Academic Literacy And The Nature Of Expertise

The first full-length account integrating both the cognitive and sociological aspects of reading and writing in the academy, this unique volume covers educational research on reading and writing, rhetorical research on writing in the disciplines, cognitive research on expertise in ill-defined problems, and sociological and historical research on the professions. The author produced this volume as a result of a research program aimed at understanding the relationship between two concepts -- literacy and expertise -- which traditionally have been treated as quite separate phenomena. A burgeoning literature on reading and writing in the academy has begun to indicate fairly consistent patterns in how students acquire literacy practices. This literature shows, furthermore, that what students do is quite distinct from what experts do. While many have used these results as a starting point for teaching students "how to be expert," the author has chosen instead to ask about the interrelationship between expert and novice practice, seeing them both as two sides of the same project: a cultural-historical "professionalization project" aimed at establishing and preserving the professional privilege. The consequences of this "professionalization project" are examined using the discipline of academic philosophy as the "site" for the author's investigations. Methodologically unique, these investigations combine rhetorical analysis, protocol analysis, and the analysis of classroom discourse. The result is a complex portrait of how the participants in this humanistic discipline use their academic literacy practices to construct and reconstruct a great divide between expert and lay knowledge. This monograph thus extends our current understanding of the rhetoric of the professions and examines its implications for education.

This book by Judith Langer—internationally known scholar in literacy learning—examines how people gain knowledge and become academically literate in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and social studies/history. Based on extensive research, it offers a new framework for conceptualizing knowledge development (rather than information collection), and explores how one becomes literate in ways that mark "knowing" in a field. Langer identifies key principles for practice and demonstrates how the framework and the principles together can undergird highly successful instruction across the curriculum. With many examples from middle and high schools, this resource will help educators to plan and implement engaging, exciting, and academically successful programs.

This edited book brings together an international cast of contributors to examine how academic literacy is learned and mastered in different tertiary education settings around the world. Bringing to the fore the value of qualitative enquiry through ethnographic methods, the authors illustrate in-depth descriptions of genre knowledge and academic literacy development in first and second language writing. All of the data presented in the chapters are original, as well as innovative in the field in terms of content and scope, and thought-provoking regarding theoretical, methodological and educational approaches. The contributions are also representative of both novice and advanced academic writing experiences, providing further insights into different stages of academic literacy development throughout the career-span of a researcher. Set against the backdrop of internationalisation trends in Higher Education and the pressure on multilingual academics to publish their research outcomes in English, this volume will be of use to academics and practitioners interested in the fields of Languages for Academic Purposes, Applied Linguistics, Literacy Skills, Genre Analysis and Acquisition and Language Education.

The objectives underpinning the policies to expand and widen participation have impacted on university provision to help students improve their general literacy and academic writing skills. This book examines how and why Students’ Skills Centres, (SSCs), gained such a hold in the sector, despite the contentious nature of the research evidence that challenges the notion of the applicability of generic writing skills. It is argued in the book, that on a small scale, SSCs illustrate the paradoxes and ironies that have developed in higher education. ‘

The Handbook of Academic Learning provides a comprehensive resource for educational and cognitive psychologists, as well as educators themselves, on the mechanisms and processes of academic learning. Beginning with general themes that cross subject and age level, the book discusses what motivates students to learn and how knowledge can be made personal for better learning and remembering. Individual chapters identify proven effective teaching methods for the specific domains of math, reading, writing, science, and critical problem solving, how students learn within those domains, and how learning can be accurately assessed for given domains and age levels. The Handbook takes a constructivist perspective to academic learning, emphasizing the construction of personal knowledge of an academic nature. Constructivism within the context of learning theory is viewed as involving an active learner that constructs an academic knowledge base through the development of cognitive strategies and metacognition. The book discusses the development of basic literacy skills that provide the foundation for higher order thinking and problem solving. Constructivism recognizes the social dimension of classroom learning and emphasizes the motivational elements of self-regulation and volition as essential learner characteristics. Written by authors who have first-hand experience with both theory development and the development of authentic classroom instructional techniques, the Handbook empowers educators to develop, implement, and field-test authentic instructional practices at their school site. The book provides a review of the literature, theory, research, and skill techniques for effective teaching and learning. Key Features * Identifies effective teaching with specific techniques * Covers elementary school through high school * Discusses teaching methods for all main subject areas: reading, writing, math, science, and critical thinking * Identifies how students learn to learn * Reviews theory, research, techniques, and assessment * Contains field tested examples for the educational professional at the school site * Provides a resource for staff development

"Academic language and literacy are essential keys to conceptual understanding and ultimately to student success. Eli Johnson provides a foundation that all teachers and school leaders can use for improvement that will reach every classroom and every student." —Peter Dallas Finch, Assistant Superintendent West Valley School District, Yakima, WA Develop students′ understanding of academic language and watch literacy skills soar! To achieve higher levels of learning, students must be able to understand academic language—the formalized language of instruction found in classrooms, textbooks, and standardized tests. Eli R. Johnson conveys a powerful message of the need for teachers to provide explicit academic language instruction for all students, especially English language learners or those struggling with reading. Filled with 36 hands-on strategies, this practical, solidly researched guide helps teachers make the critical connection between academic language, literacy, and student achievement for all learners, regardless of home language or socioeconomic status. Explained in reader-friendly terms, each strategy helps teachers give their students the tools and skills necessary to decipher academic language in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This K–12 book also includes: A strategy matrix to help teachers select appropriate strategies for their grade level A description of each strategy, with information on how it works in the classroom and why it is effective Collaborative protocols to help infuse academic language throughout the content areas Lists of words that can be introduced at each grade level to build students′ vocabulary Academic Language! Academic Literacy! helps teachers instruct students on the language of education so they have a chance to demonstrate what they know and experience success.

Literacy is an important concern of contemporary societies. This book offers a comprehensive survey of recent efforts to understand the nature of written language and its role in cognition and in social and intellectual life. The authors represent a wide range of disciplines - cognitive psychology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, education, history and philosophy - and address a wide range of questions. Is literacy a decisive factor in historical and cultural change? Does it alter the mental and social lives of individuals? If so how and via what mechanisms? Does learning to read and write change children's speech, thought or orientation to language? What are children and adults learning when they acquire literate skills? Are there differences - linguistic, psychological and functional - between speaking and writing? And are there differences between oral and written languages?

This book showcases new interdisciplinary academic research on the relationship between information literacy and learning. It combines findings with new understandings drawn from theoretical and empirical research conducted in primary and secondary schools, higher education, workplaces, and community contexts. The studies offer new insights into questions such as how transferable are the information practices and skills learned in one context to other contexts? What is the degree to which information competences are generic, to what degree are they domain and context specific? What are the kinds of challenges and outcomes that emerge from incorporating information literacy into education and training courses? And, most importantly, what kinds of theories and philosophies regarding the nature of learning, information, and knowledge, should information literacies education and research efforts be based on?