Linda Li Academic Skills Program University of Canberra

 Started in 2005  On-going, regular weekly meetings throughout the year  Voluntary  Multi-disciplinary  No pre-set agenda until current semester  Focused on written work-in-progress  Collaborative peer review and editing on soft copies using track change  Co-facilitators

 Reading written work-in-progress including draft pages from thesis chapters, research proposals, ethics applications, conference papers …  Commenting on the use of language, style of writing, genres & discourses …  Questioning ambiguous statements, unclear written expression, illogical sequences …  Discussing grammar, language, style and writing issues arising from the work-in-progress  Suggesting alternatives for improvement in writing  Summarising strengths and weaknesses, good and poor examples, areas deserving closer attention …  Revising and improving work-in-progress  Supporting each other intellectually and emotionally

 a facilitator – create a supportive learning environment and encourage students to give comments and suggestions for each other’s writing  a guide – help students to identify strengths and patterns of weaknesses in their own writing and ways to improve  a teacher – explain grammatical rules, stylistic options and rhetorical conventions  an interested listener and reader – listen to student concerns and questions and show genuine interest in students’ writing and share reader responses  a co-learner – share personal experiences in thesis writing and gain insights from student experiences

 Motivation and commitment  Group dynamics – fluctuating group size  Reciprocality and mutual obligation  Attitudes towards writing – private vs public, product vs process  Diversity of student needs – differences in academic writing experiences, needs and interests  Disciplinary differences  Sense of belonging to a learning community

 Perception of the writing group – fixing problems vs learning to solve problems  perception of teacher-student relationship –over reliance on the facilitator  Perception of the value of peer learning- the teacher as the absolute authority  Cultural issues in giving and receiving critical comments  Writing development takes time

 20 AugGetting started with the writing group  27 Aug Defining the purpose of your study  3 SeptDescribing the background of your study  10 SeptJustifying the importance of your study  17 SeptGiving your thesis a clear title  24 SeptWriting clear research questions, aims and objectives  1 OctSummarising research studies  15 Oct Critiquing research studies  22 Oct Integrating references into your literature review  29 Oct Giving clear description of your research methods  5 NovConnecting your ideas in writing  12 NovUsing the appropriate linking words  19 NovWriting about numbers in reporting your findings  26 NovReporting findings from interviews  3 Dec Writing convincing paragraphs  10 Dec Writing with confidence

1 Understanding the thesis writing process (15 Sept) 2 Refining the research proposal (22 Sept) 3 Structuring the thesis effectively (29 Sept) 4 Writing the literature review (13 Oct) 5 Describing the research methodology (27 Oct) 6 Presenting results and discussion (3 Nov) 7 Thesis introductions and conclusions (10 Nov) 8 Style, editing and presentation (17 Nov) 9 Special topics in thesis writing (24 Nov)