A Work in Progress The Process of Revising EAP Curriculum

Introduction: Who are We? O Glenda Fish, Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator, Trent-ESL O Tamara Al-Kasey, Instructor, Trent-ESL, Oshawa O Trent-ESL is a 5-level EAP program O The Oshawa ESL program is smaller and newer but equivalent to the Peterborough program O Level 5 is the “gateway” to regular studies at Trent U.

Overview of Process: O Existing Level 5 curriculum model O Instructor initiated revisions O Catalyst O Identification of Trent distinctives O Creation of new Level 5 curriculum model O Delivery O Evaluation and revision O Consideration of implications for other levels

Existing Level 5 Curriculum Instructor Initiated Revision

Level 5 Model: Lecture (10 hrs) Critical Reading (2 hrs) Listening and Note- taking (2 hrs) University Transitions (2 hrs)

Instructor Initiated Revisions O Initially, L5 was just “Lecture,” an integrated skills course O One-by-one three other skills courses were added as needed O Eventually the three skills courses were united into one course, but the course was disjointed

Revised Level 5 Curriculum Model: 2010 Applied Academic Skills (10 hrs) Integrated skills University Skills (6 hrs) Critical reading, listening and note- taking, university transitions

Catalyst Summer 2012

Oshawa Evolves O The Oshawa ESL program would offer a Level 5 class for the first time in September 2012 O The students would be Science Without Borders students heading to UOIT in January O Trent-ESL had never had a group of science students O The existing program was unsuitable O A decision was made to develop a model suited to both campuses

Identification of Trent Distinctives

What makes us “Trent”? O Writing conferences O Trent developed materials – not textbooks O Lectures by Trent professors as the starting point for units/essays O Disciplines and topics that are areas of specialty at Trent O Strong connections to other departments at Trent e.g. Academic Skills

Creation of New Level 5 Curriculum Model

Identification of Needs O Critical productive skills O Key receptive skills O Cross-course coordination of topics O General academic skills

The Inspired Curriculum Process

The New Level 5 Model Academic Analysis (6 hrs) Critical Reading Listening & Note- taking Academic Communication (8 hrs) Academic Writing Academic Speaking University Transitions (2hrs ) Academic Calendar Study Skills

The New Model: Details O Includes writing conferences O Uses lectures by Trent professors as the starting point for units O Shares topics for units (i.e. Academic Analysis and Academic Communication study the same topic at the same time) O Uses Trent-developed materials O Continues relationships with other departments through University Transitions

Academic Communications: Writing Assignments Research skills Trent Library skills Bibliographical skills Four research projects -Case study -Research Essay -Poster Presentation (group) -Individual Research Project Connected to Presentation reqs. Annotated Bibliography Peer Editing Improved in Writing Confs In-Class Writing Weekly In-class writing Rewriting Essay style Reaction papers (Exam question essay) (Technical writing) Improved in Writing Confs.

Academic Communications: Academically Speaking Presentation skillsIn-progress presentation Power-point Research presentation Group Poster presentation -Peer evaluation Discussion skillsWeekly Seminars -Depth of topic -Evaluated by participation quality Communication strategiesSpecific Strategies for Seminars -turn taking, -perspective -summarizing -clarification -listening to other participants

Academic Analysis: Listening and Reading Skills Critical ReadingAssignments to develop CR skills Academic Disciplines e.g. Business, ICT, Enviro. Sci., Engineering, Health Sciences Discipline-specific vocabulary Depth of topic feeding into writing assignments Print vs. internet sources Listening and Note-takingPublic and Trent lectures Note-taking skills Weekly assessments Support of Research SkillsCritical analysis of sources

University Transitions Trent CalendarAcademic terminology Trent (UOIT) Academic regulations and policies Academic honesty and consequences University CultureCanadian educational system Types of learning and evaluation activities Classroom culture Study and life skills for success Time management, group work, self knowledge, etc.

Delivery

Delivery: Fall 2012 O 2 campuses O 1 large mixed group (split into two classes) O 1 small culturally cohesive group O 2 curriculum writers (AC/AA) Unit-by-unit materials creation O 5 instructors

Evaluation

O Mid-term SWOT (instructors and manager) O Mid-term evaluations (students) O End of term Focus Group (repeating students) O End of term student evaluations O Instructor feedback O Continuing evaluation (Winter/Spring 2013)

Instructor Mid-Term Evaluation: Fall 2012 O SWOT evaluation -Liked the shared topics -Liked the Trent-developed materials -Found materials development for AA and marking for AC time-consuming -Realized that good communication between the instructors is vitally important --Ptbo: felt a time crunch in AC --Oshawa: needed more hard science materials

Oshawa Student Mid-Term Evaluation: Fall 2012 O Requested grammar reference O Asked for explicit vocabulary instruction O Struggled with non-science writing O Enjoyed seminars O Felt themselves to be progressing Population details: -Homogenous cultural group: Brazilian engineers -Level variation -Direct admit students

Peterborough Student Mid- Term Evaluation: Fall 2012 O Many noted improvements in reading and note-taking O Some wanted speaking in Academic Analysis O Many liked trying new writing styles O Many were thankful for the seminars and presentations O Generally seemed to feel that the materials were directly relevant to regular studies

Peterborough Student Focus Group: December 2012 O Participants were students who had studied level 5 in both models (i.e. repeaters) O They loved the new model O They especially liked studying the same topics at the same time in the two courses O They liked the addition of report writing O Most felt University Transitions should be a separate course

Revision

Revisions in Oshawa O Additional/alternative units -mechanical engineering O Addition of reference grammar O Adaptation of writing assignments -e.g. technical writing, exam short essay responses, writing with graphics O Addition of vocabulary support

Revisions in Peterborough O Paring down the excess e.g. removed one- week introductory unit O As new units are developed, the critical reading assignments and note-taking assignments are becoming more focused O To free up some time in AC, moved the introduction to seminars to UT O Shifted to weekly assignments in UT

Considering the Implications for Other Levels

What does the new Level 5 mean for Levels 1 to 4? O Winter 2013 we began a process of sharing our findings and experiences with the other instructors O Currently we are undergoing a curriculum review process for the other levels O Preliminary decisions: adopt the shared topic approach in all levels, adopt the Academic Analysis / Academic Communication approach in level 4

C URRICULUM R EVIEW

Contact Information O Glenda Fish, Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator, Trent-ESL O