Developing a Sustainable EGAP Course Averil Bolster & Peter Levrai Wednesday 5th April, IATEFL Glasgow Conference 2017

Context Location Student profile Course English Language Centre (ELC), University of Macau (UM) English Medium Instruction (EMI) Student profile 1st year students; 18-19 years old; mixed language level (B1+); multidisciplinary Course 40-hour, one-semester course Qualifying English course for all incoming UM students Part of General Education

Rationale for key decisions Design princples Alexander et al (2008) EAP is goal-driven Gillett (2015) EAP develops practices needed to work or study in higher education de Chazal (2012) Suitability of EGAP for an entry level EAP course Backward Design preferred (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) Big idea = “the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education” (Gillett, 2015, para. 1)

Backward Design Bolster, A. & Levrai, P. (in press). A Slow (R)Evolution: Developing a Sustainable EGAP Course. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL, 6 (1).

Stages 1 & 2 Stage 1: Lynchpin Idea The aim of the course is to help students develop “the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education” (Gillett, 2015, para. 1). Stage 1: Lynchpin Idea Group Essay Portfolio*, Group Presentation, Coursework, Course Reflection Stage 2: Assessments *Levrai & Bolster (2017)

Stage 3 - Course Content the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) relevant for 21st century citizens appeal to all disciplines Big idea = “the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education” (Gillett, 2015, para. 1)

The SDGs Big idea = “the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education” (Gillett, 2015, para. 1)

Course Mode Blended course Possibilities of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Course emphasis on collaboration Limited class time Big idea = “the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education” (Gillett, 2015, para. 1)

The Course In-house Booklet Moodle Template Course (VLE) QR codes to useful websites Open sources like UN’s SDG website and ‘The Conversation’ Moodle Template Course (VLE) Extensive use of discussion forums Online Collaboration tools Stormboard Google Docs & Google Slide

Reflections on Delivery Backward Design highly beneficial to course developers SDGs are an engaging topic Very different work can arise from the same assignment question Use of QR codes to external resources very useful Asynchronous discussion of the topic on inputs on Moodle very productive

What makes it sustainable? “… a course that would be sustainable in terms of being able to run with multiple cohorts for several years without major curriculum overhaul.” (Bolster & Levrai, in press) Easy to update the in-house booklet without major revisions Moodle template course can be expanded or amended (paper free!) 17 SDGs and 169 targets – wide variety of content and more sources become available about the project year-on-year (including those the students source) https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/research-publications/resource-books

References Alexander, O., Argent, S., & Spencer, J. (2008). EAP essentials: A teacher’s guide to principles and practice. Reading: Garnet Bolster, A. & Levrai, P. (in press). A Slow (R)Evolution: Developing a Sustainable EGAP Course. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL, 6 (1). de Chazal, E. (2012). The general-specific debate in EAP: Which case is the most convincing for most contexts? Journal of Second Language Teaching and Research, 2(1), 135–48. Gillett, A. (2015). What is EAP? Retrieved from http://www.uefap.com/bgnd/whatfram. htm Levrai, P. & Bolster, A. (2017). ‘Undergraduate collaborative essays: constructive not a cop-out’, IATEFL 2016 Birmingham Conference Selections. IATEFL United Nations. (2016). Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals to Transform our World. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ Whitehouse, M. (2014). Using a backward design approach to embed assessment in teaching. School Science Review, 95(352), 99–104. Retrieved from https://www.york.ac.Uk/media/educationalstudies/documents/research/uyseg/diagnosticassessment/SSR_ Mar_2014_Whitehouse.pdf Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Thank you averilbolster@gmail.com peterlevrai@gmail.com https://www.slideshare.net/PeterLevrai/ Thank you averilbolster@gmail.com peterlevrai@gmail.com http://developeap.weebly.com