1. A Student Magazine project: A Key for Many Doors.
Jane Sjoberg & Sean Gardner

2. Overview
Our Context
The Magazine Project & Learner autonomy in Foundation Students
The Student Experience
The Finished Product
How You Would do it: Group Tasks and Mini-Presentations
How We did it

3. Our context International Foundation Pathways
C200 students – China, Middle East, Nigeria etc
Language levels from 5.5 to 9+
Growing numbers of U18s (16+)
Two cohorts – September/January

4. A Typical Foundation Student
My tutors will tell me what to do and when to do it … won’t they?

5. You need to manage your own time!
We want you to be independent learners!

6. Learner autonomy
Typically seen as challenging for students from highly structured education backgrounds e.g. China
More challenging for lower language levels
Littlewood (1999): less 'reactive' (guided) forms of autonomy v more 'proactive' autonomy (learners take complete creative control over the learning process)
Chan (2001): this may require scaffolding.
Chan, V. (2001). Readiness for learner autonomy: What do our learners tell us?. Teaching in Higher Education. 6(4):
Littlewood, W. (1999). Defining and developing autonomy in East Asian contexts. Applied Linguistics. 20(1):

7. The Magazine Project

8. Does it foster learner autonomy?
We thought you’d like to hear from our previous magazine-team students
But first you have to do some pairwork!
Look at some of the questions we asked and put yourself in ‘student-mode’
Try to imagine what some of the answers might be!

9. The students

10. The questions 1) What did you hope to get out of the experience?
2) What did you learn?
3) What was your most memorable experience?
4) What advice would you give to the next magazine team?

11. Watch and compare
Video lasts c.6’30

12. Meet ‘The Key Issue 4– 2016’
What the students we interviewed all mentioned was the thrill of seeing the end product…

13. Digital versions (easy peasy & free)
We use:
-BFA-Student-Magazine/

14. Beyond the creative experience
Print copies – one per editing member of the Team
Used in international marketing events/given out on open days etc
Digital version goes on university intranet

15. Your turn!
Work in groups. Think about setting up a similar magazine project for your own EAP context(s)
Discuss your task
Prepare to feedback briefly (nominate one person)

16. Group Tasks
Group 1. Outline the possible steps/stages in setting up and running the magazine
Group 2. What might your students get out of the experience?
Group 3. What might you expect to get out of the experience as a tutor?
Group 4. Possible challenges and ways to overcome them

17. Feedback Your Ideas

18. So how did we do it?

19. Student-Centred/Tutor facilitated
Open to all international foundation
students (mix of language abilities)
Core editing team c students
Involves whole cohort (articles, competitions etc)
Coordinated by 1-2 EAP tutors
Regular meetings (c. twice a month)
Facebook page/VLE
Begins Term 1 – ends….
Printing budget (100 copies c. £300)

20. Key benefits – a summary
Transferable skills – CV
Time management –setting &meeting deadlines
Group-work and group dynamics
Communication skills
Dealing with setbacks
Getting motivated and maintaining momentum
Writing in different genres (strange ‘reverse’ effect of improving academic style)
Proofreading/polishing/presentation
Digital skills (images, copyright, layout)