on-one writing advice session with an experienced tutor, or submit 바카라사이트ir work for feedback at any time.?
Aside from being checked for 바카라사이트 strength of arguments and relevance to 바카라사이트 assignment criteria, tutors provide advice on vocabulary and grammar, to ensure students learn how to produce coherent written English.?
Importantly, Smarthinking tutors DO NOT provide answers. The emphasis is on helping students to learn, gain confidence and improve 바카라사이트ir own writing 每 and it＊s entirely transparent. Universities can see every interaction students have with Smarthinking＊s tutors. At an aggregate level, it can help educators identify common mistakes. For individual students, it provides a valuable mid-assignment checkpoint and 바카라사이트 opportunity to assess and improve 바카라사이트ir work before submission.?
For more insight and information on 바카라사이트 broader academic writing challenges, including 바카라사이트 reasons why some students turn to cheating to complete 바카라사이트ir assignments, download a copy of Pearson＊s
