Beyond Barriers and Resistance: Peer Tutor Reflections on Writing Centre Practice During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Writing is a core staple of academic and discipline-specific discourses. Students, therefore, having entered the university, are required to demonstrate a minimum proficiency in academic writing as well as the potential to build upon effective academic discourse. Academic writing is thus vital to students' academic access, performance, and success. Writing Centres play an important role in supporting students in the successful completion of their academic journeys through integrated writing support. The study discusses how peer tutors at the selected University of Technology Writing Centre adapted their pedagogical practices during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift from face-to-face, physical location to blended support meant that peer tutors needed to reconceptualise strategies on how they strive to provide a learning environment that enhances students' academic writing experiences. Tutors' experiences during hybrid consultations and their reflections in written reports are used to explore the pertinent challenges and opportunities for Writing Centres. Adopting a reflective approach, the study interrogates the need for the development of innovative techniques that enhance substantive remote tutoring experiences and academic writing development. The study adopted the academic literacies model as the underpinning theoretical framework. Data from this case study indicates that tutors reflect on pedagogical practices as well as blended learning environments when engaging with students. This study concludes that Writing Centres need to devise hybrid support strategies that are responsive to students' needs for tutors to effectively support all students.

From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“…Given the importance of academic literacy practices in HE, writing centres have the mandate to ensure that students develop the necessary skills to succeed (Drennan & Keyser, 2022;Guskaroska et al, 2022;Khumalo & Onwuegbuchulam, 2023). This is because academic literacies are "linked to student access which includes both retention and throughput" (Archer, 2008: 248).…”