Academic development interventions in teaching and learning : do we know what our students need?

Abstract

In July 2011, Unisa students who had registered for the second semester for the course ACN203 were requested to participate in a pilot study which was a diagnostic assessment of their academic literacy needs. 156 students heeded the call and took the test online. The test items were categorised into skills clusters, which were further categorised into competencies that were assessed. Students’ performance in each of these skills clusters was represented by means of a percentage, and the same applied to competencies. Although the cut-off point had been determined as 50%, this quantity was not cast in stone and could be changed should the academics concerned wish to do so. It was based on the performance of the lowest quintile of this cohort. The assessment scores were analysed with the aid of a computer program referred to as classical item analysis (CIA). This program helped to highlight the tool’s performance and thus enabled a redevelopment process to improve the tool. The second version of the tool was scheduled for piloting in the first semester of 2012. After the first semester’s registration period, students were contacted by various means with a request to participate in the pilot study. 422 students responded to the call, took the test online and immediately received responses: firstly, their overall total score and secondly, correspondence indicating that they would be contacted by an e-Tutor with further information relating to the test results.