Keywords –Academic Writing, Flipped Classroom, Technology Enhanced Learning, Universal Design for Learning. This paper describes how academic writing support has been integrated into a first year Civil Engineering module.... [ view full abstract ]
Keywords –Academic Writing, Flipped Classroom, Technology Enhanced Learning, Universal Design for Learning.
This paper describes how academic writing support has been integrated into a first year Civil Engineering module. It demonstrates how, through the judicious application of technology, opportunities for independent student learning are enhanced.
An engineering module has been successfully presented via a flipped classroom for a number of years. However, a recent analysis of student needs indicated that there was room for improvement in regards to academic writing skills. The academic writing centre was requested to find a way to offer this class some academic writing support, the only condition being that it was to be in a flipped classroom delivery mode.
This presentation examines how the traditional writing skills class has been redesigned using technology, and incorporating the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), to assist the class to prepare the written assignment for their module.
The module assessment was examined and broken into four main sections – planning to write, an analysis of the structure of required sections, inclusion of references in writing, and presentation of the final piece of writing. The resources that were developed use the main tenets of UDL. They were offered in multiple formats (multiple means of representation) that students could access in their own time and as needed (multiple means of action and expression). Support scaffolds were also developed that students could access for support as they constructed their assignment independently (multiple means of engagement).
It was found that students benefitted from having specific resources available to access as required rather than depending solely upon interaction with a lecturer, and resulted in greater independence and confidence in writing.
