ASC Teaching Approach and Courses
The Approach of the Academic Skills Center
Teaching Methodology
In the classroom we see our role as being informative; discussing the students’ previous experience of academic writing and drawing out perceptions of what the expectations of the reader are. We then ask students to analyze possible different approaches from subject specific published sources to specific parts of a paper, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses and the effect of those choices on the reader. To achieve these aims we follow a process-genre approach. This combination of approaches is effective for three reasons: First, it informs the student of textual features associated with specific genres (Johns 1997, Kay and Dudley-Evans 1998, Dudley-Evans 1995, Bhatia 1993, 2002). Secondly, this knowledge then empowers the student to develop and use their analytical skills when reading different genres, to see what options they have when writing their own texts and thus, thirdly, allow students the creativity to craft their own informed writing through a process of drafting, reviewing and revising. The input we offer aims to provide these opportunities, but is also carefully timed to mirror the writers’ progress as they go through their writing process towards the end product.
Consultations
In support of the teaching we spend much time on individual consultations. In the consultation we ask questions and discuss alternatives but leave the writer to make the decision on what changes they then wish to make. We offer advice, or raise issues which we feel the writer needs to address. Much consultation time is spent on students talking us through these decisions on the various parts of their papers in terms of organization, coherence, style etc. We often respond by asking a lot of questions for them to consider based on their decisions. e.g.
- How have you shown the justification for your research?
- How could this claim be given greater support?
- How could this point be made clearer to someone who has not read any of your sources?
- In what way is all the evidence provided relevant to the claim being made?
- How could we rearrange this section to make it more comprehensible to your reader?
We often find that students have very logical reasons for the decisions they have made, especially in the technical and methodological sections that we cannot give professional advice on. However, we always provide guidance, help and advice on the specific areas they come to see us about if they are having problems or if we feel specific areas need more work on them to make them academically more acceptable. We do not want students to leave the consultations negatively in a sea of questions that they feel have not been addressed. However, the final choices and decisions are always the responsibility of the student.
The Courses
Preparatory Semester
The ASC preparatory session is designed as a reading comprehension and essay writing test-based assessment to determine proficiency in academic reading and writing skills in English. The assessment will be used in CERGE- EI MA/PhD program admissions.
All Prep students take a two-part exam. Both parts include a critical-essay writing task. The two parts will be scheduled approximately two weeks apart, with one full week in between. During this in-between week the Academic Skills Center will provide instruction related to academic reading and writing skills in English. Student proficiency will therefore be assessed both before and after receiving instruction. The three-week procedure usually takes place during the latter portion of the Prep semester, and students are required to attend both parts of the exam and the instruction in the in-between week.
Prep enrollees will receive a grade for the complete exam procedure, which will serve as the student's grade for the Academic Writing 0 course and as information for the Admissions Committee.
First Year: Academic Writing
In the first year, the main emphasis is placed on writing because this is the skill with which students need most help and because this is the most important skill in academic discourse as academics are judged by their writing more than anything. Moreover, academics mainly communicate their ideas through writing. The first year academic writing course is designed to develop students' critical thinking reading and writing skills. In fact, this premise continues into the second-year Academic Writing course held in the fall of Year 2.
We find this an appropriate place to begin as many of our students are weak in critical thinking and reading skills and have little experience in voicing their own thoughts or having critical opinion. This is a major requirement of the Anglo-American approach to academic study and an area with which many students, despite a good English language level, often have problems. During the spring semester of Year 1, there will be a concentration on developing summarizing skills leading to critical summary writing to enable you, by the end of the semester, to critically evaluate at least one Economics journal article.
The following fall semester (of Year 2) is devoted mainly to writing a position paper in which you will be able to build on the skills covered in the previous spring semester to critically evaluate several sources on the same topic area plus add your own voice and position. Students will be expected to provide their own topic area and find relevant related sources to critique. The course provides necessary practical preparation for the later courses of study when you will need to take a critical stance in developing your own research ideas and writing your own research papers.
Academic Writing One
The main aim of this course is to develop students' critical thinking, reading, writing skills, and summarizing skills so that by the end of the course students will be able to critically summarize an Economics journal article. Topics to be covered can include: functions of a summary, levels of prose, abstraction, note taking / collapsing a text, framework for a summary, developing a critical stance, locating the critical stance, consideration of the reader and the writer.
Second Year: Academic Writing and Combined Skills
Academic Writing Two
Building upon the analytical reading and summarizing work in Academic Writing One, students will focus on writing a position paper. In a position paper, the writer takes a position on a topic in economics based on a critical reading and understanding of various positions on the topic taken by other sources. Topics to be covered can include: argumentation, definition, comparison, outlining, style, abstraction, use of citation, distinguishing writer's voice from sources analyzed.
Combined Skills
During your second year, from the spring semester, you will participate in a two-stage course in Combined Skills that will build on the critical reading and writing skills covered in Academic Writing and will focus on skills that you will need for your current and future studies.
Further Component: Research Methodology Seminar
Throughout Year 2, two economics faculty coordinators manage Research Methodology Seminar (RMS) lectures. The lectures are designed to give students input on economics scholar and research issues. Attendance is mandatory, and the information provided proves useful to the context of CERGE-EI's MA/PhD program students.
Combined Skills One
For all students from the spring semester of Year 2, the focus will be on presentation skills and grant proposal writing. Presentation skills are valuable at this point because many students need to give presentations in the various Economics courses. Also students start giving more formal presentations at brown bag seminars or conferences and in applicable cases, need to give a presentation of their dissertation proposal in their third year of studies. You will have the opportunity to give presentations and receive feedback from your tutor and colleagues. You will also have the opportunity to observe and critique various oral presentations during the semester.
Grant Proposal Writing is included in the spring semester because students at this stage usually have the opportunity of submitting a proposed research idea to an in-house grant call designed specifically for this purpose. Sometimes, a few students are at a stage where they are considering applying to outside granting agencies for financing. Input sessions will be provided on how to write a proposal as you write one as part of course requirements and to present the proposal as one of the oral presentation requirements.
Combined Skills/RMS—M.A.
In the summer semester of Year 2, students for whatever reason completing their studies at CERGE-EI at the MA level will concentrate on writing a paper to complete their English course credits as a part of the economics M.A. program. In cooperation with the Research Methodology Seminar Coordinators, ASC tutors instruct and individually consult with students as they produce an applied-type or practical paper such as a policy paper or industry sector report.
Third Year: PhD Candidates (Dissertation Proposal Workshop participants)
Combined Skills—Ph.D.
For all third-year students, this seminar is offered to assist dissertation proposal workshop (DPW) participants in producing their written proposals and designing their presentations in consultation with Academic Skills Center (ASC) faculty and to give students the opportunity to deliver a practice presentation to their tentative dissertation chair, an ASC member, and interested peers. The seminar will work towards the first official DPW draft due date of November 1st though consultation work continues through the month of November until the defense week.
